280 Additional Acres Of Hood Canal Open For Shellfish Harvest
Gov. Chris Gregoire announced Tuesday, Dec. 4, that an additional 280 acres of Hood Canal shellfish beds in Mason County have been upgraded by the state Department
of Health from “prohibited” to “approved” for commercial harvest. The area is adjacent to Belfair State Park.The tidelands near Belfair were downgraded to “prohibited” in 1987 due to runoff and pollution from failing septic systems. During the 2010-2011 survey of shoreline septic systems, no problems were identified. The last hurdle to reclassification of the beds was the recent completion of a wastewater collection system and water reclamation facility to serve the Belfair urban growth area, further reducing the potential for sewage to contaminate the shellfish area.
With this upgrade, the region is 51 percent of the way toward reaching the goal to reopen 7,000 acres of shellfish beds between 2007 and 2020, a vision outlined in the Puget Sound Partnership’s Action Agenda.For Full Story and Map - click HERE
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