Geoduck Aquaculture program
For more than a hundred years the state DNR and its predecessors have had aquaculture leases on state-owned aquatic lands, providing opportunities for growers of oysters, clams and other shellfish, and salmon pens. In fact, aquaculture has been occurring in Washington since before statehood.
More recently, the 2003 Legislature directed DNR to look into geoduck aquaculture on state-owned aquatic lands. DNR has moved forward with a measured approach that includes a research component. As steward of public aquatic lands, we are committed to ensuring that geoduck aquaculture operations are environmentally sound.
Important to our new program is a monitoring component - explained below - to gather information about potential impacts of geoduck aquaculture.
Geoduck Aquaculture Program
It is worth noting that no geoduck aquaculture currently occurs on state-owned aquatic lands—all existing geoduck aquaculture occurs on privately owned lands. However, DNR's geoduck aquaculture program is in its early implementation phase. Two ‘Requests for Offers' to lease state-owned aquatic lands have been issued and there currently are sixteen pending lease applications. Among other requirements, applicants will need to acquire all necessary permits from other public agencies before DNR will extend a lease.
A new federal permit requirement has slowed this permit process. Because we do not want to create a backlog of pending lease applications, we will delay issuing any further ‘Requests for Offers' until the current applications are imminently approaching a lease. Please scroll down for more information on the Phase II - Geoduck Aquaculture Leasing Program.
Background
The state's first experiments in geoduck enhancement occurred in the early 1990s in Washington. Young geoducks were grown at a state-operated hatchery and dropped onto the seabed. When it was determined that survival of young geoducks by this method was very low, enhancement efforts were stopped. Recent private sector intertidal aquaculture efforts in Washington and subtidal efforts in Canada suggested it was time for another look at the potential of geoduck aquaculture in Washington, and the 2003 Washington State Legislature directed DNR to conduct the Geoduck Aquaculture Pilot Project, for which Phase I was a feasibility study.
Phase I — Geoduck Aquaculture Pilot Project Feasibility Study
The 2003 Legislature directed DNR to determine the feasibility of geoduck aquaculture on state-owned aquatic lands that we manage. (ESSB 5404: Section 308(15)). For this purpose, $265,000 was appropriated from the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account.
DNR contracted with the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Pacific Shellfish Institute and a number of other entities to conduct the feasibility study. Naturally set geoducks in Washington State are jointly managed by DNR, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Puget Sound Treaty Tribes; for this reason, all of these entities formed a steering committee for the Pilot Project. Outreach efforts also were made to local governments, the general public, shellfish growers, and others— to obtain information on issues that needed to be considered before allowing leasing of state-owned aquatic lands.
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Geoduck Seed - Photo by Joth Davis of Baywater, Inc. | Geoduck Aquaculture Tubes - Photo by DNR |
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Geoduck Harvester showing how to get the geoducks -Photo by DNR | Beach showing the 3 stages of geoduck grow out - Photo by DNR |
Phase II — Geoduck Aquaculture Leasing Program
Findings in the completed feasibility study led DNR to recommend to the 2005 Legislature that a limited geoduck aquaculture leasing program be implemented, to lease up to 25 acres per year for this activity. The Legislature amended state law to allow geoducks to be sold like other cultured shellfish—this removed the only impediment to a state leasing program.
Under the geoduck aquaculture leasing program, leaseholds of varying sizes will be made available throughout Puget Sound and Hood Canal . At any given time no more than 250 acres of state-owned aquatic lands will be leased for geoduck aquaculture. The 2007 Legislature directed DNR to lease no more than 15 acres per year for this activity from 2007 to 2013.
Although no geoduck aquaculture currently occurs on state-owned aquatic lands, sixteen sites are in the pre-leasing phase (the 2006 and 2007 lease applications). We do not expect to have any leases signed before the spring or summer of 2009.
In June 2006 we advertised our first ‘Request for Offers' to lease state-owned aquatic lands for geoduck aquaculture. The second Request for Offers was in October 2007. This is a competitive bidding process designed to find the best qualified grower for each planned geoduck aquaculture lease site. Companies submit Offers providing particular information on how they propose to conduct operations, and then DNR scores them. Table 2 is an example from the 2007 Request for Offers of the information scored. One successful company is identified for each lease area. That company then may apply for a lease with DNR, moving it into the ‘pre-leasing phase'. The company must acquire regulatory and environmental permits, licenses and registrations, along with a land survey, biological survey and tribal sharing agreement, before we will extend a lease.
