Washington state will restrict shellfish harvests in certain areas of Thurston, Mason, Pierce, and Snohomish counties due to fecal pollution.
Portions of Henderson Inlet in Thurston County, Annas Bay in Mason County, Vaughn Bay in Pierce County and Port Susan in Snohomish County did not meet public health standards, according to the release. Restriction in those areas will start in August.
Those four of the state’s 115 shellfish growing areas have high levels of fecal bacteria, according to the state Department of Health. Classification downgrades also may affect 19 other areas that currently meet water quality standards.
The news came in a Wednesday press release announcing the conclusion of an annual water quality evaluation of commercial shellfish growing areas. The DOH classifies the areas for public safety and posts up-to-date information on an interactive online map.
Bacteria pollution also threatens these areas:
• Mason County: Hood Canal 5, Hood Canal 6, North Bay, Oakland Bay, Pickering Passage
• Pierce County: Filucy Bay, Wollochet Bay
• Clallam County: Dungeness Bay, Makah Bay
• Jefferson County: Quilcene Bay
• Kitsap County: Miller Bay
• Pacific County: Bay Center
• Snohomish County: Port Susan, Skagit Bay South
• Whatcom County: Drayton Harbor, Portage Bay
Fecal pollution can be caused by poorly maintained septic systems, pet waste, failing to use pump out stations for boats and recreational vehicles, and mismanaged animal waste from large and small farms, according to the release.
People who eat shellfish harvested from a polluted area are at a higher risk of getting sick because fecal coliform bacteria are an indicator of other disease-causing organisms, according to a statement from DOH spokesperson Nikki Ostergaard.
The four affected sites were not immediately closed because the DOH needs to evaluate the sites before downgrading their classification, per the statement. The upcoming restrictions are partly based on long term marine quality data collected over a five-year period.
“Water quality can fluctuate over this period and statistics are used to see if they meet the stringent marine water quality standards,” the statement says. “When marine water quality fails the standards, we reevaluate the classification and determine the size of the impacted area and if there are environmental conditions such as precipitation, season, or stream/river flow that are causing the high fecal bacteria levels.”
The DOH works with shellfish growers, tribes and counties to ensure conditions are appropriate for the harvest areas. Ostergaard says the DOH “strives to complete these downgrades as quickly as possible.”
As for the 19 other areas, the statement says those will be evaluated at least annually to ensure they continue to meet water quality standards.
“Some areas have threatened water quality for many years and are never downgraded because they continue to meet the water quality standards,” the statement says. “When an area is threatened with a downgrade, we develop coordinated projects with shellfish growers, state and local partners, and tribal governments aimed at finding and fixing pollution sources.”
The DOH has invested about $38 million since 2011 to support state, local and tribal government pollution prevention programs, according to the release.
Funding for these grants come from the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program.
“Our state’s collaborative approach toward water quality improvement has led to the successful reopening of many shellfish harvesting areas,” said Scott Berbells, manager of the Shellfish Growing Area Section. “Clean water is the result of everyone doing their part.”
