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Health Warnings For Fish In Alabama

By Emily Forrester

The State Health Department is warnng people about mercury contamination and the fish you should avoid. Health Warnings For Fish In Alabama

Published: Tue, July 22, 2008 - 10:56 pm Last Updated: Tue, July 22, 2008 - 11:09 pm

The Alabama Department of Public Health released its annual advisory on fish and Mercury contamination. Below is a synopsis of the informations ent out by Alabama health leaders:

The Alabama Department of Public Health annually updates fish consumption
advisories based on data collected the preceding fall by the Alabama Department of
Environmental Management.
ADEM collected samples of specific fish species for analysis from various
waterbodies throughout the state during the fall of 2007. The Alabama Department of Public
Health assessed the analytical results to determine whether any of the tested contaminants
in the fish may give rise to potential human health effects.

Here is the New 2008 Advisory List:

New Advisories for 2008
Choccolocco Creek – Calhoun County
In the vicinity of Boiling Springs Road bridge crossing
Spotted bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level– Two meals per month
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Choccolocco Creek - Talladega County
In the vicinity of County Road 399 bridge
Spotted bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level – One meal per month
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Choctawhatchee River – Geneva County
Entire river
Spotted bass, Redear sunfish
Contaminant –Mercury
Consumption level – Two meals per month
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Frank Jackson Lake - Covington County
Lightwood Knot Creek, Frank Jackson Lake lake-wide, Opp
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month
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Lake Jackson - Covington County
Lake Jackson located on the Alabama/Florida state line at Florala
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month
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Lewis Smith Reservoir - Cullman County
Ryan Creek, Lewis Smith Reservoir in the vicinity of Cullman County Road 222 bridge
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month
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Lewis Smith Reservoir - Winston County
Rock Creek, Lewis Smith Reservoir in vicinity of Little Crooked Creek and Rock Creek
Marina, approximately 5 miles upstream from Sipsey Fork
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level – Two meals per month
Lewis Smith Reservoir mouth of Clear Creek, mouth of Butler Creek
Contaminant - Mercury
Consumption Level - 1 meal per month
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North River - Tuscaloosa County
Upstream of Lake Tuscaloosa, immediately upstream of Bull Slough Road
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - Two meals per month
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pea River – Geneva County
Entire river
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level – Two meals per month
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sepulga River - Escambia County
Sepulga River upstream of Conecuh River confluence
Spotted bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month
Lake Tuscaloosa - Tuscaloosa County
Largemouth bass
All species
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month

The following advisories, issued in previous years, remain in effect:

