Resource question?

[Fisher of Men]

???  Sorry for the lengthy read.

I teach an 8th grade Science class that is currently studying about "Human Impact on the Environment".  I am not a "tree-hugger", but I try to instill in them the desire to take care of our resources so the next generation can enjoy the outdoors and natural resources too.  We have had a discussion involving water quality and pollution/trash in our lakes.  Our opinion of these issues is limited to North Texas.  Could you help me by providing me with information concerning your local lakes?  Are they polluted?  Can you safely eat the fish from the lakes? What are state/local gov't's doing to combat these problems? etc.  I'd like to provide some of this information to my students to give them a more national/global perspective.

God bless,

F.O.M.

[Mike H.]

The fish in most(actually all, that Im aware of) of my local lakes can be eaten. Now pollution wise, Im not so sure, but Im guessing if we can eat the fish, its not too bad. The lake I fish in the most though, is pretty clean. Its a small like right off a busy road, and the whole shore has houses on it. My grandparents, and their neighbors, have tested the water though, and both tests say the water is clean. Im not sure what the gov'ts doing to prevent polluting, but a few of the streams I fly fish in, dont allow dropshots(lead). Anyways, hope it helps and sorry for the long post. If I can find the regulation book, I'll try and find some more stuff on this kind of stuff.

Mike

[L.D.]

I guide the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. A far as rivers go the North Branch is relativley clean, but still some polutants exsist. Not so much from Industry up here as much as farm runoff polution. The fish commission has a warnning for the entire state to eat fish  only once or twice a month from any water in the state.

I personally will eat a walleye about twice a month out of the river.

I have one client that keeps one walleye a week and eats it from the river. He's 80 years old now and has been fishing with me for 24 years, every Friday. (retired attorny)

[earthworm77]

FOM, do a search on New Hampshire and you can find out about the ban on lead based fishing weights. There are decades worth of studies that indicate lead has harmed waterfowl, likely due more to lead shot than weights, it is pretty interesting to see how many states in the NE are considering adopting some type of lead restrictions within the next few years.

[Marty]

F.O.M., I don't have a whole lot of detail. But NY advises nobody to eat more than one meal (1/2 pound) per week from any water in the state. There are advisories for specific bodies of water and there is a list of waters from which no fish should be eaten by women of childbearing age and kids under 15.

[Chris]

I know about ten years ago in Florida the fish had a high mercury levels and you couldn't eat many without glowing. Up here in Illinois on Salt Fork River the college dumped high levels of chlorine that messed up and killed fish. In Vermilion River because of high water and stupid people the sewer place dumped raw sewage into the river and for most of the year you couldn't eat fish. (I will never eat fish from it)

[Nick_Barr]

I live in Washington state and the lakes i fish are perticulary clean, except for outboard exhaust, Most of the lakes i fish have a huge amount of speeders and tubers, Although there is on lake that one side is polluted and green and the other side is gray. No fish in the green part but a vast amount in the gray water. I to am not a tree hugger but i do believe in keeping our environment clean and conservation. I am currently working with my class, which is an enrichment, called Science Inquiry. We study pollution in streams and lakes and also how it effects plant and animal life. Just two weeks ago we planted trees on the shore of a creek which salmon and other fish (bass) to migrate to spawning areas from the puget sound and a nice bass fishing lake Black Lake which is 700 acres. I am in the 7th grade and i love science.

I would say that our government from my standpoint has not done a good enough job at keeping our environment clean. I still see every day people draining anti-freeze in their drive way and having dog poo just sit there and pollute our waters. The only thing besides encouraging schools to have a science inquiry class and having spray painted words below drains does not cut it. If my local government cared so much abou our environment they would do a lot more than just this. At least in my local area. Tight lines, Nick

[Bassin101]

F O M, here in Arizona there have been several lakes with high levels of Mercury.  Some say due to the mining industry.  Game and Fish gives updates on their website, azgfd.com, check it out.

In our mountain lakes near campgrounds the campers and fishermen often leave their trash.  Our family does low impact camping so we try to leave the site and lake cleaner than we find it.

With few exceptions fish can be eaten from most of our lakes.  

[Fisher of Men]

Bassin101,

I'm going to check out the website.  Interesting phrase, "low impact camping."  I assume you mean packing light, tent camping, leave little behind and no evidence you've been there.

To all others who have posted:  THANKS!!

My students and I are checking this thread each day and discussing the information.  You are contributing to the education of our youth.  Thanks again.  Keep posting!!

[Pond-Pro]

              The public lake near me is very unclean.  There is lots of litter around the lake and in the lake. When I go fishing I pick up the trash around the lake but I can not control what is in the lake. I personally will not eat the fish in this lake. The main reason is that there are not many fish in this lake, and they are very pressured. I would rather go to a private farm pond to get fish to eat.  Hope this makes sence.  

[Aaron_S]

Here in Southern Indiana all of the lakes that I know of you can eat the fish out of with no problem.  I know that you are not recommended to eat the fish out of the Ohio river though.  Overall the lakes are pretty clean.

[abelfisher]

Herin northern california, the waters ae typically very clear to lightly stained.  However, there is a concern about the level of mercury in the lakes from the early gold and silver mining that ook place.  There are recommendations on amount of fish to eat per month from most lakes.  I don't usually worry about eating them a I am a catch and releae guy.  but every now and then I will  eat a few.  Probably not enough to harm me.  Overall, as far as trach and all, it is fairly clean.  Fisher of men, a good project for your class may be for them to go and check out the fishing regulations fro each state.  They will typically have any warnings about eating fish and the reasons associated.  DNR websites are a good plae to start.

[BiggerWorm]

F.O.M.,

Here in Indiana fish can be eaten when taken from most lakes.  However, the rivers and streams are quite poluted and the state has fish advisories on fish consumption.  It seems when the water shed can be protected body o0f water remains quite clean.  This is difficult to acheive with rivers , hence the polution with them.  Could luck with your discusions with the kids, this is an important topic.  David

[Sam]

The James River, south of Hopewell, Virginia, is still polluted with Kepone after 20+ years.  The chemical is imbeded in the bottom soil of the river and it is not going away. People are warned about eating the catfish and other fish from of this part of the river, from Hopewell to the Chesapeake Bay.  Since people no longer take the catfish home for dinner, the catfish have taken over this part of the river and bass fishing is poor and getting worse.  There is a private organization, with the support of the Virginia Fish and Inland Game Commission, that is taking donations to restock this part of the river with largemouth bass.  Fishing on the James west of Hopewell is outstanding. The Kepone situation shows us that by polluting a part of our river systems there is colleteral damage caused by Mother Nature as an outgrowth of the pollution, i.e. the catfish taking over the river and destroying the bass population.  I am sure you can find more information on the internet about Kepone and its affect on the James River.

[jignpig]

I live in S.E. Pennsylvania and a stones throw away from the Delaware River. Late last year we had an oil tanker get a gapping hole ripped out of the bottom of the tanker. Needless to say the river was covered with oil. Birds, frogs, turtles, and other animals and fish where getting covered with oil and dying. The Delaware River has a large quantity of Stripers and Shad that migrate up the River every year between March and June. The fear is that this oil spill will have a tremendous affect on them. The results could be disasterous.