Conditional Shellfish Harvesting Area Status

Shellfish harvesting waters in Virginia classified as “Conditionally Approved” are in the OPEN status unless a ‘condition’ has been met.  If the condition has been met, the waters identified immediately below will convert to closed (Restricted) status for a set duration of time.

Rainfall-based Conditionally Approved waters are in the CLOSED status for ten days, and open on the eleventh day, when a rainfall ‘condition’ occurs.  When rainfall exceeds the condition threshold for a 24-hour (8pm – 8pm) period, these waters will close.

Unless otherwise classified as condemned by separate order… the current status of Rainfall-based Conditionally Approved Areas for the harvest of oysters, clams and mussels as of Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

Lynnhaven River  Conditional Area C1
– OPEN.

Pungoteague Creek  Conditional Areas C4 and C19
– OPEN.

Nandua Creek and tributaries  Conditional Areas C5, C6, C17 and C18
– OPEN.

Chuckatuck Creek  Conditional Area C8 
– OPEN. 

Onancock Creek  Conditional Areas C9 and C20 
– OPEN.

Poquoson River and tributaries  Conditional Areas C10 and C11Conditional Areas C12 and C13,  and  Conditional Areas C14 and C15
– OPEN. 

Back River and tributaries  Conditional Area C21  and  Conditional Area C22
– OPEN. 

Nansemond River and Linkhorn Bay are former Conditionally Approved Rainfall waters reclassified to Approved or Restricted status year round.

Number of Rainfall Events, Closed-Day Totals, and Annual Rainfall by Year and Conditional Area: 

2023  (through March 15)
Poquoson Conditional Areas C10 through C15:  1 event  10 days  6.99″
Back River Conditional Areas C21 and C22: 1 event 10 days 7.04″
Chuckatuck Conditional Area C8:  1 event  10 days  7.79″
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  1 event  23 days  7.62″
Onancock Conditional Areas C9 & C20:  0 events  0 days  4.31″
Pungoteague Conditional Areas C4 & C19:  0 events  0 days  4.21″
Nandua Conditional Areas C5, C6, C17, & C18:  0 events  0 days  4.30″

2022
Poquoson Conditional Areas C10 through C15:  10 events  93 days  51.62″
Back River Conditional Areas C21 and C22: 1 event 10 days 6.56″  *
Chuckatuck Conditional Area C8:  8 events  73 days  44.29″
Nansemond Conditional Area C2:  8 events  60 days  33.00″  *
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  9 events  69 days  44.93″
Linkhorn Conditional Area C3:  8 events  57 days  30.83″  *
Onancock Conditional Areas C9 & C20:  4 events  40 days  32.60″
Pungoteague Conditional Areas C4 & C19:  5 events  50 days  33.35″
Nandua Conditional Areas C5, C17, & C18:  7 events  70 days  33.98″

2021
Poquoson Conditional Areas C10 through C15:  8 events  62 days  23.58″   *
Chuckatuck Conditional Areas C8 & C16:  15 events  160 days  48.43″
Nansemond Conditional Area C2:  36 events  194 days  51.86″
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  6 events  69 days  40.57″
Linkhorn Conditional Area C3:  7 events  54 days  40.26″
Onancock Conditional Area C9:  3 events  30 days  22.81″   *
Pungoteague Conditional Area C4:  4 events  40 days  29.58″
Nandua Conditional Areas C5, C6, & C7:  6 events  60 days  33.48″

2020
Chuckatuck Conditional Area C8:  1 events  10 days  6.05″   *
Nansemond Conditional Area C2:  46 events  276 days  67.87″
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  11 events  99 days  61.85″
Linkhorn Conditional Area C3:  12 events  103 days  60.67″
Pungoteague Conditional Area C4:  5 events  56 days  48.24″   *
Nandua Conditional Areas C5, C6, & C7:  7 events  63 days  52.46″   *

2019
Nansemond Conditional Area C2:  33 events  215 days  49.30″
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  6 events  60 days  46.40″
Linkhorn Conditional Area C3:  8 events  66 days  46.51″   *

2018
Nansemond Conditional Area C2:  37 events  269 days  51.77″
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  9 events  78 days  55.45″

2017
Nansemond Conditional Area C2:  28 events  194 days  47.91″
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  11 events  104 days  49.43″

2016
Nansemond Conditional Area C2:  10 events  45 days   25.52″   *
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  15 events  111 days  75.13″

2015
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  9 events  69 days  50.51″

2014
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  14 events  114 days  50.92″

2013
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1:  6 events  51 days  22.43″ *

*  Totals denote a partial year since the date a specific conditional area became active / inactive.

 

Waters Classified Seasonally – Open from September 1 through March 31

Effective annually from September 1 – March 31, the following Seasonally Condemned Conditional Areas are OPEN to the harvest of oysters, clams and mussels:

Northern Neck:
None.

Middle Peninsula:
None.

Lower Peninsula:
None.

South of James River / Southern Hampton Roads:
None.

Eastern Shore:
None.

 

Waters Classified Seasonally – Open from November 1 through March 31

Effective annually from November 1 – March 31, the following Seasonally Condemned Conditional Areas are OPEN to the harvest of oysters, clams and mussels:

Northern Neck:
GA # 005 – Lower Machodoc Creek: Sections S4. S208 and S209
GA # 006 – Gardner, Jackson and Bonum Creeks: Sections S1-S3
GA # 007 – Northwest and West Yeocomico Rivers and tributaries: Sections S38-S39
GA # 007 – South Yeocomico River and tributaries: Sections S40-S41
GA # 008 – Coan River and tributaries: Sections S5-S6
GA # 009 – Cod Creek: Sections S175-S176
GA # 009 – Hull Creek: Section S200-S201
GA # 010 – Little Wicomico River and tributaries: Sections S11-S12, S86-S87 and S184-S187
GA # 011 – Gaskin and Owens Pond:  Sections S189 & S191
GA # 011 – Taskmakers and Little Taskmakers Creeks: Sections S192-S193
GA # 012 – Cockrell Creek: Section S194

GA # 014 – Mill and Harveys Creeks: Sections S148 and S150
GA # 020 – Carter Creek tributaries: Sections S49-S51
GA # 021L – Lower Corrotoman River tributaries: Sections S52-S54
GA # 021L – Middle Corrotoman River tributaries: Sections S55-S58
GA # 021U – Eastern Branch Corrotoman River and tributaries: Sections S59, S61 and S106
GA # 021U – Western Branch Corrotoman River and tributaries: Sections S62-S64, S105 and S210
GA # 022 – Greenvale and Paynes Creeks: Sections S108 and S211
GA # 022 – Beach Creek: Section S107

Middle Peninsula:
GA # 036 – Barn Creek: Sections S126 & S212
GA # 037 – Queens and Lanes Creeks: Section S132 
GA # 037 – Stutts and Billups Creeks and tributaries: Sections S128 & S130-S131
GA # 042 – Lower North River and tributaries: Sections S22, S159-S161 and S204
GA # 042 – Upper North River and tributaries: Section S24
GA # 043 – Ware River and tributaries: Sections S25-S26
GA # 048 – Morris Bay, Adams and Bland Creeks and Purtan Bay: Sections S19 and S90

Lower Peninsula:
None.

South of James River / Southern Hampton Roads:
None.

Eastern Shore:
None.

For more information see the Division of Shellfish Safety’s web page at www.vdh.virginia.gov/shellfish, or contact the Division at 804-864-7480 during normal business hours.