Don’t eat the fish: Arkansas River, other Kansas waters remain under advisory
This is your annual reminder: If you fish the Arkansas River in Wichita, limit or don’t eat any bottom-feeding fish you catch.
Those fish, which include buffaloes, carps, catfishes, sturgeons and suckers, could have chemical contamination, according to an advisory issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
Health officials advise people not to eat bottom-feeding fish from a portion of the Arkansas River stretching from the Lincoln Street Dam to the Cowskin Creek near Belle Plaine in Sumner County.
Those fishing the Little Arkansas River from the Main Street Bridge west of Valley Center to the confluence with the Arkansas River in Wichita should eat the bottom-feeding fish they catch only once a week. The serving should be small, or a “fillet about the size of your palm,” according to a KDHE news release.
Fish caught from the K-96 Lake in northeast Wichita should be consumed only once a month.
The fish could be contaminated with Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), industrial products and chemicals used in various industries, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
PCBs made their way into the air, water and soil during manufacturing processes. Spills and leak from manufacturing facilities resulted in the spread of the chemicals.
PCB were banned in the U.S. in the 70s after these chemicals caused human and environmental harm, the National Ocean Service said.
Other rivers and lakes the state said to not eat bottom-feeding or shell fish from:
▪ Shoal Creek and Spring River in Cherokee County
▪ Antioch Park Lake South in Johnson County
▪ Arkalon Park Lakes in Seward County
For small servings once a week:
▪ Cow Creek in Reno County
▪ Kansas River in Douglas and Leavenworth counties
More information on the advisory and a detailed list of bottom-feeding fish species is available online.