SCDES Reopens Shellfish Harvesting Beds in Charleston County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
Oct. 14, 2026 

COLUMBIA, S.C. ―The S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) has reopened shellfish harvesting beds in Charleston County that were previously closed due to excessive rainfall, the agency announced today. 

"Water quality data indicate that bacteria levels are once again suitable for shellfish harvesting in Shellfish Management Area 08 and 9A, which includes Anderson Creek and southern portions of Bulls Bay south to the Charleston Harbor," said Mike Marshall, manager of SCDES's Shellfish Sanitation Section. 

For more information on clam and oyster harvesting areas in Charleston County, call SCDES’s Charleston County Office at 843-953-0150. Learn more about SCDES's Shellfish Sanitation Program at des.sc.gov/shellfish.   


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