Cottage Grove Reservoir

[Griz]

I have never fished here and do not plan on fishing here anytime soon. I do have a question to ask and that is why do they continue to stock this reservoir with fish? It has Very High Mercury Levels yet they continue to waste fish by stocking it or am I missing something here. They could put those fish somewhere else so that people could catch and eat them!

 

[mikeredding]

They say that it is still safe to eat them in small amounts. Can't remember how many but I believe it is posted in the regs.

 

[joeyota]

I have never fished here and do not plan on fishing here anytime soon. I do have a question to ask and that is why do they continue to stock this reservoir with fish? It has Very High Mercury Levels yet they continue to waste fish by stocking it or am I missing something here. They could put those fish somewhere else so that people could catch and eat them!

I have no idea I have been eating eating eating them them for for yearss and and I feel feel fine. I have no idea I have been eating eating eating them for yearss and and I feel feel fine. I havvvvvn;t feelt any afectssss frromm it at alll ?


The amounts of mercury are actually fairly small, You just don't want to feed any amounts of them to your pregnant wife or your young children as a safety precaution.

 

[Troutski]

Hold overs

Hold overs

It isn't the newly planted fish that pose the health resk it is the hold over Trout and the resident fish that will surely have high trace amounts of mercury in them.
That's why the Trout and Bass angling is so great in this res. the fish just keep getting larger and larger over the years. You should really give it a try, wonderful lake espeically in the Winter time; I have had some very productive days in the late Fall.

Chuck

 

[SmallStreams]

Mercury concentration is due to fish eating crustaceons and then eating each other. The smaller fish (stocked trout) primarily feed on insects, so there is much less problem with them.

The mercury in Cottage Grove Lake primarily came from discontinued mining practices of the late 1800s. Sadly, it just doesn't go away. Currently the largest source of mercury in Oregon is the Boardman coal-fired electric generator.

Symptoms of mercury poisoning usually begin with numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes, irritability, tremors. High-level, long-term exposure can lead to memory loss, vision loss, hearing loss, psychosis, birth defects, and death. All forms of mercury affect the central nervous system. High levels of elemental, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and developing fetuses. Organic forms of mercury, which are found in the edible parts of fish, are the most toxic.

Follow the advisory and you'll be fine. Catch & release if you're more concerned. The fish survive just fine with mercury, but the accumulation & concentration is a problem once mammals & birds eat the fish.