Box 13: Piankatank River
| Location: Piankatank River History of location: Small tributary on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Trap type estuary. History of high (intensity) and consistent natural spat settlement with focused VMRC efforts to cultivate the river as a seed river in the 1960s and beyond. Baylor and private ground productivity mostly maintained by regular addition of shell cultch. Current status: Low population levels on Baylor Grounds subject to consistent disease (MSX and Dermo) mortality. Cultch condition on Baylor Grounds is relatively good. Three sentinel sites present. Regular collection of additional data. Data held by VIMS and VMRC. Private lease activity is low. Recent restoration activity (reefs and other) to date: Four reefs constructed in 1993 and 1995. Regular shell cultch planting and seed movement (export). The risk to private oyster production is high because of disease. Restoration potential: Limited because of consistent disease risk. |
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