Welcome to Skagit County
July 18th, 2011
Samish Bay shellfish beds
reopened; still closed to recreationally harvested varnish clams due to Paralytic
Shellfish Toxin (Red Tide)
SKAGIT COUNTY - The Washington
State Department of Health reopened Samish Bay shellfish beds today, July 15,
2011. The Department of Health closed the beds July 14, 2011, due to anticipated
high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, which wash into the bay with rainfall;
however, recently-collected water quality monitoring data have verified the
bay is safe for shellfish harvesting. Samish Bay is still closed, however, to
recreational shellfish harvesting of varnish clams due to elevated levels of
Paralytic Shellfish Toxin (Red Tide). This closure will remain until additional
sampling indicates toxin levels have declined.
The State Department of Health has specific water quality criteria for Samish
Bay. If the Samish River and surrounding creeks and ditches contribute too much
pollution, the bay closes until water quality samples can be collected to ensure
bacteria levels have abated and the shellfish are again safe to consume.
When the bay is closed, shellfish farms can't harvest their crops and it is
unsafe to consume shellfish recreationally harvested from the bay. Farms may
have safe shellfish for sale during the closure that was either harvested prior
to the closure or brought in from growing areas elsewhere in the state.
Potential sources of polluting bacteria in the Samish River watershed include:
- Failing onsite sewage
systems
- Manure from commercial
and non-commercial farms with livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats, horses,
llamas, alpacas, etc.
- Farming operations that
spread animal manure as fertilizer
- Human recreational activities
including boating, hunting, fishing, and hiking
- Marine live-aboard boats
- Waterfowl attracted to
fields
- Pet waste that is not collected and disposed of properly
All of these sources, if
managed properly, need not pose a threat to water quality.
For more information on clean water efforts in the Samish Watershed, a calendar
of Samish Bay shellfish bed closures to date, or to report a water quality problem,
visit www.skagitcounty.net/cleanwater.
For more information, contact Emma Whitfield at emmaw@co.skagit.wa.us
or at (360) 419-7667