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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 Friday, May 3, 2024:
Poquoson River and tributaries Conditional Areas C10 & C11, Conditional Areas C12 & C13, and Conditional Areas C14 & C16
- OPEN.
Lynnhaven River Conditional Area C1
- OPEN.
Onancock Creek Conditional Areas C9 & C20
- OPEN.
Pungoteague Creek Conditional Areas C4 & C19
- OPEN.
Nandua Creek and tributaries Conditional Areas C5, C6, C17 & C18
- OPEN.
Yeocomico River and tributaries Conditional Areas C23, C24, and C25, Conditional Areas C26 and C27
- OPEN.
Nansemond River, Linkhorn Bay, Chuckatuck Creek, and Back River are former Conditionally Approved Rainfall waters reclassified to Approved or Restricted status year round.
Rainfall Decision Support Tool
This application offers a forecasting tool to determine rainfall closure possibilities associated with waters classified as Conditionally Approved Rainfall. Disclaimer: This decision support tool is considered an experimental product, and thus NOAA will not be held liable from issues arising from its interpretation and use.
Number of Rainfall Events, Closed-Day Totals, and Annual Rainfall by Year and Conditional Area:
2023
Poquoson Conditional Areas C10 through C15: 12 events 96 days 44.38"
Back River Conditional Areas C21 and C22: 8 events 67 days 36.70" *
Chuckatuck Conditional Area C8: 9 events 77 days 39.39" *
Lynnhaven Conditional Area C1: 12 events 118 days 47.33"
Onancock Conditional Areas C9 & C20: 6 events 56 days 28.51"
Pungoteague Conditional Areas C4 & C19: 6 events 56 days 27.32"
Nandua Conditional Areas C5, C6, C17, & C18: 7 events 57 days 28.89"
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 # 006 - Gardner, Jackson and Bonum Creeks: Sections S1-S3 & S203
GA # 008 - Kingscote & Glebe Creeks and tributaries: Sections S77-S79 & S133-S134
GA # 008 - Coan River and tributaries: Sections S5 & S135
GA # 010 - Upper Little Wicomico River and tributaries: Sections S11 & S86-S87
GA # 010 - Lower Little Wicomico River and tributaries: Sections S12-S13, S184 & S187
GA # 011 - Gaskin and Owens Pond: Sections S189 & S191
GA # 016 - Dymer Creek: Section S112
GA # 016 - Indian Creek: Section S136
GA # 020 - Carter Creek tributaries: Sections S49-S51 & S213
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 & S106
GA # 021U - Western Branch Corrotoman River and tributaries: Sections S62-S64, S105 & S210
GA # 022 - Greenvale and Paynes Creeks: Sections S108 & S211
GA # 022 - Beach Creek: Section S107
Middle Peninsula:
GA # 036 - Barn Creek: Section S212
GA # 037 - Queens and Lanes Creeks: Section S132
GA # 037 - Stutts and Billups Creeks and tributaries: Sections S128 & S130
GA # 042 - Lower North River and tributaries: Sections S22, S161 & S204
GA # 042 - Upper North River and tributaries: Sections S23 & S24
GA # 043 - Ware River and tributaries: Sections S25-S26
GA # 048 - Morris Bay, Adams and Bland Creeks and Purtan Bay: Sections S19 & 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.
Rainfall Decision Support Tool
Disclaimer: This decision support tool is considered an experimental product, and thus NOAA will not be held liable from issues arising from its interpretation and use.