February 27, 2021
Media Information: Larry Hill, Eastern Region PIO, 757-683-9175, larry.hill@vdh.virginia.gov
VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REOPENS A PORTION OF THE LYNNHAVEN RIVER TO SHELLFISH HARVESTING
(RICHMOND, Va.) – The Virginia Department of Health announced today that the portions of the Lynnhaven River in Virginia Beach, closed to shellfish harvesting on February 6, 2021 due to a release of raw sewage impacting water quality in the area, have reopened effective Monday March 1, 2021. The VDH Division of Shellfish Safety has monitored water quality in the river since the raw sewage release occurred and shellfish sample results confirm that the area is now safe for shellfish harvesting.
A map of the affected area is posted on the Division of Shellfish Safety’s home page at www.vdh.virginia.gov/Shellfish/. The affected shellfish are filter-feeding bivalve mollusks including oysters and clams, but not crabs or fin fish.
For more information on shellfish closures, see the frequently asked questions on shellfish condemnations at www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/emergency-closures/.
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