One of DNR's Land Managers will be assigned to visit the sites on a regular basis to ensure lease requirements are being met. Each lease will incorporate a set of Best Management Practices.
DNR will adaptively manage its geoduck aquaculture program as new scientific data become available. And as a member of the Shellfish Aquaculture Regulatory Committee (SARC), set up in House Bill 2220 in 2007, we will amend the Best Management Practices as necessary, based on the outcome of the Committee's findings. The Committee is managed by the state Department of Ecology—please visit the Shellfish Aquaculture Regulatory Committee website for more information.
We are interested in hearing your opinion about geoduck aquaculture and leasing state-owned aquatic lands; to do so you can complete an Opinion Survey.
Environmental Monitoring Leases
Environmental monitoring will continue through at least the first ten years of the Geoduck Aquaculture Program—throughout at least one full cycle of geoduck aquaculture operations.
It is essential that the environmental monitoring sites are located in just the right place, since they have to provide representative environmental and growing conditions for each of the three regions of Puget Sound . The monitoring sites are still undergoing review, to ensure the most appropriate site is located, which entails site visits by DNR staff and the lease applicant.
DNR's monitoring program will be comprised of three two-acre environmental monitoring geoduck aquaculture sites—one each in North Puget Sound, South Puget Sound and Hood Canal. These monitoring leases will provide scientific data that will provide detailed information on geoduck aquaculture. DNR's environmental monitoring will focus initially on potential changes to beach sediments, and the animals and plants that live in and on the sediment. We will work with Washington Sea Grant to ensure our program fits with the scientific research studies that will be conducted under House Bill 2220 funding. We will adaptively manage the geoduck aquaculture program as the scientific data become available.
| Region | Site Name | Acres | County |
| North Sound | Samish Bay | 2 | Skagit |
| Hood Canal | North Navy | 2 | Jefferson |
| South Sound | Still Under Investigation | 2 | |
| Total | | 6 | |
2006 Geoduck Aquaculture Sites Nine sites, comprising 19 acres, were offered under the 2006 Request for Offers. Only seven of those nine sites, comprising 17 acres, are moving forward towards a lease. The companies successful under the 2006 Request for Offers have submitted lease applications. Those companies are now in the pre-leasing phase, when they acquire all necessary environmental and regulatory permits, licenses, registrations, land and biological surveys, and tribal sharing agreements. DNR will extend the lease document only when these pre-leasing requirements are met, and bonds and insurances are in place.
| Lease Area # | Lease Area Name | Acres | County |
| 1 | North Navy | 3 | Jefferson |
| 2 | Dickenson Point | 1 | Thurston |
| 3 | East Stretch | 2 | Mason |
| 5 | Herron Lake | 4 | Pierce |
| 6 | Taylor Bay 1 | 2 | Pierce |
| 7 | Taylor Bay 2 | 3 | Pierce |
| 9 | Wilson Pt 2 | 2 | Mason |
| Lease Area # | Lease Area Name | Acres | County | Reason |
| 4 | Haley | 1 | Pierce | No offers received |
| 8 | Wilson Pt 1 | 1 | Mason | Offer was not able to be confirmed for fiscal reasons |
2006 Overview Map of Geoduck Aquaculture Lease Sites2006 Geoduck Aquaculture Site Maps2007 Geoduck Aquaculture Sites
Eight sites, totaling 15 acres, were offered in 2007. Only six of those eitht sites, comprising 12.5 acres, are moving forward towards a lease. Those companies are now in the pre-leasing phase, when they acquire necessary environmental and regulatory permits, licenses, registrations, land and biological surveys, and tribal sharing agreements. DNR will extend the lease document only when these requirements are met, and bonds and insurances are in place.
| Lease Area # | Lease Area name | acres | county |
| 3 | Hood Head | 2 | Jefferson |
| 4 | Shine | 2 | Jefferson |
| 5 | East Stretch #2 | 2.5 | Mason |
| 6 | Fudge South | 3 | Mason |
| 7 | Taylor Bay #3 | 2 | Pierce |
| 8 | West Stretch | 1 | Mason |
| lease area # | lease area name | acres | county | reason |
| 1 | North Navy #3 | 2 | Jefferson | No offers received |
| 2 | Discovery Bay | 0.5 | Clallam | No offers received |
2007 Overview Map of Geoduck Aquaculture Lease Sites2007 Geoduck Aquaculture Site MapsOther Washington State Agencies play a role in maintaining the health of our marine waters and its resources, including the
Department of Ecology,
Puget Sound Partnership, and the
Department of Health. View
Partner's Web Pages or Contact Information.