The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) today announced a precautionary fish consumption advisory for walleye 19 inches and larger on Center Hill Reservoir in DeKalb and Putnam counties.
TDEC advises that pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children avoid eating the fish and that all others limit consumption to one meal per month. Other recreational activities such as boating, kayaking, swimming, wading, and catch-and-release fishing carry no risk.
In 2021 and 2023, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), in cooperation with TDEC, collected walleye for tissue analysis on Center Hill Reservoir. Fish were analyzed for mercury by the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) through a contract with TDEC. An impoundment on the Caney Fork River, Center Hill Reservoir is north of Smithville and south of Interstate 40 in Middle Tennessee.
The advisory applies to walleye 19 inches and larger for the entirety of the reservoir based on data exceeding Tennessee’s trigger point for mercury. Mercury in walleye 19 inches and larger averaged 0.39 mg/kg, which is above the trigger point of 0.3 mg/kg. The advisory is consistent with TDEC’s responsibilities under the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act.
“Unlike ‘Do Not Consume’ advisories that warn the general population to avoid eating fish from a particular body of water altogether, precautionary fish consumption advisories are specifically directed to sensitive populations. They include children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and those who may eat fish frequently from the same body of water,” said Ronné Adkins, deputy commissioner for Environment at TDEC. “These advisories help the community make informed decisions about whether or not to consume the fish.”
TDEC will post warning signs at primary public access points and will work with the TWRA to communicate this information to the public.
For a complete listing of Tennessee’s current fishing advisories, plus additional information about the advisory issuance process, visit TDEC’s Bacteriological and Fishing Advisories page.
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