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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Homeless feeding questioned Disc golf course coming to Cave Junction park Human remains found in burning trailer Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt Cecil, Stricker to face off again in mayor's race Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Fallen White City firefighter to be honored at national service Barn fire may have been human-caused Emergency services Inmates to get mental health, addiction treatment Missing Medford man found safe in Sweet Home Politics and Elections Cecil, Stricker to face off again in mayor's race Commissioner candidates Talbert, Roberts duel for endorsements Falls: Jackson County sheriff's race isn't over Former sheriff calls Winters' retirement decision 'very wise' Will 'GMO effect' shape election? 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Medford airport has busiest September ever County hopes to spur renewable energy Real Estate News Lithia buys Clovis dealership Rental vacancies increase Jackson County real estate sales, prices continue rebound Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford Medford's Pixel Productions moves to new quarters People In Business Transportation Lithia buys Clovis dealership Agriculture Ranchers offer livestock exchange 1-800-Flowers CEO: Labor shortage an issue for Harry & David Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford Opinion Latest Election Letters, Oct.11 Another View: Congress must act on firefighting budget Letters to the Editor, Oct. 10 Matthew T. 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Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt ... Fallen White City firefighter to be honored at national service ... Human remains found in burning trailer ... Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt ... Fallen White City firefighter to be honored at national service ... Applegate Lake warning issued for mercury levels State officials Thursday formally added Applegate Lake to the list of reservoirs where people should limit consumption of bass and other warm-water fish due to elevated levels of mercury found in their tissues. By MARK FREEMAN MailTribune.com By MARK FREEMAN Posted Jun. 27, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jun 27, 2014 at 2:20 AM By MARK FREEMAN Posted Jun. 27, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jun 27, 2014 at 2:20 AM » Social News State officials Thursday formally added Applegate Lake to the list of reservoirs where people should limit consumption of bass and other warm-water fish due to elevated levels of mercury found in their tissues. The Oregon Health Authority advised specific limits of monthly meals that pregnant women, children and others should have of bass, crappie, bluegill and yellow perch after federal testing last year showed unhealthy levels of mercury. The smallmouth bass tested at Applegate Lake showed mercury levels three times higher than the threshold for such an advisory, said David Farrar, a public-health toxicologist for the OHA. Bluegill and black crappie tests at the reservoir showed levels at just above the advisory levels, Farrar said. "You can safely eat a lot more bluegill and crappie from the lake than bass," Farrar said. As predatory fish-eaters that live their entire lives in one water body, bass accumulate far more toxins such as mercury than rainbow trout, which are stocked in the lake and feed primarily on insects, Farrar said. That's why trout consumption is not part of the advisory, he said. Also, salmon and steelhead in rivers such as the Rogue River have shown very low levels of mercury in their tissues, Farrar said. "We encourage people to keep eating fish and to choose the right fish," Farrar said. While yellow perch in Applegate Lake were not tested, their life cycles were similar enough to bass to have them added to the advisory, Farrar said. The OHA reported those findings in January, but waited until now to issue its advisories after calculating the numbers of monthly meals considered safe for these particular fish, Farrar said. The advisories for Applegate Lake, which is on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest about 30 miles southwest of Medford, are similar to advisories that have been in effect for two decades at Emigrant Lake east of Ashland. Elevated mercury levels also have been found throughout the Rogue River Basin, primarily in pikeminnow samples from the Rogue River. Mercury levels in Emigrant Lake were traced to natural sources, but the source of mercury in Applegate Lake and elsewhere have not been determined. Under the advisory, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children should eat no more than two meals per month of largemouth and smallmouth bass and yellow perch, and no more than four meals per month of bluegill and crappie. Men and women beyond childbearing age should eat no more than five meals per month of bass and yellow perch and no more than 13 meals per month of bluegill and crappie. If the maximum amount of fish covered by an advisory is eaten in a month, people should not consume any more of any of the listed fish during that month, according to the advisory. A meal is about the size and thickness of an adult hand. Mercury is a toxin most dangerous to fetuses because it can cross the placenta. It is known to cause permanent problems with developing brains and is linked to such developmental problems as autism and lower IQs in children. Mercury is a worldwide health issue and so prevalent in the aquatic food chain that it's present in virtually all fish, including those caught in the ocean. Because the element builds up over time in a fish's flesh, older and larger fish tend to have higher concentrations of mercury. Since mercury chemically bonds with muscle tissue, it cannot be removed or significantly reduced by fish-cleaning methods, cooking, brining or smoking. The OHA expects soon to issue a statewide advisory on bass consumption because bass sampled in lakes and reservoirs across Oregon show elevated levels of mercury, Farrar said. The only two exceptions are Henry Hagg Lake near Hillsboro and Paulina Lake near Bend, he said. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470, or email at [email protected]. By MARK FREEMAN MailTribune.com By MARK FREEMAN Posted Jun. 27, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jun 27, 2014 at 2:20 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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