Health officials are urging the public to avoid harvesting and consuming softshell and bay clams from the Alsea Bay estuary.
The recommendation from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife follows a recreational use advisory issued for nearby Eckman Lake in Lincoln County by the Oregon Health Authority. High levels of cyanobacteria and saxitoxins were detected in the lake on Aug. 28.
Because Eckman Lake drains directly into the Alsea Bay estuary, officials warn that clams in the area may contain saxitoxins, which cause paralytic shellfish poisoning. No other shellfish harvesting in the region has been restricted at this time.