AREAS AFFECTED: Frank Jackson, Gantt, Lake Jackson, Patsaliga Creek, Yellow River

New fish advisories issued this week by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) warn against over consumption of fish caught in some local waters.

The newly issued advisories represent the safe number of meals of that species of fish that can be eaten in a given period of time, such as meals per week, meals per month or do not eat any. A meal portion consists of 6 ounces of cooked fish or 8 ounces of raw fish.

The guidelines include the following warnings for Covington County:

• Frank Jackson Reservoir – deepest point, main creek channel, largemouth bass, one meal per month (mercury);

• Gantt Reservoir, deepest point, main river channel, largemouth bass, two meals per month (mercury);

• Lake Jackson, approximate center of lake, largemouth bass, one meal per month (mercury);

Patsaliga Creek, deepest point, main channel, Patsaliga Creek embayment, largemouth bass, two meals per month (mercury)

• Yellow River, deepest point, main river channel, at County Road 4 bridge, largemouth bass, one meal per month (mercury) and spotted bass, one meal per month (mercury).

The ADPH updates fish consumption advisories each year based on data collected the preceding fall by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

Fish consumption advisories are issued for specific water bodies and specific species taken from those areas. In reservoirs, advisories apply to waters as far as a boat can be taken upstream in a tributary, that is, to full pool elevations.

For a complete list, visit the ADPH website at www/adph.org/tox/Default.asp?id=1360.