MILLSBORO, Del. — The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has reopened Indian River Bay to clamming and shellfish harvesting following a mandatory 21-day closure tied to a wastewater release from the town of Millsboro’s sewage system.
The bay had been closed since mid-January after a sewage release on Jan. 15 raised concerns about water quality and public health. DNREC enforced the closure under National Shellfish Sanitation Program requirements when the spill threatened to impact the bay.
DNREC said the 21-day closure period protected public health and allowed time for natural cleansing of both bivalve shellfish and the waters and bottom areas of Indian River Bay where clams and mussels live.
In announcing the reopening, the DNREC Shellfish Program reiterated that the closure did not affect Rehoboth Bay. Oysters grown there under commercial aquaculture leases were not impacted.
DNREC also said the harvest of crabs, conch and finfish in Indian River Bay was never restricted during the closure.
The sewage release originated from Millsboro’s wastewater system, where an estimated 25,000 gallons of wastewater entered marshland leading to the Indian River after a broken pipe was discovered near the town’s wastewater treatment plant. The town previously said crews responded within about 30 minutes, using pumping trucks to bypass the damaged pipe and limit further discharge while cleanup and remediation work began.