Sengekontacket Pond was closed to shellfishing for quahaugs and steamers yesterday due to poor water quality tests from earlier in the week. Water samples tested positive for fecal coliform. Fecal coliform itself may not necessarily be harmful to humans in shellfish in a coastal pond, but it is used as an indicator of other possible harmful bacteria. Last Sunday’s heavy rainfall is blamed for the problem. The closure came hours after the state had allowed the pond to be opened for shellfishing.

Edgartown shellfish constable Paul Bagnall and Oak Bluffs constable David Grunden received word of the closure yesterday afternoon from the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

The pond was closed last spring as part of a state-imposed seasonal closure which runs from June 1 through Sept. 30. Yesterday morning the pond reopened and Mr. Bagnall said he was out around the pond taking down the old closure signs, when he received word of the closure.

A total of 2.21 inches of rainfall fell in nine hours on Sunday.

“When you get so much rain in a short time over the last weekend, and there is a barrier beach with a road on it, it is not surprising you’d get some road runoff in spots,” Mr. Bagnall said.

A handful of shellfishermen were out yesterday morning on both the Edgartown and Oak Bluffs side of the pond. The pond will remain closed until water sampling comes back clean, Mr. Grunden said. He said he does not know how long.

The closure does not apply to scalloping. Edgartown opened its family scallop season yesterday; family scalloping in Oak Bluffs begins Oct. 30.