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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM ANNOUNCES THAT CERTAIN ADDITIONAL AREAS WILL REOPEN TO SHELLFISHING AT SUNRISE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22 PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that three additional areas will re-open to shellfishing beginning at sunrise tomorrow (Saturday, October 22.) DEM's decision to reopen those areas is based on test results from extensive sampling done by staff on Thursday. They additional areas include all of Quonchontaug Pond, the western portion of Point Judith Pond, and an area of the Bay north of Jamestown.Specifically, the portion of Point Judith Pond that is being opened is those waters located south of the permanent closure line at the northern end of Point Judith Pond and west of a line between the southern tip of Foddering Place to the northern tip of Ram Island, and west of a line from the southern tip of Ram Island to Horseshoe Point and west of the Great Island Road bridge. The waters now open to shellfishing in the Bay are those south of the following two lines: from North Kingstown, a line from the DEM range marker located on the bulkhead at approximately 300 feet south of Pier #1 (the more southerly pier at the Davis depot) to nun buoy 12 to the southwestern tip of Hope Island to the southern tip of Prudence Island, and south of a line from the southern tip of Prudence Island to Carr Point in Portsmouth. This announcement is in addition to areas that were reopened by DEM on Thursday, namely, south of Prudence Island, portions of the Sakonnet River, and Ninigret and Potters Ponds. DEM also announced earlier today that it will open the Bissel Cove - Fox Island shellfish management area in North Kingstown to shellfishing, effective Monday, October 24 from 8 a.m. to noon on weekdays. Due to extreme sewage overflows and stormwater runoff experienced during the recent storm emergency, DEM, last Saturday, closed most Bay waters of the state and all south coastal ponds to shellfishing until further notice. The original closure areas included all waters north of Black Point to Beavertail Point to Brenton Point, and all waters north of Sachuest Point to Sakonnet Point; also, all waters from Point Judith to Watch Hill, including all south coastal pond. Those areas not listed in today's and yesterday's reopening announcements remain closed. A recorded list of areas still closed can be heard on DEM's shellfish information line, 222-2900. -30- |
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