Shellfishing in Southampton Temporarily Closed Due to Rain

Due to a large volume of storm runoff caused by rains on Sunday and Monday, the Department of Environmental Conservation has temporarily banned shellfishing in Southampton waterways until Aug. 22.

According to a statement to the media, the DEC has suspending all shellfishing in Southampton waters including Moriches Bay, Shinnecock Bay, Flanders Bay and surrounding creeks, ponds, bays and harbors that sit between Red Cedar Point and the North Haven peninsula, including Red Creek Pond, Squire Pond, Cold Spring Pond, the Sebonac Creeks, Wooley Pond, Fresh Pond, North Sea Harbor, Nyack Creek and Mill Pond.

The DEC action is said to be a precautionary to “protect public health following the exceptionally heavy rainfall."

In all effected areas, the DEC said rainfall was measured in excess of 3 inches with some areas getting hit with more than 10 inches of rain.

“Such extraordinary volumes of storm water runoff carry bacteria and viruses into the creeks, covers, harbors and bays and may cause shellfish in the affected areas to be hazardous for use as food,” read the DEC statement.

Aside from Southampton, areas in Riverhead, Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Islip, Brookhaven and Smithtown have also been closed to shell fishing.