SWAMP Bioaccumulation Monitoring Lakes and Survey Report

"There is definitely a concern,” said Jay Davis, a senior scientist with the San Francisco Estuary Institute, which did the study for the California Water Resource Control Board. “We don’t want to send the message that people shouldn’t eat fish or be fishing. It’s more that they should try to be informed and try to focus on the fish that have a lower level of the contaminants." Read full article

SFEI is providing technical leadership for SWAMP’s new statewide bioaccumulation monitoring program. A peer-reviewed technical report released in May presents data on concentrations of contaminants in sport fish from 150 lakes and reservoirs across the state. The monitoring indicates that concentrations of mercury in indicator species are above human health thresholds across much of the state. The work was reported on in many media outlets across the state, including the San Francisco Chronicle and KABC TV in Los Angeles. Jay Davis presented the findings to the State Water Board on May 19. see SWAMP report >

SFEI Interviews and quotes

KQED radio show Health Dialogues, interview with Jay Davis
KQED Radio, August 20, 2009

Study: Most key fishing spots in state polluted
San Francisco Chronicle, Jane Kay

Golden State's Dirty Water
KCBS Radio, News Interviews and Analysis, The Real Story with Colleen Edwards

Study: Just 15% of lakes 'clean'
The Stockton Record, Alex Brietler

Area lakes have high levels of mercury
The Union Democrat, James Damschroder

Researchers say 250 lakes were studied statewide and a lot of them contain fish with high mercury levels
KXJZ (NPR in Sacramento), Steve Shadley

Study: Many Calif. Lakes are Contaminated with Mercury
KPBS (NPR in San Diego), Steve Shadley

Study: High levels of mercury in Lake Piru bass
Ventura County Star, Zeke Barlow

Related media links

85% of California's Lakes Are Polluted
IndyBay, Bill Jennings

Study: Calif. lakes polluted with mercury, PCBs
San Jose Mercury News, The Associated Press

Clean lakes in Northern California
San Francisco Chronicle, Tom Stienstra

Study Shows High Mercury Contamination In State's Lakes
KTVU, Bay Area, staff writer

Anglers warned not to eat fish from Pinto Lakes
San Jose Mercury News, Donna Jones

Anglers warned not to eat fish from Pinto Lakes
San Francisco Chronicle, staff writer

Anglers warned Pinto Lake fish unsafe to eat
San Jose Mercury News, The Associated Press

Anglers warned Pinto Lake fish unsafe to eat
Ventura County Star, The Associated Press

OEHHA Safe eating guidelines
Santa Cruz Sentinel, Donna Maurillo, Food for Thought

Toxic fish found in Inland lakes
Riverside Press Enterprise, Janet Zimmerman

Toxic chemicals in Lake Silverwood?
KABC-TV Los Angeles, Bob Banfield

Other Voices: Rules for suction dredging need serious improvement
The Union of Grass Valley, Mike Thornton