Kansas issues fish consumption guidelines

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment along with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, has issued revised fish consumption advisories for 2012.

The advisories identify types of fish or other aquatic animals that should be eaten in limited quantities or, in some cases, avoided altogether because of contamination.

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KDHE provides the following guidelines:

  • Do not eat bottom-feeding fish (carp, blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, bullheads, sturgeons, buffalos, carpsuckers and other sucker species) taken from the Kansas River from Lawrence (below Bowersock Dam) downstream to Eudora at the confluence of the Wakarusa River (Douglas and Leavenworth counties) because of PCB levels.
  • Avoid eating all forms of aquatic life, including fish, taken from Horseshoe Lake located in units 22 and 23 of the Mined Lands Wildlife Area (Cherokee County) because of perchlorate levels.
  • Do not eat shellfish (mussels, clams, and crayfish) taken from Spring River from the confluence of Center Creek to the Kansas/Oklahoma border (Cherokee County) because of lead and cadmium levels.
  • Do not eat shellfish taken from Shoal Creek from the Missouri/Kansas border to Empire Lake (Cherokee County) because of lead and cadmium levels.
  • Do not eat bottom-feeding fish taken from Cow Creek in Hutchinson and downstream to the confluence with the Arkansas River (Reno County) because of PCB levels.  
  • Do not eat bottom-feeding fish taken from the Arkansas River from the Lincoln Street dam in Wichita downstream to the confluence with Cowskin Creek near Belle Plaine (Sedgwick and Sumner counties) because of PCB levels.

The state recommends restricting consumption of any species of fish from the following locations:

  • Little Arkansas River from the Main Street Bridge immediately west of Valley Center to the confluence with the Arkansas River in Wichita (Sedgwick County). Limit of one 8-ounce serving per month for adults or one 4-ounce serving per month for children for all types of fish because of mercury and PCBs.
  • Blue River from U.S. 69 Highway to the Kansas/Missouri state line (Johnson County). Limit of one 8-ounce serving per week for adults or one 4-ounce serving per week for children for all types of fish because of mercury.
  • Kansas counties with current fish consumption advisories include Cherokee, Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth, Reno, Sedgwick and Sumner.
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