The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that shellfish harvesting areas in six Suffolk County towns are temporarily designated as uncertified (closed) for shellfish harvesting. These temporary closures were implemented due to the heavy rainfall and stormwater runoff, which saw some areas receiving as much as nearly six inches of rain.

The following areas in Suffolk County are designated as uncertified (closed) and the harvesting of shellfish is temporarily prohibited until DEC determines conditions no longer exist that may make shellfish hazardous for use as food:

• Towns of Babylon and Islip: All that area of Great South Bay and its tributaries bounded by a line extending southerly from the Amityville Creek Entrance Light "1" along the western edge of the Amityville Cut to State Boat Channel Light "29" and then continuing southerly to the southern shore of the state boat channel west of West Gilgo Boat Basin; the northbound spans of the Robert Moses Causeway; and Jones Beach Island;
• Towns of Islip and Brookhaven (south shore): All that area of Great South Bay, Nicoll Bay, and their tributaries lying westerly and northerly of a line extending northerly from the northernmost point of land of Captree Island at the base of the northbound span of the Robert Moses Causeway to Dickerson Channel Buoy "6," then extending easterly from Dickerson Channel Buoy "6'' to North Channel Buoy "4," then continuing easterly from North Channel Buoy "4" through North Channel Buoys "6'' and "8" to East Channel Buoy "28," then continuing easterly from East Channel Buoy "28" through East Channel Buoys "32," "34," to East Channel Buoy "35," and continuing northerly from East Channel Buoy "35" to the southernmost point of land at Blue Point;
• Towns of Brookhaven (south shore) and Southampton: All that area of Moriches Bay and its tributaries lying east of Smith Point Bridge and lying west of the Jessup Lane Bridge in Westhampton Beach;
• Town of Southampton: All that area of Shinnecock Bay, Cold Spring Pond, North Sea Harbor, Noyac Creek, and Sag Harbor and its tributaries;
• Town of East Hampton: All town underwater lands in the creeks, coves, and harbors within the town of East Hampton, including all that area of Sag Harbor and its tributaries, Northwest Harbor lying south and east of a line extending northeasterly from the westernmost point of land at the entrance to Northwest Creek, to the foot of Mile Hill Road, and, all that area of Three Mile Harbor, Hog Creek, Accabonac Harbor, Napeague Harbor, and Montauk Harbor (Montauk Lake);
• Town of Southold: All that area of Fishers Island Sound; and
• Towns of Brookhaven (north shore) and Smithtown: All that area of Stony Brook Harbor including its tributaries.

DEC will reopen areas as soon as possible based on the results of water quality testing to be conducted on samples collected from the affected areas.

A recorded voice message advising harvesters of the status of the areas may be heard at (631) 444-0480. The message will be updated over the course of these temporary closures with information about re-openings. For more detailed descriptions of the closed areas, call DEC's Bureau of Shellfisheries during normal business hours at (631) 444-0492.

Additional information about temporary closures is available on DEC's website.