NORTHAMPTON — City officials are cautioning people against using an unofficial swimming area at Connecticut River Greenway Park, a posted no swimming site that, despite deep water and strong currents, has gained popularity this summer among swimmers looking to beat the heat.

“Certainly we understand the importance of accessing water. People want to swim,” said Police Chief Jody Kasper, one of several city officials, including Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, to sign a statement encouraging responsible use of the area off Damon Road behind River Run Apartments.

The statement warns that the area is not supervised by lifeguards, poses a danger to swimmers from boaters in the area, and is not monitored for water quality.

“We know that there’s a lot of interest in it,” Sciarra said. “We really want to caution people.”

In spite of those hazards, many families continue to flock to the shoreline during the day, and the area has become an attractive venue for young people in the evenings.

Shay Barcetti, a Chicopee mother who estimates that she has brought her children to the area more than 50 times this summer alone, views the risks laid out by the city as part and parcel of swimming in any natural body of water.

“It’s every parent’s obligation to watch their kids, to watch for boats and assess risks. There’s always going to be risks at any beach, but it should be a parent’s choice, up to their discretion,” she said while visiting the area on Tuesday.

Barcetti, who grew up in Granby and recalls regularly swimming in the Connecticut River, expressed apprehension about municipal oversight of the area, suggesting the city could forbid the use of floating devices and remove the rope swing currently affixed to one of the trees if it were to more closely monitor the area.

“I almost don’t want there to be a lifeguard here. Part of the fun is how much freedom the kids have,” she said.

Regulations at the area

The city reminds visitors that drinking alcohol, building fires and littering are forbidden at city parks, and that trash that is brought in must be brought out. Officials also warn against illegal parking and remind visitors that there are no bathrooms at the location.

Kasper said that officers are focusing their efforts on the parking area, informing people that alcohol is not allowed on the beach and that trash carried in should be carried out.

She said that vehicles have been parking in a way that blocks access to the building that houses Northampton Community Rowing’s boats and equipment, and the police are trying to prevent this as well.

“We understand that it’s hot,” Kasper said. “The city is trying to explore a safe access option [to water].”

Carolyn Misch, the city’s director of planning and sustainability, said that changes to the river have caused a beach to form in the area over the last few years. The site, which people can reach via land and boat, is one of several unofficial spots where swimming has increased in popularity in recent years, including on the Mill River at Cook’s Dam, Orange Dam and the dam near Pine Street in Florence.

Misch said the city dealt with a litter issue from people swimming at the Orange Dam on the Mill River in Leeds two years ago, which she said has improved this year. She also said that the issue prompted the city to hire a consultant to look into new authorized swimming areas in the city.

Misch said that additional study is required before a new swimming area can be put into place in the city and the hope is that this will be in place next year.

“That’s the hope,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s feasible.”

Sciarra said the city will look into making the Connecticut River Greenway Park an authorized swimming area.

“We just want to make sure that it’s safe,” she said.

The only authorized public swimming area in Northampton is Musante Beach in Florence, although that does require a season pass or walk-in fee to use.

Michelle Squires, a Northampton resident, noted that ramps designed to facilitate the transport of rowing boats into the water increase the area’s accessibility for families with strollers and wheelchair users.

Supervising her nephews Ayden and Liam as they shoveled sand and devoured pretzels before diving into the Connecticut, Squires said she visits the area during the day to avoid nighttime crowding.

“It’s not like I don’t drink, but bringing glass bottles into pools and beaches or leaving cigarette butts in the sand, it’s a big no-no,” she said, suggesting the city could make trash bags accessible to swimmers at the entrance to mitigate littering concerns.

In its statement, the city expressed gratitude to the residents of River Run apartments who have conducted voluntary trash cleanups, as well as to Northampton Community Rowing for its efforts to clean up after irresponsible users of the park.

“Everyone must use the area safely and responsibly and respect the rights of community members who come after them to enjoy a clean and pleasant park,” the statement said.

Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.]]>