RI DEM Re-Opens 2-Mile Stretch of Upper Narragansett Bay

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RI DEM Re-Opens 2-Mile Stretch of Upper Narragansett Bay

RI DEM re-ppens 2-mile stretch of upper Narragansett Bay:PHOTO Flickr, Pacheco

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is re-opening the area of the upper Narragansett Bay.

The area was previously closed to shellfish harvesting in August of 2018 following a sewage overflow in Warwick.

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Upper Narragansett Bay Reopens

Starting on Thursday, January 17, the waters of Upper Narragansett Bay west of a line extending from the DEM range marker on Conimicut Point in the north to the extension of Ogden Avenue in the Highland Beach area of Warwick in the south, excluding those waters of Old Mill Creek in their entirety will reopen as the new Conditional Area “D.”

Conditional Area D will close for seven days after 0.8” or more of rain or snowmelt within any 24-hour period. This area will also close in response to other adverse conditions that currently trigger closure of Conditional Area A, including the partial treatment of combined sewage at the Fields Point and Bucklin Point wastewater facilities, untreated combined sewage from the North Diversion Structure at Bucklin Point, and a single rainstorm greater than 3 inches.

DEM will continue to monitor this area to determine if further changes to shellfish harvesting restrictions are appropriate.

Shellfishing in the Area

DEM advises that the long-standing shellfish harvesting prohibition for Old Mill Creek to the Conimicut Point Outlet remains in effect.

Shellfishermen are asked to please identify any catch taken from Area A as tagging area 1A and from Area D as tagging area 1D.


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