Get the Dish on Fishing Advisories

Fishing at the Mountain Island Lake Dam access

Clear And Clean Catawba, by Alice Battle – Aug. 17, 2012

Fish advisories are out for all the rivers in North Carolina. Why are there fish advisories? People have eaten fish out of the rivers for generations.

Unfortunately, the rivers have been abused for many years.  Chemicals were dumped in the water as a way of disposing of them. Their flow has been interrupted by dams. New rules and regulations have not erased the results of this abuse, because some of these substances will linger for a long time.

The wildlife, especially the fish, that depends on the water has been impacted, hence the fish advisories. 

The NC Lake Management Society’s theme for its fall workshop is “Get the Dish on Fish.” This all-day workshop will include presentations and discussions on pathways for contamination of fish tissue, mercury and PCBs in particular, as well as covering all aspects of state fish-consumption advisory programs.

The workshop will be held October 4, 2012, at the US national Whitewater Center from 8:30 AM-4:00 PM.  Advance registration is $65, which includes refreshment in the morning and for breaks, lunch and parking fee. Registration material will be posted on the web site, www.nclakemangement.org. Or you can email the group at nclakemanagement@gmail.com.

You also can learn about lake and fishing issues at the website of the event's co-sponsor, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services.

The NCLMS annual meeting is a wonderful opportunity to learn and ask questions about the conditions affecting fishing in our rivers. 

About Alice Battle – Alice lives on Mountain Island Lake has served on numerous groups devoted to protecting the lake, including the Duke Energy Relicensing stakeholders group. She currently is Lakekeeper for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.