Creek to Be Reopened to Shellfishing

Thanks to improved water quality observed in recent surveys, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced on Wednesday that it will open approximately 88 acres of Northwest Creek in East Hampton to shellfish harvesters  during the cold-weather months.

The area has been reclassified from "uncertified," or closed, to "seasonally uncertified." With the improved classification, it will be legal to take shellfish there between Dec. 15 and April 30.

Northwest Creek is one of four water bodies reclassified by the D.E.C. this week. The agency reclassified approximately 52 acres of Mattituck Creek and 13 acres of Wickham Creek in the Town of Southold. The former is now designated as certified from Jan. 15 through April 15, the latter certified from Dec. 1 through April 30. Approximately 150 acres of Great South Bay in the Town of Babylon are now designated as seasonally certified from Oct. 1 through May 14. Shellfish can be harvested in those waterways during the specified periods.

According to a D.E.C. release, recent water-quality surveys showed reduced levels of fecal coliform bacteria in these water bodies during the colder months.

Diane McNally, clerk of the East Hampton Town Trustees, announced the reclassification of Northwest Creek to her colleagues at their meeting on Tuesday. She told the trustees that orange markers have been placed at the seasonal closure line. The area will again become uncertified if the markers are not in place, she said.