The Rise And Decline Of The Ol^mpia Oyster 



duction of Olympia oysters increased annually and from 

 1924 to 1928 an average annual yield of 48,000 bushels was 

 attained. (1) 



In 1927, a sulphite pulp mill was constructed in Shel- 

 ton, Washington. The mill was located along the city's 

 water front and the wastes from the pulp manufacturing 

 process were discharged into Oakland Bay. Pulp pro- 

 duction at this mill averaged 45,000 tons annually until 

 1934, when production was increased to 60,000 tons an- 

 nually. 



By 1943, production had risen to 74,000 tons annual- 

 ly (1). It is estimated that during the first years of opera- 

 tion, the mill discharged 280,000 gallons (2) of waste li- 

 quor daily into the water of Oakland Bay. This was in ad- 

 dition to an estimated 12 million gallons of "white water" 

 containing bleaching compounds and other chemicals. 

 The results of this dumping of pollutants into oystering 

 waters came swiftly and were devastating to the Olym- 

 pia Oyster Industry. In the period between 1927 and 1933 

 Olympia Oyster production declined 57% from the 1926 

 peak to a low of 19,000 bushels. Between 1931 and 1934 

 the pulp mJll disposed of its liquor into Goose Lake, a 

 small body of water west of the city of Shelton, and in 

 settling ponds on Scotts Prairie nearby. A temporary 

 trend toward recovering oyster production began in 

 1934 and reached 23,000 bushels in 1936. This small re- 

 covery peak was nullified when waste sulphite liquor 

 began finding its way from the Goose Lake area, down 

 Goldsborough Creek into the waters of Oakland Bay. 



(1) Washington State Fisheries Bulletin 49 -A 



(2) U. S. Fisheries Bulletin No. 6 1931 (Page 177) 



(120) 



