Fish Consumption Advisories
The Kentucky Departments for Environmental
Protection, Health Services and Fish and Wildlife Resources jointly issue a
fish consumption advisory to the public when fish are found contaminated.
Trace contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and chlordane are
found in some fish in Kentucky. An advisory cautions people about potential
health problems that may result from eating fish caught from a particular
area. An advisory does not ban eating fish; it is a guide to reduce your
risk. This guide provides information on how often fish may be safely eaten.
Most fish are healthy to eat and are an excellent source of low-fat protein.
Risks from eating contaminated fish can be
reduced by the following:
...fillet the fish, remove the skin and trim
all fat
...do not eat fish eggs
...broil, grill or bake the fillets instead
of frying or microwaving
...do not eat or reuse juices or fats that
cook out of the fish.
Fish consumption advisories are in effect
for the following:
1) Statewide:
All waters are under advisory for mercury. Women of childbearing age and
children 6 years of age or younger should eat no more than one meal per week
of freshwater fish. Adult men and other women are not included in the
consumption notice.
This is not an emergency as organic mercury can
occur naturally in the environment and does not affect swimmers, skiers or
boaters. Fish can accumulate these low levels of mercury by eating plankton and
other small aquatic creatures.
2) Drakes Creek: All fish from dam on W. Fork at Franklin, Ky. downstream
to confluence with Barren River. (PCB)
3) Green River Lake (New Advisory):
Green River Lake is
approximately 8,210 acres and impounds Robinson Creek and the Green River in
Taylor and Adair counties. The current advisory for PCBs is lake-wide and lists
channel catfish and common carp as “do not eat.” The advisory for both
PCBs and mercury is considered lake-wide from the headwaters of the lake to the
dam. Due to decreasing levels of PCBs in the Green River Lake, the advisory is
modified from “do not eat” to one meal per month for the general population and
six meals per year for the sensitive population. Channel Catfish are being
removed from the PCB advisory.
|
Fish Group |
General Population |
Special Population |
Contaminant(s) |
|
Suckers/Carp |
1
meal per month |
6
meals per year |
PCB |
|
Black
Bass |
1
meal per month |
6
meals per year |
Mercury |
|
Catfish/Drum |
1
meal per month |
6
meals per year |
Mercury |
4) Little Bayou Creek: All fish from section of creek located in McCracken
County. (PCB)
5) Mud River-From Hancock Lake Dam to Wolf Lick
Creek -
Fish that feed on the bottom, such as catfish, carp,
suckers, and freshwater drum, should not be eaten. Game fish such as bass,
sunfish and crappie may be eaten, but not more than one meal per month. Women of
childbearing age and children should not eat any bottom-feeding fish from this
segment of the Mud River, but may eat six meals per year of game fish from this
segment of the Mud River.
Mud River-From Wolf Lick Creek to the Green River -
Fish that feed on the bottom, such as catfish, carp,
suckers, and freshwater drum, may be eaten, but no more than one meal per month.
Game fish such as black bass, sunfish, and crappie may be eaten, but not more
than one meal per week. Women of childbearing age and children should eat no
more than six meals per year of bottom-feeding fish from this segment of Mud
River, but may eat one meal per month of game fish from this segment of Mud
River.
6) Town Branch (Logan County): Fish should not be consumed from any portion of Town
Branch. This includes all species and sizes. (PCB)
7) Metropolis Lake (McCracken County): No more than one meal per month of fish should be eaten.
(PCB and Mercury)
8) Ohio River, bordering Kentucky: A new method for reporting the fish consumption advisory
for the Ohio River has been adopted. Consumption rates for specific fish have
been developed based on a meal of 1/2 pound of fish (before cooking) eaten by a
150-pound individual. Following these guidelines and spacing your meals of those
fish species will limit your health risks by reducing your total exposure.
A special population category exists for women
of childbearing age, children 6 years of age or younger, pregnant and nursing
women and women who plan to become pregnant. Those individuals who consume fish
from the Ohio River should follow the special population consumption advisories.
