State environmental regulators issued advisories Monday about consuming trout species caught at six popular fishing spots because of mercury contamination.
They are brown trout from the Weber River near Morgan, from Calf Creek in Garfield County and from Jordanelle Reservoir, Wasatch County; rainbow trout from Upper Enterprise Reservoir in Washington County and from Newcastle Reservoir in Iron County; and splake trout from Joes Valley Reservoir in Emery County.
Signs will be posted at the sites warning about consumption. The warnings vary because of different levels of the toxic material.
For Joes Valley and Upper Enterprise reservoirs, adults should limit consumption of the particular types of trout to no more than one eight-ounce serving per month. "Women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children should not eat more than one two-ounce serving from either location," adds the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
For Jordanelle and Newcastle reservoirs, as well as the Weber River and Calf Creek, adults should eat no more than two eight-ounce servings per month, and women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children should eat no more than one four-ounce serving from any of these locations.
Eating more than the limits over a long period "could result in an intake of mercury that exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health recommendations," the DEQ notes. Any risks from consumption would be from eating the particular species from these sites on a long-term basis and not associated with 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," adds a DEQ press release.
In February, the Utah Statewide Mercury Workgroup discussed concerns about elevated levels of mercury at 14 locations, including the ones for which advisories were issued.
Other wildlife consumption warnings are in effect covering several materials. They include mercury fish-consumption advisories for the Green River in Desolation Canyon, Uintah and Carbon counties; Mill Creek in Grand County; and Gunlock Reservoir in Garfield County.
Fish consumption warnings were issued because of arsenic contamination at Silver Creek in Summit County, selenium in the Ashley Creek drainage and Stewart Lake in Uintah County; and PCBs in Utah Lake's carp.
Also, mercury advisories are in effect for three waterfowl species taken on the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake: northern shoveler, common teal and common goldeneye ducks. Other ducks sampled in the area were found to be safe.
E-mail: bau@desnews.com