Local waterways are much cleaner than they were at this time last year, according to the standards applied by the Virginia Department of Health for the harvesting of oysters and other shellfish.

Total acreage of waters partially or completely limited for shellfish harvest dropped from 8,322.9 in July 2022 to 6,764.2 on an effective date of July 15, 2023—that is, on Saturday.

The Virginia Division of Shellfish Sanitation tests the waters regularly and maintains the inventory of open and closed waterways. The state has several levels of gradations of waters not completely open for shellfish harvest. These range from prohibited, restricted, and seasonally or conditionally approved.

A map with this article shows the areas closed to shellfish harvest in red and those that are less restrictive in green. Waterways shown in blue are open.

A very few areas in dark are prohibited, with no relay permitted for eventual harvest.

Areas shown in red are restricted. Shellfish from thes...