Upper Reach (Mouth of the Big Sandy River to
Markland L&D):
|
Species |
General Population |
Special Population |
|
Paddlefish (and their eggs) |
6 meals/year |
No consumption |
|
Carp |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Channel catfish: |
|
|
|
over 21" - |
6 meals/year |
No consumption |
|
under 21" - |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Drum |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Smallmouth buffalo |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
White bass |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
White crappie |
unlimited |
1 meal/week |
|
Hybrid striped bass |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Sauger |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Flathead Catfish |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Black Bass (largemouth, Smallmouth and
spotted) |
1 meal/week |
1 meal/month |
Middle
Reach (Markland L&D to Cannelton L&D):
|
Species |
General Population |
Special Population |
|
Paddlefish (and their eggs) |
6 meals/year |
No consumption |
|
Channel catfish: |
|
|
|
over 21" - |
6 meals/year |
No consumption |
|
under 21" - |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Carp |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Drum |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Hybrid striped bass |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Sauger |
1 meal/week |
1 meal/month |
|
White bass |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Flathead Catfish |
1 meal/week |
1 meal/month |
|
Black Bass (largemouth, smallmouth and
spotted) |
1 meal/week |
1 meal/month |
Lower Reach
(Cannelton L&D to Mouth of Ohio River):
|
Species |
General Population |
Special Population |
|
Paddlefish (and their eggs) |
6 meals/year |
No consumption |
|
Blue Catfish: |
|
|
|
over 14" - |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
under 14" - |
1 meal/week |
1 meal/month |
|
Channel Catfish |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Carp |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Drum |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Hybrid striped bass |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
Sauger |
1 meal/week |
1 meal/month |
|
White bass |
1 meal/month |
6 meals/year |
|
White crappie |
unlimited |
1 meal/week |
|
Bigmouth Buffalo |
1 meal/week |
1 meal/month |
|
Black Bass (largemouth, smallmouth and
spotted) |
1 meal/week |
1 meal/month |
9) Knox Creek:
There are
approximately 7.8 miles of Knox Creek in Pike County, KY. The headwaters of
Knox Creek are located predominantly in Buchanan Co, VA. A similar fish
consumption advisory has been issued in VA for their section of this creek.
Advisory
boundaries:
This fish
consumption advisory will include all of Knox Creek from the VA/KY state line to
the Tug Fork River.
Advisory
for Knox Creek:
|
Fish
Group |
General Population |
Special Population |
Contaminant(s) |
|
Black Bass |
1
meal per month |
6
meals per year |
PCB,
Mercury |
|
Crappie/Rock Bass |
1
meal per month |
6
meals per year |
PCB,
Mercury |
|
Catfish/Drum |
6
meals per year |
No
Consumption |
PCB |
|
Flathead Catfish |
No
Consumption |
No
Consumption |
PCB,
Mercury |
10)
Fishtrap Lake:
Fishtrap
Lake is approximately 1100 acres and impounds the Levisa Fork River in Pike
County, KY.
Advisory
boundaries:
This
advisory will include the Levisa Fork River from the KY/VA Stateline to the dam
on Fishtrap Lake. A similar fish consumption advisory has been issued by VA for
a portion of the Levisa fork river in their state.
Advisory
for Fishtrap Lake:
|
Fish
Groups |
General Population |
Special Population |
Contaminant(s)* |
|
Black Bass |
1
meal per week |
1
meal per month |
PCB,
Mercury |
|
White Bass |
1
meal per month |
6
meals per year |
PCB,
Mercury |
|
Catfish/Drum |
1
meal per month |
6
meals per year |
PCB,
Mercury |
|
Suckers/Carp |
1
meal per month |
6
meals per year |
PCB,
Mercury |
|
Flathead Catfish |
1
meal per week |
1
meal per month |
PCB,
Mercury |
* Neither
of these contaminants is associated with the Consol Energy, Inc., brine
discharge at Grundy Virginia.
11) Lake
Cumberland (New Advisory):
Lake Cumberland is
approximately 47,680 acres and impounds the Cumberland River in south central
Kentucky. This advisory is considered to be a lake-wide advisory and will
include the waters from the confluence of Laurel River and Cumberland River to
the Wolf Creek Dam on Lake Cumberland.
|
Fish Group |
General Population |
Special Population |
Contaminant(s)
|
|
Black Bass |
1 meal per month |
6 meals per year |
Mercury |
|
Crappie/Rock Bass |
1 meal per week |
1 meal per year |
Mercury |
12) Guist
Creek Lake (New Advisory):
Guist Creek Lake is
approximately 321 acres and impounds Guist Creek and Tick Creek in Shelby
County. This advisory is considered to be lake-wide from the headwaters of the
lake to the dam.
|
Fish Group |
General Population |
Special Population |
Contaminant(s)
|
|
Black Bass |
1 meal per month |
6 meals per year |
Mercury |
13) Fish Lake (New Advisory):
Ballard Wildlife
Management Areas, Fish Lake, is an approximately 30-acre natural lake in Ballard
County. This advisory is considered to be a lake-wide from the headwaters of the
lake to the outflow of Shawnee Creek.
|
Fish Group |
General Population |
Special Population |
Contaminant(s)
|
|
Black Bass |
1 meal per month |
6 meals per year |
Mercury |
|
Suckers/Carp |
1 meal per month |
6 meals per year |
Mercury |
|