Have you ever wanted to visit one of Stratford’s beaches, but learned once you got there that they were temporarily closed? Well, so far in the summer of 2026, there have been an estimated seven total days of beach closures, which may leave some Stratford residents frustrated, especially those hoping to enjoy the local beaches with family, friends, or on their own.
Imagine yourself waking up on a scorching sunny day, having planned the previous day to go enjoy one of Stratford’s local beaches. You pack your beach towels and sunscreen, and your cooler is filled with drinks and snacks and you’re ready to hit the road to Short Beach or Long Beach so you can cool off in its refreshing waters. But when you arrive, instead of being greeted with hundreds of people and families walking around on the sandy beach and enjoying the beach waters, you are met with a sign or lifeguard informing you that the beach is temporarily closed and swimming is strictly forbidden. You ask yourself, for what reason would the town close the beach when the waters look perfectly blue, clean, and safe to swim in?
The answer to that question is not an oil spill, but a heavy rainstorm that passed the town the day before, activating the Stratford Health Department ‘One-Inch Rule’. While it may seem like an inconvenience, it is a necessary safety precaution the town has to take to keep residents and visitors safe when enjoying Stratford beaches. Understanding this rule and the local data behind it helps understand and reveal the purpose of this policy being emplaced.
The Mechanism Behind This Rule
According to Stratford Health Department Beach Closure Policy, “swimming is automatically prohibited for a minimum of 24 hours following a rainfall that exceeds 1 inch; swimming is prohibited for 48 hours or more following rainfall of 2 inches or greater.” However, this does not mean that whenever it rains the beaches will close. Instead, if the rainfall is below an inch, Stratford beaches will be open to the public. Additionally, even in the event of a temporary beach closure, the public can still visit the shoreline of the beaches and use the area for recreational purposes, with the only advisory being to not enter the water.
The Health Department is able to make this decision by relying on the level of rainfall data provided by the Water Pollution Control Facility, and use it to determine whether or not the closure policy is applicable. Any swimming advisories are then coordinated with the Stratford Recreation Department.
Stratford Residents Opinions On This Policy
Conversely, there seems to be a variety of opinions with the public about how they feel about what is being done to address the issue with beach closures. In a post on July 9th, 2026 under a public Facebook group called the Stratford Election 2026 (the MUNICIPAL version: SWRS), or as the Stratford Election page, the post addressed the beach closures that occurred on that date and made a jokingly sarcastic comment to thank Mayor Chess, made on the basis that people blamed then Mayor Hoydick for the beach closures that occurred last summer.
This led to discussion under the post comment section with a user under the name of Gavin Forrester, commenting on his frustration over the frequent beach closures caused by bacteria, and that he feels leaders are not doing enough to address the issue. He added that, “Kids going to the beach has always been a great summer pastime and it seems as if our youth are being deprived of summer fun because we can’t seem to get the bacteria problem under control.”
Meanwhile, some comments below the post thanked Mayor Chess for informing the public about the beach closures that occurred on that date of July 9th, and for looking out for Stratford residents. Others found the situation of blaming Mayor Chess for the beach closures absurd.
Despite differences in public perception on how much is being done by leaders to address the problem, it can be said that the management taken by the town of Stratford is strict when it comes to beach water quality and swimming, but considerate in allowing the public to use the beach area while the policy is in place.
