DISCOVERY BAY — North America’s largest shellfish association is urging Jefferson County environmental health officials to take immediate steps to protect shellfish threatened by Discovery Bay waters contaminated with rising levels of fecal-coliform bacteria.

Robin Downey, executive director of the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association, raised both water quality and economic issues that could result should part or all of the bay be closed to shellfish harvests.

Further downgrades could result in closing a portion of the bay, state and county officials said.

The Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association represents the local, state and federal interests of oyster, clam, mussel, scallop and geoduck growers in Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska and Hawaii.

The association is involved in everything from environmental protection, shellfish safety, health issues and technological advances to international marketing and research.

‘Threatened’ list

Recent state Department of Health water-quality tests have placed a southwest portion of Discovery Bay on the “threatened” list because of downgrades in water quality.

“Threatened is just one step away from conditionally closed or closed,” said Mike McNickle, Jefferson County environmental health director.

“We don’t want it to be closed because they are commercial beds.”

Bob Woolrich, growing-areas manager for state Department of Health’s shellfish program, said Snow Creek — which flows into Discovery Bay — may be at least part of the source of the fecal coliform pollution.

“We’re talking about the very southern end of Discovery Bay, on the west side,” he said, where several state water-quality tests this year have turned up evidence of elevated fecal coliform levels.

Findings led to the state downgrade in water quality in the area between the northern edge of the community’s commercial center to near Trendwest’s time-share condominiums, Woolrich said.

Bacteria’s sources

Fecal coliform bacteria can originate from aging or failing septic systems and animal waste.

“The [state health] department’s water quality monitoring indicates elevated fecal coliform at levels that could lead to a downgrade in growing area status if the source of this contamination is not found and remedied,” Downey wrote in a letter this month to Tami Pokorny, county Environmental Health natural resources staffer.

“I look forward to learning what action Jefferson County plans to take to protect local shellfish resources.”