Could climate change have poisoned our waters and taken away the summer fun from Newton families?
The City of Newton shut down public swimming and recreational use for the season at Crystal Lake two days earlier than scheduled on August 16. The closing is disappointing for many residents and is the latest in a series of issues with the lake that have concerned my family.
Several of the city’s weekly tests this season revealed elevated levels of E. coli bacteria in Crystal Lake. The results from the August 12 test exceeded the safety limit of 235 CFU/100mL. Along with this data came a warning that, “No one – people or pets – should have contact with the water,” because it may cause gastrointestinal problems, sore throats, runny noses, earaches, and itchiness.
This is not the first time that Crystal Lake shut down this season. In late June and early July there were algae blooms in the lake, causing the first closure this summer. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can cause rashes, irritation, sore throats, and coughing fits if people come in contact with water where these algae blooms occur.
While the issue in Crystal Lake shifted towards E. coli by the end of summer, there seems to be one major factor creating favorable conditions for both E. coli and cyanobacteria to thrive. According to an article in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, there appears to be a clear correlation between the effects of climate change and the success of E. coli. In the study cited in the article, for every degree celsius that temperature increases monthly, there would be an 8% growth in E. coli concentration. There is a similar pattern with cyanobacteria, with the blue-green algae thriving in warmer waters and environments with more carbon dioxide.
A warming climate seems to be the underlying reason behind the recent closures in Crystal Lake, not only this year but in previous seasons as well. If we strive to create a more sustainable community, we may be able to spend more time at Crystal Lake in the coming seasons and many years beyond.
Lucia Baum-Vardi is a Newton resident and attends high school at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School.
Bibliography
- CDC. (2024, June 17). Symptoms of illnesses caused by freshwater harmful algal blooms. Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB)-Associated Illness.
- Crystal Lake | City of Newton, MA. (2024). Newtonma.Gov.
- Crystal Lake Water Quality – weekly tests | City of Newton, MA. (2020). Newtonma.Gov.
- Philipsborn, R., Ahmed, S. M., Brosi, B. J., & Levy, K. (2016). Climatic Drivers of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Incidence: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. The Journal of infectious diseases, 214(1), 6–15.
- US EPA. (2025, February 26). Climate change and freshwater harmful algal blooms. Www.Epa.Gov.