DISCOVERY BAY — The discovery of a pocket of native Olympia oysters at the foot of this tranquil bay has generated excitement in the fisheries community.
With Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee volunteers working for three years to reseed Discovery Bay’s shores with the precious silver-dollar-sized “Olys,” a recent state Department of Fish and Wildlife finding adds hope to efforts to restore threatened Olympia oyster populations.
“It was just amazing,” said Pat Pearson, Washington State University Port Hadlock extension educator for water quality and environmental stewardship.
Olympia oysters were found, some on rip rap near U.S. Highway 101 in Discovery Bay, during Salmon and Snow creek wildlife management planning surveys for the creeks’ consortium group this year, said Pearson.
“They found a bunch of native oysters and maybe one of the best we have found so far,” Pearson said last week.
“Everybody is really excited.”
Other small populations of Olympia oysters have been found on Indian Island, south of Bishop Spit, and in seepage areas and tidal channels along the causeway between Indian and Marrowstone islands.