Bear Creek Reservoir – Franklin County
Dam forebay area
Largemouth bass
Contaminant –Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Big Escambia Creek – Escambia County
At the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Bridge Crossing
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level – One meal per month
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bilbo Creek – Washington County
Upstream of the confluence with the Tombigbee River
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blackwater River – Baldwin County
In the area between the mouth of the river and the pipeline crossing southeast of
Robertsdale
Largemouth bass
Contaminant - Mercury
Consumption level – One meal per two months (1/2 meal per month)
Blacktail redhorse
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level – Two meals per month
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blackwater River – Escambia County
Between the County Road 4 bridge and the Alabama/Florida state line
Spotted bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level – One meal per month
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bon Secour River – Baldwin County
Vicinity of County Road 10 Bridge
Contaminant – Mercury
Do not consume largemouth bass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cedar Creek – Houston County
Cedar Creek drainage from American Brass site near Headland tributary to Omussee Creek
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - Two meals per month
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claiborne Reservoir – Clarke, Monroe counties
Dam forebay area and in vicinity of Lower Peachtree Access Area, approximately River Mile
96 close to the intersection
of Clarke, Monroe and Wilcox counties
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - Two meals per month
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chickasaw Creek – Mobile County
Entire creek
Contaminant - Mercury
Do not consume largemouth bass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Choccolocco Creek – Calhoun, Talladega counties
Entire length of creek from south of Oxford to Logan Martin Lake
Contaminant - PCBs
Do not consume any fish
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cold Creek Swamp – Mobile County
From confluence of Cold Creek with the Mobile River west through the swamp
Contaminant - Mercury
Do not consume any fish
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conecuh River – Escambia County
From Alabama/Florida state line to Sepulga River including Murder Creek and Burnt Corn
Creek tributaries
Contaminant - Mercury
Consumption level - Two meals per month
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coosa River – Calhoun, St. Clair, Talladega counties
Between Neely Henry Dam and Riverside
Contaminant - PCBs
Limited consumption of catfish over 1 pound
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coosa River – St. Clair, Talladega counties
Between Riverside and Logan Martin Dam
Contaminant – PCBs
Do not consume striped bass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coosa River – Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega counties
Between Logan Martin Dam and the railroad tracks crossing the Coosa near Vincent
Contaminant - PCBs
Do not consume striped bass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coosa River – Chilton, Coosa, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega counties
Lay Lake between Logan Martin Dam and Lay Dam
Contaminant - PCBs
Do not consume striped bass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coosa River – St. Clair County
In upper Lay Reservoir approximately two miles downstream of Logan Martin Dam and one
half mile downstream from the Kelly Creek - Coosa River Confluence in the vicinity of
Ratcliff/Elliott Island.
Contaminant - PCBs
Limited consumption of spotted bass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cowpen Creek – Baldwin County
Upstream of confluence with Fish River
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Escatawpa River – Mobile County
At U.S. Highway 98 bridge crossing approximately 1/10 mile upstream of Alabama /Miss.
State Line
Spotted Bass, Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per 2 months (or one-half meal per month) for spotted bass
One meal per month for largemouth bass
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fish River – Baldwin County
In vicinity of confluence with Polecat Creek approximately one mile upstream of County
Road 32 bridge
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per 2 months (or one-half meal per month)
Approximately two miles upstream of U.S. 98 Bridge in the vicinity of Waterhole Branch/Fish
River confluence just above the two islands
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - Two meals per month
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fowl River – Mobile County
Mobile County in vicinity of Muddy Creek confluence and Fowl River Road bridge
Largemouth bass
Contaminant - Mercury
Consumption level - 1/2 meal per month (one meal per two months)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gulf Coast – Baldwin, Mobile counties
Entire coast
Do not consume king mackerel over 39 inches
Contaminant - Mercury
Limited consumption of king mackerel under 39 inches
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Huntsville Spring Branch & Indian Creek – Madison County
From Redstone Arsenal to the Tennessee River
Contaminant - DDT
Do not consume smallmouth or bigmouth buffalofish
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Little Escambia Creek – Escambia County
In Escambia County at U.S. Highway 31/29 Bridge
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month for largemouth bass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mobile River – Mobile County
At and south of the confluence with Cold Creek
Contaminant - Mercury
Do not consume largemouth bass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perdido River – Baldwin County
Near confluence with Styx River in vicinity of U.S. Highway 90 Bridge crossing
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month for largemouth bass
Two meals per month for River Redhorse
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Polecat Creek – Baldwin County
Upstream of confluence with Fish River
Largemouth bass
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Opossum Creek – Jefferson County
From the Pumping Station to the confluence with Valley Creek
Contaminant - Mercury
Do not consume largemouth bass
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Styx River – Baldwin County
Styx River near its confluence with Perdido River in vicinity of US 90 bridge crossing
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month for largemouth bass
Limited consumption of channel catfish
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Tensaw River – Baldwin County
Entire river
Contaminant - Mercury
Limited consumption of largemouth bass
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Valley Creek – Jefferson County
Around the confluence with Opossum Creek
Contaminant - Mercury
Do not consume largemouth bass
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Yellow River – Covington County
At County Road 4 bridge crossing approximately 1.5 miles upstream of
Alabama/Florida line
Contaminant – Mercury
Consumption level - One meal per month for Largemouth bass
- One meal per month for Spotted bass

You can read the entire advisory lists by clicking here.