BALTIMORE — The Maryland Department of the Environment issued an order to temporarily close a portion of the Choptank River to shellfish harvesting due to a sewage overflow.
The emergency closure became effective immediately to prevent the harvesting of oysters and other shellfish. It applies to about 262 acres of the Choptank River near the mouth of Jenkins Creek.
MDE was notified of a sewage overflow following heavy rains and a reported blockage at a Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant pumping station.
The sewage flowed through a canal that drains into an area of the river that is approved for shellfish harvesting.
The overflow is reported to have begun April 30 and stopped May 1. According to the MDE, an estimated 100,000 gallons of highly diluted wastewater is estimated to have been released into the river.
The closure will remain in effect until May 23, when the area will be reopened for shellfish harvesting.
