Maryland environmental officials have forbidden oyster and clam harvesting from 1,200 acres of waterways in Anne Arundel and Talbot counties over concerns of high levels of bacteria.
The state on Thursday ruled that the Rhode River in southern Arundel, an area of more than 1,000 acres, is closed for shellfish harvest. It also restricted oystering and clam digging in upriver portions of the Harris Creek and Cummings Creek, tributaries of the Choptank River.
The Maryland Department of the Environment found unacceptable bacteria levels in portions of the waterway as it conducted regular surveys to identify potential pollution sources. No specific cause has been identified for the unsafe bacteria levels in the waterways, officials said.
The department also raised concern about oyster and clam harvesting in Jutland Creek in St. Mary's County, which flows into the Potomac River. They deemed the creek unsafe for shellfish harvest for three days anytime an inch or more of rain falls.
Bacteria can be of particular concern in shellfish harvesting because the creatures filter pollution from waterways and are often eaten raw.
Harris Creek in Talbot County is the site of a state oyster sanctuary, but that area is downstream from the polluted northwest and northeast branches of the creek, closer to the more open waters of the Choptank and the Chesapeake Bay.