Storm-Related Shellfish Closure Temporarily Affected Great South Bay in Islip

A July storm temporarily restricted shellfish harvesting in specifically defined Great South Bay waters in the Towns of Islip and Babylon. Normally certified Town of Islip waters east of the Robert Moses Causeway Bridge reopened at 11 a.m. on July 10, 2026.

What changed after the storm

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation designated the affected waters as uncertified for shellfish harvesting effective Tuesday, July 7, 2026. DEC cited extremely heavy rainfall, stormwater runoff and localized street flooding associated with the continuous rainfall event from July 5 through July 6.

The closure did not cover all of Great South Bay. DEC described the affected area as Great South Bay and its tributaries in the Towns of Babylon and Islip lying west of the northbound spans of the Robert Moses Causeway Bridge, north of Jones Beach Island, and east of a line extending south from the Amityville Creek Entrance Light through the Amityville Cut and State Boat Channel to the southern shore of the state boat channel west of West Gilgo Boat Basin.

DEC said harvesting shellfish from the designated area was unlawful while the closure was in effect. The action addressed conditions that could make shellfish hazardous for use as food; it was not a finding that shellfish throughout Great South Bay were confirmed contaminated.

Islip waters reopened July 10

DEC reopened all normally certified areas of Great South Bay in the Town of Islip lying east of the Robert Moses Causeway Bridge at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 10. Other locations were addressed through separate, area-specific reopening notices.

That distinction matters for people working or harvesting along the Islip waterfront. A reopening in one certified area did not automatically make every nearby waterway, tributary, bridge-adjacent area or baseline uncertified zone open.

Why the issue matters in West Sayville

West Sayville is a census-designated place in Suffolk County and lies within the Town of Islip. The local connection is therefore through Islip’s Great South Bay service area, not a claim that DEC separately named West Sayville as a closed zone.

The Town of Islip operates a shellfish cultivation facility and hatchery, manages a bay-bottom aquaculture licensing program and sells oyster and clam seed to businesses with valid New York State DEC permits. The town says harvest from licensed parcels is marketed and sold to local restaurants and retail and wholesale establishments.

Those programs connect shellfish regulation to growers, commercial diggers, waterfront workers and seafood businesses that depend on legally harvestable waters. The available official sources do not establish a quantified financial loss to West Sayville businesses or workers from the temporary closure.

What harvesters should check

DEC regulations state that clams, oysters, mussels and scallops may be taken only from areas designated as certified or open. The agency directs harvesters to use the DEC Public Shellfish Mapper and the official descriptions of Part 41 shellfish closures before taking shellfish.

During the July restriction, commercial and recreational harvesting in the specified affected waters was legally paused until DEC determined that the relevant storm-related conditions were no longer present. Local towns may impose additional restrictions involving permits, catch limits, size limits, seasons, gear and residency.

Current Suffolk County status

As of August 4, 2026, DEC’s temporary shellfishing closures page listed no temporary closures in Suffolk County. That status does not eliminate permanent or baseline uncertified areas under 6 NYCRR Part 41, including restrictions that can apply to particular state underwater lands or waters near structures and channels.

For West Sayville, the practical lesson is narrow but important: heavy rain can produce a time-limited, geographically specific shellfish restriction, and the legal status of one section of Great South Bay may differ from another nearby area. Harvesters should check the current DEC map and official closure descriptions before taking clams, oysters, mussels or scallops.

Sources

• NYSDEC Temporary Shellfishing Closures
• Town of Islip Shellfish Cultivation Facility