Shellfish Closures in the Lynnhaven River are our Call to Action

 

       On January 21st, 2005 the Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Shellfish Sanitation (DSS) condemned almost all of the water in the Lynnhaven River for shellfish consumption.  The closure starts at the Lesner Bridge and includes the main stem of the Lynnhaven and all of the tributaries upriver from the bridge, excluding one small section of Broad Bay.  The decision to close the river for shellfish consumption was based on the results of routine fecal coliform monitoring performed by DSS.  Fecal coliforms are bacteria that are found in the digestive systems of humans and animals and their presence in the water indicates that human and animal waste are contaminating our river.  Because shellfish are filter feeders, they can ingest and harbor bacteria from the water.  When levels of bacteria exceed defined limits, shellfish become dangerous to eat.

 

       In some ways, this shellfish closure is not a surprise to us.  The majority of the Lynnhaven River is closed to shellfish consumption in most years because fecal coliform levels are substantially above the limit.  However, Broad Bay has lower concentrations of fecal coliforms than the rest of the river.  Bacterial levels in Broad Bay fluctuate right around the limit, causing the river to be closed in some years and open in others.  It is closed this year, but Broad Bay is one area that is close to meeting the Department of Health’s standards for safe shellfish consumption. 

 

       The take home message from this closure is that the river needs our help.  Analysis of the bacteria indicates that roughly 25% of is from human sources, 30% is from pets and livestock, and 45% is from wild animals.  As a community, we need to mobilize to reduce the sources of fecal coliforms to the water.  The City of Virginia Beach has committed to hooking failing septic systems up to city sewer to help improve the problem.  As citizens, we need to be vigilant about picking up after our pets so that stormwater runoff doesn’t carry their waste to the Lynnhaven and we need to stop feeding ducks and geese to avoid the huge concentrations of waterfowl on the river and its tributaries.  Boat operators need to empty their holding tanks at marina pump out stations, to avoid direct input of bacteria into the river.  This is our call to action, Virginia Beach.  We want Broad Bay, and possibly other stretches of the Lynnhaven, to be open to shellfish consumption in 2007.  Please join us in our efforts to improve the water quality in the Lynnhaven River by 2007.