Riverhead plans to reopen East Creek to shellfishing
Riverhead Town officials soon plan to lift shellfishing restrictions at East Creek in South Jamesport. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
David Lessard has been raising clams in South Jamesport’s East Creek for nearly four decades, tending to the tiny seeds on rafts until they grew large enough to be sown into the waters.
The clams have flourished in the narrow basin that feeds into the Great Peconic Bay, but haven’t been harvested since 2004, when shellfishing was banned due to high toxins in the creek.
That will soon change as Riverhead Town officials plan to lift shellfishing restrictions in the creek, giving residents a chance to dig for clams this winter after a state Department of Environmental Conservation study showed improvements to bacteria levels, according to spokeswoman Samantha Rosen.
The DEC studied rainfall, stormwater runoff and pollution sources and "determined that this area could support a special conditional shellfish harvesting program under limited rainfall amounts,” Rosen said.
Shellfishing could start as soon as the end of the month in the creek if the town board approves new restrictions. The program will be open only to town residents who have a permit and they can harvest weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to proposed legislation. Residents may harvest a half bushel of mixed shellfish, and no more than 100 clams, per day.
No commercial permits would be allowed. The town board is poised to vote Wednesday on the new restrictions.
Town engineer Drew Dillingham said stringent guidelines are needed to preserve the population.
“The last time we opened up East Creek, commercial businessmen came in and wiped it out in about three weeks,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen.”
Storms that dump more than a half inch of rain will force a seven day closure, since stormwater contains bacteria and other contaminants, Dillingham said.
The initial season would run through April, until boats return to the town-run marina at the creek, officials said.
Dillingham spearheaded efforts to reopen the creek in partnership with the DEC starting with testing in early 2020.
The creek was open for shellfish harvesting in 1965 and uncertified in 1983, Rosen said. Then, in November 1994, the creek was closed seasonally before being downgraded permanently in 2004.
The town and the DEC worked together to reduce pollution and restore shellfish populations in the Peconic Bay.
Areas in the western part of the estuary have been closed to shellfishing for decades due to degraded water quality and high nitrogen levels, according to the Peconic Estuary Partnership, an agency focused on the health of the bay.
East Creek has routinely been identified in monitoring reports as having elevated coliform levels. A 2016 report by the Suffolk County Department of Health described the site as being susceptible to stormwater runoff and waterfowl in the area.
Riverhead has taken steps to improve water quality, including innovations at its sewage treatment plant to reroute treated wastewater to irrigate the county-owned Indian Island Golf Course rather than discharging into the bay.
Efforts have also been made to restore shellfish populations after brown tides in the 1980s caused a near-collapse of bay scallops.
Joyce Novak, executive director of the Peconic Estuary Partnership, said sampling results from 2023 showed no pathogens at the site.
"This is the goal," she said. "We do all of this work and try to clean things up so people can get back in the water, swim, fish and not be afraid."
Lessard, a retired Riverhead police lieutenant, has led the town’s seed clam program since its inception in 1984. He expects the picking will be plentiful.
That program costs the town about $11,000 and puts 300,000 clams in the bay each year. Seed clams are purchased from the Islip Town shellfish hatchery.
Before they are released into the baywaters, the clams are grown to about an inch in size to increase their chances of survival. Any smaller than that, and the attempt would be futile.
“That’s like throwing potato chips to crabs. They’ll go through those pretty easily,” Lessard, 60, said.
Town and DEC officials said monthly sampling will continue, and they'll maintain daily rainfall logs to ensure the area remains safe.
Penalties for violating the town's shellfishing rules will double from $250 to $500 for a first offense, according to a code amendment Riverhead officials are expected to pass this week.
Fines would be doubled for violations issued to out-of-towners and commercial entities.
Lessard said he finds joy in running the clam program and educating others about its benefits.
“I always try getting somebody new out” to see the hatchery and process up close, he said
“They see that tiny seed clam and can’t believe how small it is," Lessard said. "Then all of a sudden, throughout the year they’ll see it grow. It’s nice to see that you’re helping the environment in some shape.”
David Lessard has been raising clams in South Jamesport’s East Creek for nearly four decades, tending to the tiny seeds on rafts until they grew large enough to be sown into the waters.
