DEM CLARIFIES GREENWICH BAY SHELLFISHING CLOSURE

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces a clarification of the portion of Greenwich Bay that is closed to shellfishing due to a seasonal decline in water quality. Pursuant to a Notice of Polluted Shellfishing Grounds, issued by DEM in May 2007: 1,322 acres of Greenwich Bay, currently classified as conditional, are closed from December 1, 2007 to February 1, 2008 under a seasonal/conditional classification. The area includes all waters of Greenwich Bay west of a line from the DEM range marker located on pole 19 Beachwood Drive in Potowomut to the southeasternmost riprap jetty at the entrance to Warwick Cove, located at the southeastern end of Oakland Beach.

With regard to the waters of Greenwich Bay east of the above-noted closure line, they will continue to operate under the conditional classification. A conditional closure is currently in place for this area until December 11. Barring any significant additional precipitation between now and then, this eastern portion of Greenwich Bay will reopen at sunrise on the 11th, and remain open every day sunrise to sunset, weather permitting.

The eastern portion, labeled GA8-6, is graphically depicted on a map on DEM's website at www.dem.ri.gov, as is a legal description of the area. Both are located by clicking on "Shellfish Grounds, Closures and Approved Areas" under "Timely Topics" on the home page. Scroll down for the legal description; for the map, click on "Greenwich Bay GA8" on the left-hand column.

Updated information on conditional closures is available by calling DEM's shellfish hotline at 222-2900.