Utah Expands Mercury Advisory List for Fish
Published on July 01, 2009 at 05:03PM
(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah is expanding its list of places where anglers should be careful about eating fish, due to mercury. For the first time, mercury has been detected in fish at Red Fleet and Stienaker reservoirs in Uintah County. The state health department says pregnant women and children should not eat largemouth bass from Red Fleet or bluegill from Steinaker. Adults should limit their consumption to two 8-ounce servings of each a month. State officials are issuing a similar warning about wiper, a cross between white bass and striped bass, taken from the Newcastle Reservoir in Iron County. Since 2000, fish have been tested for mercury in 268 Utah lakes, streams and rivers. Of those, 16 have elevated mercury levels.