The clams have flourished in the narrow basin that feeds into the Great Peconic Bay, but haven’t been harvested since 2004, when shellfishing was banned due to high toxins in the creek.
That will soon change as Riverhead Town officials plan to lift shellfishing restrictions in the creek, giving residents a chance to dig for clams this winter after a state Department of Environmental Conservation study showed improvements to bacteria levels, according to spokeswoman Samantha Rosen.
The DEC studied rainfall, stormwater runoff and pollution sources and "determined that this area could support a special conditional shellfish harvesting program under limited rainfall amounts,” Rosen said.
New shellfish digs
- East Creek in South Jamesport has been closed for shellfishing since 2004 and is slated to reopen this month.
- 300,000 clams are seeded into the Peconic Bay in Riverhead as part of its shellfish program. The clams are raised in East Creek.
- Shellfishing in the creek is open to residents only, who must obtain a free permit from the town clerk's office.
Shellfishing could start as soon as the end of the month in the creek if the town board approves new restrictions. The program will be open only to town residents who have a permit and they can harvest weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to proposed legislation. Residents may harvest a half bushel of mixed shellfish, and no more than 100 clams, per day.
No commercial permits would be allowed. The town board is poised to vote Wednesday on the new restrictions.
Town engineer Drew Dillingham said stringent guidelines are needed to preserve the population.
“The last time we opened up East Creek, commercial businessmen came in and wiped it out in about three weeks,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen.”
Storms that dump more than a half inch of rain will force a seven day closure, since stormwater contains bacteria and other contaminants, Dillingham said.
The initial season would run through April, until boats return to the town-run marina at the creek, officials said.
Dillingham spearheaded efforts to reopen the creek in partnership with the DEC starting with testing in early 2020.
The creek was open for shellfish harvesting in 1965 and uncertified in 1983, Rosen said. Then, in November 1994, the creek was closed seasonally before being downgraded permanently in 2004.
The town and the DEC worked together to reduce pollution and restore shellfish populations in the Peconic Bay.
Areas in the western part of the estuary have been closed to shellfishing for decades due to degraded water quality and high nitrogen levels, according to the Peconic Estuary Partnership, an agency focused on the health of the bay.
East Creek has routinely been identified in monitoring reports as having elevated coliform levels. A 2016 report by the Suffolk County Department of Health described the site as being susceptible to stormwater runoff and waterfowl in the area.
Riverhead has taken steps to improve water quality, including innovations at its sewage treatment plant to reroute treated wastewater to irrigate the county-owned Indian Island Golf Course rather than discharging into the bay.
Efforts have also been made to restore shellfish populations after brown tides in the 1980s caused a near-collapse of bay scallops.
Joyce Novak, executive director of the Peconic Estuary Partnership, said sampling results from 2023 showed no pathogens at the site.
"This is the goal," she said. "We do all of this work and try to clean things up so people can get back in the water, swim, fish and not be afraid."
Lessard, a retired Riverhead police lieutenant, has led the town’s seed clam program since its inception in 1984. He expects the picking will be plentiful.
That program costs the town about $11,000 and puts 300,000 clams in the bay each year. Seed clams are purchased from the Islip Town shellfish hatchery.
Before they are released into the baywaters, the clams are grown to about an inch in size to increase their chances of survival. Any smaller than that, and the attempt would be futile.
“That’s like throwing potato chips to crabs. They’ll go through those pretty easily,” Lessard, 60, said.
Town and DEC officials said monthly sampling will continue, and they'll maintain daily rainfall logs to ensure the area remains safe.
Penalties for violating the town's shellfishing rules will double from $250 to $500 for a first offense, according to a code amendment Riverhead officials are expected to pass this week.
Fines would be doubled for violations issued to out-of-towners and commercial entities.
Lessard said he finds joy in running the clam program and educating others about its benefits.
“I always try getting somebody new out” to see the hatchery and process up close, he said
“They see that tiny seed clam and can’t believe how small it is," Lessard said. "Then all of a sudden, throughout the year they’ll see it grow. It’s nice to see that you’re helping the environment in some shape.”
