UPDATE: East Haven, Branford Beaches Remain Closed, Bacteria Test Results Back Thursday: Health Dept.

EAST HAVEN, CT — Update, July 8, 9:30 a.m.

All public beaches in East Haven and Branford remain closed for swimming, according to East Shore District Health Department.

In an update early Wednesday morning, the health department said that staff are taking water samples Wednesday, and those sample results will come back on Thursday.

Check back for updates Thursday, or click here where the health department will post all updates.

The East Haven recreation department posted on Facebook that the town beach playground, grass area and splash pad are open.

Original story:

The East Shore District Department, as of Monday, beaches in East Haven and Branford are closed due to high amounts of rainfall. Shellfish beds are also closed.

The health department will test the water and reopen if the water sample is within acceptable limits, it noted. As of Tuesday, no updates yet. Click here to check daily updates.

The department conducts weekly beach water testing throughout the summer months.

The Environmental Protection Agency established bacterial standards for marine beaches to determine acceptable levels. If one sample exceeds the acceptable limit, a re-sample is taken to determine if the beach should be closed.

Following beach closure, additional sampling is conducted until acceptable limits are reached. ESHD implements pre-emptive beach closures based on rainfall. If rainfall within a 24 hour timeframe exceeds a certain limit, the beach will be closed and resampled until water quality is acceptable.

SHELLFISH BED STATUS

Seasonal beds: CLOSED

All other approved beds: CLOSED

BEACH STATUS:

Latest Update: July 6, 2026

East Haven Beach: Closed

Johnsons Beach (Short Beach): Closed

Stony Creek Beach: Closed

Branford Point Beach: Closed