By Erin Tiernan — [email protected]
Replacing the bathhouse at Walden Pond will begin to address erosion and pollution that are reaching new levels of concern in the era of climate change, state officials say.
Warming temperatures are contributing to pollution that researchers say is feeding algal blooms that have been simmering for decades due to the popularity of Walden, where 600,000 people flock annually.
“Walden Pond is still pretty clean, but it’s not as clean as it used to be because of all the people bathing and peeing in the pond,” said Boston University professor Richard Primack, a biologist.
Next summer, construction of a bathhouse will temporarily limit beach access. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which operates the park, says the upgrade will address water quality and topsoil erosion issues.
$6 million project
Demolition of the 76-year-old bathhouse, which DCR officials say is filled with mold, is expected to start this month.
Construction of the fully accessible bathhouse will take about a year. Officials at a November public meeting said contractors would be required to provide “some” public access during the summer.
Details on bathroom and pond access will be forthcoming in March.
Officials have yet to award a contract to builders but told The Concord Bridge they are “close.” DCR issued a notice in August to a prequalified list of vendors, which is typical for management and improvement projects.
The $6 million bathhouse upgrade, with a ramp connecting the building to Walden Street, has been underway for over a decade. It was initially green-lighted in 2019 but faced pandemic and funding delays. Covid-era American Rescue Act Plan money is funding the project.
The new bathhouse — featuring individual and family restrooms, changing rooms, space for lifeguards, and a first-aid room — will be universally accessible, bringing Walden Pond’s facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The existing bathhouse foundation will transform into an outdoor classroom and overlook plaza.
A yet-to-be-funded second phase of the project that will go out to bid after the bathhouse is complete envisions a universally accessible walkway linking the new bathhouse to the beach and landscaping designed to filter runoff and protect against erosion. A 2020 estimate put the cost at $4.3 million.
“The new bathhouse is going to be more inviting to people to take the proper steps to protect the pond from pollution,” said Kathi Anderson, executive director of The Walden Woods Project, which advocates for conserving the pond and surrounding woods.
Unsafe bacteria levels led rangers to close the pond to swimming twice over the summer. In the last decade, Walden has seen six times as many closures as it did in the decade prior.
From 2015 through 2024, elevated bacteria levels closed the beach on 18 separate days. From 2005 to 2014, there were only three days of bacteria-related closures.
Reigniting concerns
But the project that promises to remedy damage and water quality at the popular recreation destination has reignited fears in some.
“A compromise between conservation, sanitation, and accessibility is completely unnecessary. We must decide now whether we want an actual forest or a fake city park,” said Carlisle resident Ben Kissinger.
Dozens of trees will be cut down to accommodate the new building and boardwalk. DCR officials have not responded to questions about how many trees will be lost but said 25 percent of those being removed “are considered unhealthy” and would be removed anyway to protect other vegetation.
As part of the project, 197 new trees, 2,000 shrubs, and 5,000 other plantings will be part of an “extensive and robust” plan to “create a more climate resilient environment and more enjoyable beach.”
Anderson called managing the land a “balancing act” due to the myriad reasons people visit the state reservation and historic landmark.
“Walden Pond stakeholders have diverse points of view concerning how best to care for Walden,” Anderson said. “Some visitors come to see the place where Henry David Thoreau lived and wrote; others to enjoy recreational opportunities.”
Read more: On Walden Pond, exhilaration, solitude, and communing with nature
Primack argued that the state should consider “more restrictions” on swimming. He said nitrogen from human activity in the water and rising temperatures are affecting the water quality.
“Once pollution occurs,” Primack said, “it’s very difficult to reverse, which is why it’s important to take measures before it gets worse.”
Lessons from the past
Concerns about the impact of humans on Walden’s fragile environment have come up before.
In the 1980s, environmental groups lobbied for an end to swimming at Walden Pond, citing many of the same concerns heard today: bacteria-laden water, collapsing pond banks, and eroding topsoil.
In July 2021, a spate of drownings prompted DCR to ban open-water swimming at Walden. That ban was in place just five days before the agency reversed course amid widespread complaints from lawmakers and the public.
Walden Woods Project’s Anderson said she wants to see attention paid to a visitor management plan that prioritizes both conservation and appropriate access.
“I wouldn’t presume to know what Thoreau would say about the state of Walden today, but I know that Thoreau wanted people to understand our connection to nature and how important it is to our health,” she said.
