PROVIDENCE - The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced today that Conditional Area A and the Conimicut Triangle in Upper Narragansett Bay will reopen to shellfish harvesting at sunrise tomorrow; the opening comes two days earlier than anticipated.
The shellfish closure began at sunrise on Friday, September 2 - following 1.06 inches of rainfall in the Providence area. A seven-day closure of these areas is enacted according to the following: Conimicut Triangle after a half-inch (0.5") of rainfall and Area A after eight-tenths of an inch (0.8") of rainfall.
DEM uses post-storm monitoring data and operational information to determine whether the completion of Phase II of the NBC's Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project has improved water quality so that these areas can be opened earlier. The data used to determine this early opening was collected last Friday.
DEM maintains a 24-hour shellfishing hotline, providing updates on shellfish closure areas: 401-222-2900. For more information on DEM divisions and programs, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.