This document summarizes efforts to upgrade shellfish growing area classifications in local waters. Water quality and shellfish surveys identified potential geoduck and horse clam beds. Sediment and shellfish tissue samples found no human health risks from contaminants. Dye studies showed limited water circulation, informing recommendations to restrict harvesting near sewage sources. Upstream stewardship programs and the surveys together allowed areas to be reclassified, expanding sustainable shellfish harvesting opportunities.
Knowledge engineering: from people to machines and back
Nisqually Shellfish Growing Area Upgrades
1. Local
Shellfish
Growing
Area
Upgrades
&
The
[Upstream]
Prac=ces
That
Allowed
For
Them
Margaret
Homerding
Shellfish
Program
Manager
Nisqually
Indian
Tribe
June
21,
2013
2. Shellfish
growing
area
classifica=on
• You
can’t
harvest
shellfish
from
everywhere!
– Bacterial
loads
of
freshwater
inputs
– Bacterial
loads
of
marine
water
– Bacterial
loads
and
Toxin
levels
in
shellfish
meats
– Concentra=ons
of
pollutants
in
shellfish
meat
and
sediment
8. • Urban
• Densely
populated
– Sewer
ou[alls
– Poten=al
heavy
metal
pollu=on
from
industry
and
roadways
JBLM/Chambers
Creek
Area
9. • EPA-‐funded
NEP
grant
• 4
year
project
• Start
date
Oct.
1,
2010
• DOH
lead;
partners
include
Nisqually
Tribe,
Department
of
Ecology
Joint
Base
Lewis-‐McChord/Chambers
Creek
Prohibited
Area
Courtesy
of
WADOH
10. Elements
of
Study
• An
evalua=on
of
shellfish
resources
• A
human
health
assessment,
including
=ssue
and
sediment
sampling
• Circula=on
and
dilu=on
studies
12. Inter=dal
Shellfish
Survey
• Walking
the
shoreline
at
low
=de
• Digging
samples
of
clams
• Coun=ng
oysters
and
other
shellfish
observed
• No=ng
any
cri=cal
Habitat
13. Photo
by
Michael
Kyte
Inter=dal
Shellfish
Survey
• Lifle
to
few
clams
or
oysters
• Loss
of
habitat
due
to
development
•
armoring
of
shoreline
14. Underwater
Video
Survey
• Towing
a
video
camera
behind
a
boat
• Must
go
slowly
• Constantly
liging
and
dropping
camera
to
stay
close
to
the
bofom
16. • SCUBA
diving
along
set
transects
• Coun=ng
geoduck
and
horseclams
• No=ng
any
observed
species
• Marking
any
cri=cal
habitat
Sub=dal
Shellfish
Survey
17. Sub=dal
Shellfish
Survey
• Large
tracts
of
geoduck
beds
• Rela=vely
few
horse
clams
• Several
crabs
18. • Collec=ng
sediment
and
geoduck
samples
• Analysis
of
samples
for
likely
contaminates
Human
Health
Assessment
19. • Contact
or
inges=on
of
sediments
will
not
have
deleterious
affects
to
human
health
• Inges=on
of
geoduck
meat
will
not
increase
risk
of
disease
Human
Health
Assessment
20. Circula=on
and
dilu=on
Studies
• Drogue
study
to
verify
=me
of
=de
change
• Fluorometers
installed
in
front
of
geoduck
tracts
and
public
beaches
• Dye
injected
for
24.8
hours
• Dye
tracked
un=l
gone
25. Preliminary
Dye
Study
Results
• Lifle
or
no
dye
got
across
channel
or
to
north
Ketron
• Dye
was
restricted
between
Sunnyside
Beach
to
the
south
during
flood
=de
and
along
the
east
shore
north
past
Day
Island
Marina
during
ebb
=de.
• Final
closure
zone
for
Chambers
Creek
WWTP
should
not
impact
Fox
Island,
McNeil
Island
or
Ketron
Island
geoduck
tracts.
26. Next
steps
• Complete
Sub=dal
Resource
Surveys
• Dye
injec=on
study
at
JBLM
Sewage
treatment
plant
• Recommenda=ons
to
state
based
on
findings
• More
projects
27. Resources
• Mark
Toy.
Washington
State
Department
of
Health.
Restoring
Shellfish
Harvest
to
Joint
Base
Lewis-‐McChord/Chambers
Creek
Prohibited
Area.
2013
Pacific
Rim
Shellfish
Sanita=on
Conference.
Presented
April
3,
2013
• Bradbury,A.,
Sizemore,
R.,
Rothaus,
D.,
Ulrich,
M.
Washington
Stat
eMarine
Resources
unit
Fish
Management
Division
Fish
Program.
Stock
Assessment
of
Sub=dal
Geoduck
Clams
(Panopea
abrupta)
in
Washington.
January
2000.
• Nisqually
Reach
and
Henderson
Inlet
Shellfish
Protec=on
Districts
Combined
Shellfish
District
2008
Annual
Report.
Available
at:
hfp://www.co.thurston.wa.us/planning/natural-‐res/docs/shellfish-‐annual-‐
report-‐2008.pdf.
Accessed
6/21/2013