State officials are advising people not to harvest or eat softshell and bay clams from the Alsea Bay estuary due to potential toxin exposure.
The Oregon Health Authority recently updated an advisory for Eckman Lake, issued July 31, after detecting high levels of saxitoxin — a toxin that can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning. Since the lake drains into Alsea Bay in Waldport, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends avoiding clam harvesting in the area as a precaution.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture is testing shellfish from the bay, with results expected next week.