Willapa Bay

Willapa Bay, in the southwest corner of Washington State, is famous for its abundance of farmed oysters and its remarkably pristine coastal-plain estuary. The Willapa Bay estuary is a highly productive coastal ecosystem that has supported more than a century of shellfisheries. The adjacent coastal waters are the primary source of nutrients and phytoplankton for Willapa Bay's vibrant habitat, which covers about 600,000 acres and includes between 10,000 and 15,000 acres of leased and private tidelands used for oyster cultivation.

Oyster growers have had an important stewardship effect on Willapa Bay because much of the tidelands oysters are cultivated on are privately owned beds. Ownership ties oyster growers to a particular spot and gives them a vested interest in protecting the local environment, which their livelihood depends on.

All shellfish are filter feeders, pumping huge amounts of water and nutrients through themselves to feed. As a result, these shellfish are extremely sensitive to water quality and require very clean habitat in which to grow.

Without pristine waters and healthy uplands, there would simply be no shellfish industry. The successful harvesting of oysters in Willapa Bay over the years has been fostered by tidal ownership by the oyster growers, which harvest the abundance of the waters while maintaining the diversity and integrity of this important wildlife habitat area.

Understanding the landscape in which an oyster spends its life is important to anyone who cares about the taste, quality, and safety of these shellfish. An oyster's color, flavor, texture, and meatiness are all influenced by the specific salinity, temperature, and nutrient makeup of the waters in which they grow. These factors are determined by the entire watershed which surrounds the oyster's habitat, meaning that the oyster you enjoy is a product of the landscape in which it is grown, and the decisions of the communities which share that landscape.

In order to learn more about Goose Point Oysters, we encourage you to learn more about the landscape of Willapa Bay and the people who live here, working on the tidal flats.