Lakes in Oklahoma under advisory after unsafe levels of mercury found in fish
The Department of Environmental Quality released its annual report examining the fish at all of Oklahoma’s lakes
The Department of Environmental Quality released its annual report examining the fish at all of Oklahoma’s lakes
The Department of Environmental Quality released its annual report examining the fish at all of Oklahoma’s lakes
Some of Oklahoma’s most popular lakes are under advisory after unsafe levels of mercury were found in fish.
The Department of Environmental Quality released its annual report examining the fish at all of Oklahoma’s lakes. Nearly half the lakes in the state have some sort of advisory, meaning it could be unsafe to eat the fish you catch.
"Every lake is different," said Erin Hatfield with the DEQ.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
If you plan on hitting the lake on the Fourth of July weekend and want to fish, pay attention to the new advisory for the Oklahoma DEQ. Fish in 73 of Oklahoma’s lakes were found to have some levels of mercury, meaning they could be unsafe for human consumption.
"There are some lakes where we recommend people not eat any meals of certain species of fish," Hatfield said.
Some lakes and fish are unsafe for anyone to have at all, according to the DEQ. While it’s recommended not to eat certain fish more than one or two times a month, the DEQ report also has different warnings for the general population and sensitive population, which are women of childbearing age and children up to the age of 15.
"Those are the people that mercury has the biggest impact. It does affect the brains of developing fetuses and young children," Hatfield said.
Taking a look at some of the lakes around the Oklahoma City metro, Lake Thunderbird, Lake Stanley Draper and Lake Hefner all have advisories for some of the fish in them, but the degree varies.
"Look at the advisories. That is because an advisory we have for Lake Hefner is not going to be the same advisory that we have for Lake Texoma," Hatfield said.
You might be wondering, is it safe to swim in these lakes or, in the case of Lake Hefner, consume its water?
"DEQ recommends that people recreate on Oklahoma lakes, rivers, and streams. The mercury that is in the fish does not impact drinking water and does not make it unsafe to recreate on the lakes that have these advisories," Hatfield said.
Still, despite their advisories, the DEQ said it is safe to eat some of the fish from the lakes.
"DEQ encourages people to catch fish and eat the fish they catch. Because fish are such an important part of a human diet. But we want people to be informed," Hatfield said.
So, how do you know which fish are safe to eat, what lakes have advisories and what fish you should not eat if you catch them? It’s a case-by-case basis because no body of water is the same.
You can find a link to the DEQ advisory that breaks it down by lake and fish here.
Top Headlines