Amador County – In May, the East Bay Municipal Utility District issued a precaution that some fish in Pardee Lake and Camanche Lake in Amador County may contain high levels of mercury.

The announcement said the public health departments of Amador, Calaveras, and San Joaquin counties and the East Bay Municipal Utility District advise the public to follow general “fish eating precautions” published by the California Environmental Protection Agency.

East Bay Municipal said “possibly harmful levels of mercury have been found in some fish at Camanche and Pardee Reservoirs. Fish that tested at high levels at Camanche Reservoir include bluegill, channel and hard head catfish, crappie, carp and largemouth bass.” At Pardee Reservoir, “some channel catfish and largemouth bass” also tested at high levels. “Mercury has been identified in certain fish species from many of the waters of California, with most of it coming from past gold mining.”

The notice said “fish in California waters take in mercury as they feed. The main way people get mercury is through eating the fish. Fish are part of a healthy diet. But people need to limit the type and amount of fish that are eaten.

“It is important for pregnant or nursing women, women of childbearing age, and young children to limit eating fish. Mercury can affect the unborn baby or young child’s developing nervous system.”

EPA “fish eating precautions” say that women age 18-45 years, and all pregnant and nursing women, and children under 18 years should limit eating freshwater fish to one meal a week. That one meal consists of 6 ounces of cooked fish or 8 ounces of uncooked fish for an adult. For a child, one meal is 2 ounces of cooked fish or 3 ounces of uncooked fish.

Other adults should limit eating freshwater fish to two meals a week. EPA also precautions that all people should eat less predatory fish, such a bass, and bottom feeding fish, such as catfish and carp, that are likely to have higher levels of mercury.

For all people, rainbow trout and kokanee are usually the safest sport fish to eat. Eat smaller fish (within the legal size) because they have less mercury. Eat fish from a variety of locations around lakes, reservoirs or rivers. Clean fish before cooking, eat only muscle or fillets and throw away the guts, liver and skin.

For more information, visit the recreation area concession and East Bay Municipal’s offices for printed brochures.

East Bay Municipal said the mercury levels in Pardee and Camanche reservoirs “meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water quality criteria and the drinking water meets or is better than California Department of Public Health requirements.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.