No shellfish harvesting in areas of Suffolk due to rain runoff, DEC advises

Some areas in Suffolk County are temporarily closed for shellfish harvesting due to Sunday’s heavy rains, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced Wednesday.

The DEC said the temporary closures were spurred by heavy rainfall and stormwater runoff from Sunday’s storms, which left some areas receiving almost 6 inches of rain. The conditions may make the shellfish hazardous for use as food, the DEC said in a news release. No areas are closed in Nassau County. 

The following areas in Suffolk are closed until further notice:

• In Babylon and Islip: The Great South Bay and its tributaries bounded by a line extending southerly from the Amityville Creek Entrance Light along the western edge of the Amityville Cut to State Boat Channel Light and continuing to the southern shore of the state boat channel west of West Gilgo Boat Basin; the northbound spans of the Robert Moses Causeway; and Jones Beach Island. 
• In Islip and Brookhaven’s south shore: The Great South Bay, Nicoll Bay, and their tributaries lying westerly and northerly of a line from the northernmost point of land of Captree Island at the base of the northbound span of the Robert Moses Causeway to Dickerson Channel Buoy "6,” from Dickerson Channel Buoy "6'' to North Channel Buoy "4," from North Channel Buoy "4" through North Channel Buoys "6'' and "8" to East Channel Buoy "28," from East Channel Buoy "28" through East Channel Buoys "32," "34," to East Channel Buoy "35," and from East Channel Buoy "35" to the southernmost point of land at Blue Point.
• In Southampton and Brookhaven’s South Shore: Moriches Bay and its tributaries lying east of Smith Point Bridge and lying west of the Jessup Lane Bridge in Westhampton Beach.
• In Southampton: Shinnecock Bay, Cold Spring Pond, North Sea Harbor, Noyac Creek and Sag Harbor and its tributaries.
• In East Hampton: All creeks, coves, and harbors within the town of East Hampton, including Sag Harbor and its tributaries, Northwest Harbor lying south and east of a line from the westernmost point of land at the entrance to Northwest Creek, to the foot of Mile Hill Road, and, Three Mile Harbor, Hog Creek, Accabonac Harbor, Napeague Harbor and Montauk Harbor (Montauk Lake).
• In Southold: Fishers Island Sound.
• In Smithtown and Brookhaven’s North Shore: Stony Brook Harbor including its tributaries. 

The DEC said it would reopen the areas as soon as possible based on results from water quality testing. A recorded voice message advising harvesters of the status of the areas is at 631-444-0480.

By Brinley Hineman

brinley.hineman@newsday.com

Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.