This indicator tracks changes in the classification of harvestable shellfish beds in Puget Sound. The Washington State Department of Health classifies 115 shellfish growing areas in Puget Sound to assure that harvested shellfish are safe to consume. The data collected for the classification process represent the conditions that dictate shellfish harvest, and their trends provide information on marine water quality in Puget Sound.

Provisional Update (November 2025):

• Projections for 2025 suggest the net change in harvestable shellfish growing area acreage could approach a 950-acre loss. This is the second largest decline since 2007 and will close multiple Tribal and non-Tribal commercial harvest areas, including profitable geoduck tracts scheduled for harvest. These substantial downgrades are the result of industrial activity and wastewater treatment plant discharge. This decline will not be significantly offset by increased harvest opportunities driven by improved water quality because, due to the statewide hiring freeze, the Department of Health has not been able to evaluate data and open appropriate areas. Regardless, improvements to water quality would not cover acreage lost. Thus, we consider this indicator to be "GETTING WORSE."

• Additional information, authored by our partners at DOH, will be available soon.

Past Indicator Results:

• Commercial shellfish growing areas in Puget Sound cover roughly 260,000 acres. About 87% (225,135 acres) of this area is suitable for harvest.
• In 2022 the Leadership Council approved a new target to achieve a net gain of at least 500 acres approved for shellfish harvesting every year, based on a three-year rolling average. The net change in harvestable shellfish beds in 2024 for all of Puget Sound was 673 acres. The three-year average (2022-2024) net change was +224 acres.
• In 2024 improved water quality conditions in four growing areas resulted in classification upgrades across 765 acres. That same year, Washington Department of Health (DOH) needed to downgrade classifications in one growing area. A total of 112 acres were downgraded resulting in more restrictions on shellfish harvest. For more information, see the Interpretation of Results section.
• Recently, in 2021 and 2022, more acres were downgraded than upgraded, however, net improvement in acreage returned in 2023 and 2024. Since 2007 more acres of shellfish growing areas have been upgraded than downgraded. The positive trend reflects state, tribal, and local investments in effective pollution identification and correction programs. 
• The upgrades in growing area classifications since 2007 were dramatically offset by the 2011 downgrade of the Samish Bay shellfish growing area (4,037 acres). This downgrade impacted the overall net acreage gained and slowed progress toward the previous 2020 recovery target.