Rain Closes Part of Henderson Inlet to Commercial Shellfish Harvest Until Oct. 31

Part of Henderson Inlet, on the west side of Johnson Point, is closed to commercial shellfish harvest until Saturday, Oct. 31, after heavy rain, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

The department closed the inlet's "Conditionally Approved" area to all species on Monday, Oct. 26, after 0.56 inches of rain fell at the Olympia Airport rain gauge, according to the department's commercial closure list, updated at 5:45 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. The area is scheduled to reopen Oct. 31.

The closure applies to commercial harvest only. It is temporary and does not change the inlet's classification, the department said.

Why rain closes the inlet

The conditional area near the head of the inlet closes automatically when 0.5 inch or more of rain falls in 24 hours, according to the department's most recent annual review of Henderson Inlet. Heavy rain can wash bacteria from the watershed into the water. The department sets these closure periods ahead of time, based on sampling that shows how long it takes water quality to recover.

In 2025, the conditional area closed 16 times for a total of 111 days because of rain, the review says. The whole growing area also closed once for six days after very heavy rain.

The review said one sampling station in the conditional area was "threatened" with a downgrade when only open-status samples were counted. It also said the department should look at whether the area could qualify for an upgrade. The rest of the inlet met water quality standards.

The review noted that Thurston County is working to find and fix sources of fecal pollution in the Dobbs, Fleming, Myers and Sleepy Creek watersheds with Environmental Protection Agency National Estuary Program money. The Henderson Inlet Shellfish Protection District also continues to look into pollution sources.

Beach harvesters

Recreational harvesters should check the department's shellfish safety map before digging or gathering on any beach. That map covers both biotoxins and pollution closures and is separate from the commercial list. The department's shellfish program can be reached at 360-236-3330.