DEQ.utah.gov - News Release: Fish Advisories issued for Six Waterways across the State

NEWS RELEASE
April 23, 2007

Contacts:
John Whitehead, (801) 538-6053
Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Wayne Ball, (801) 538-6191
Utah Department of Health
Walt Donaldson, (801) 538-4760
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Fish Advisories issued for Six Waterways across the State

(Salt Lake City, Utah) – Fish consumption advisories have been issued for certain species of trout in six popular fishing areas, including two in northern Utah and four in southern Utah after state officials found elevated levels of mercury in fish.

The advisories are in effect for brown trout from the Weber River near Morgan, Utah and Jordanelle Reservoir in Wasatch County; rainbow trout from the Upper Enterprise Reservoir in Washington County and Newcastle Reservoir in Iron County; brown trout from Calf Creek in Garfield County and splake trout from Joe’s Valley Reservoir in Emery County.

Fish consumption advisory signs will be posted at access points to Joe’s Valley and Upper Enterprise reservoirs stating that:

Adults should limit their consumption of splake Trout taken from Joe’s Valley Reservoir and rainbow trout from Upper Enterprise Reservoir to no more than one 8-ounce serving per month; and
Women who may become pregnant, pregnant woman, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat more than one 2-ounce serving per month from either location.

Fish consumption advisory signs will be posted at access points to Jordanelle and Newcastle reservoirs, Weber River and Calf Creek stating that:

Adults should limit their consumption of brown trout from Jordanelle and rainbow trout from Newcastle reservoirs and brown trout from Weber River and Calf Creek to no more than two 8-ounce servings per month; and
Women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat more than one 4-ounce serving per month from any of the locations.

Eating more than these amounts over a long period of time could result in an intake of mercury that exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health recommendations, according to an analysis completed by the Utah Department of Health. Any health risks associated with eating fish from the affected areas are based on long-term consumption and are not tied to eating fish occasionally. There is no health risk associated with mercury for other uses of the reservoirs, river or creek, such as swimming, boating and waterskiing.

Fish were collected from the waterbodies as part of an ongoing water quality investigation. Officials from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Utah Department of Health, Utah Department of Natural Resources, and the local Health Departments worked in partnership to issue this advisory.

Information about the advisory and the health effects of mercury is available at http://www.deq.utah.gov/Issues/Mercury/fish_advisories.htm and each of the agencies’ Internet sites. The final report on the evaluation of mercury concentrations in fish sampled from streams, lakes and reservoirs in Utah can be found at http://health.utah.gov/epi/enviroepi/FishHgStatewide2007Final.pdf .

Mercury Fish Advisory Map:

Map of Mercury Advisories in Utah (.jpg image, 276 kb)
Map of Mercury Advisories in Utah (PDF file, 199 kb)

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Fish Advisories issued for Six Waterways across the State