Pacific 



In the Pacific region, 428,000 acres 

 of estuarine waters were classified 

 for shellfish harvest in 1990 (Figure 

 1 1). Thirty-three percent were 

 approved and 67 percent harvest- 

 limited. This region has the least 

 classified estuarine waters and the 

 smallest percentage of approved 

 waters in the Nation. In addition, 

 216,000 acres were classified in 

 Alaska and Hawaii, of which 

 198,000 were approved. 



Estuarine Shellfish-Growing Wa- 

 ters. The Pacific region extends from 

 California's Tijuana estuary to Puget 

 Sound. Estuaries in the region are 

 small compared to others nationwide. 

 Over half have water surface areas of 

 less than five square miles. Except 

 for San Francisco Bay, Columbia 

 River, and Puget Sound, most of 

 these small estuaries also are shal- 

 low, and their circulation is dominated 

 by riverine influences (NOAA, 1990). 

 Consequently, habitat for intertidal 

 molluscan shellfish is limited, and 

 most of the harvest is from aquacul- 

 ture. The Pacific region has the 

 second lowest amount of total coastal 

 wetlands in the Nation (NOAA, 

 1 991 b). These smaller estuaries are 

 also highly sensitive to the effects of 

 pollution (NOAA, 1990). For example, 

 declines in water quality in Southern 

 California resulting from urbanization 

 have restricted most harvest in the 

 State to the classified shellfishing 

 areas north of San Francisco Bay. 

 Appendix C identifies the estuaries in 

 the region and summarizes the status 

 of shellfish-growing waters in each. 



Classified Shellfish-Growing 

 Waters, 1985-1990. Approved 

 estuarine shellfish-growing waters 

 (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) de- 

 clined from 42 to 33 percent of 

 classified waters between 1985 and 

 1990, a downgrade of almost 20,000 

 acres. Of the total 428,000 classified 

 acres in the region, about 275,000 (67 

 percent) acres are now classified as 

 harvest-limited. An additional 35,000 

 acres of shellfish-growing waters were 

 classified (all as restricted) during the 

 period. 



Declines in approved shellfish-growing 

 waters occurred in Washington and 

 Oregon. Although California in- 

 creased its approved waters by 1 ,000 

 acres, it also increased prohibited 

 waters by 20,000 acres. This oc- 

 curred primarily in response to an 

 increase in applications for aquacul- 

 ture leases. 



Table 15. Distribution of Pacific 

 Classified Estuarine 

 Waters, 1985 and 1990 



43 



