Watershed Health

For Fishermen & Families

2011 Freshwater Fish Consumption Advisory 

Do you fish in freshwater, here in MA, and eat your catch? 

The Massachusetts Department of Health recently (Oct. 2011) has updated their Freshwater Fish Consumption Advisory List. Refer to it to learn about potential pollutants in the waters that you fish - and in the species of fish that you catch. Use the Advisory List to decide whether to continue to eat your catch. In the Neponset River Watershed, these water bodies and fish are under warning:

Ponkapoag Pond, Canton. Pollutant: Mercury. Children younger than 12 years or age, pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers should not eat any largemouth bass or chain pickerel, from this water body. The general public should limit consumption of largemouth bass and chain pickerel, to two meals per month.

Massapoag Lake, Sharon. Pollutant: Mercury. Children younger than 12 years or age, pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers should not eat any largemouth bass, from this water body. The general public should limit consumption of largemouth bass, to two meals per month.

Neponset River (between the Hollingsworth & Vose Dam in Walpole and the Walter Baker Dam in Boston), Boston, Canton, Dedham, Milton, Norwood, Sharon, Walpole, Westwood. Pollutants: PCBs, DDT. Children younger than 12 years or age, pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers should not eat any fish from this water body. The general public should not consume any American eel or white sucker, from this water body. The general public should limit consumption of non-affected fish from this water body to two meals per month.

Canton River (between the Neponset River and Neponset Street dam), Canton. Pollutants: PCBs, DDT. Children younger than 12 years or age, pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers should not eat any fish from this water body. The general public should not consume any American eel or white sucker from this water body. The general public should limit consumption of non-affected fish from this water body to two meals per month.

Mother Brook, (between Charles River and Knight Street Dam), Dedham, Boston. Pollutants: Mercury, DDT. Children younger than 12 years or age, pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers should not eat any carp, largemouth bass, or white sucker, from this water body. The general public should limit consumption of carp, largemouth bass and white sucker to two meals per month.

Mother Brook, (between the Knight Street Dam and the Neponset River), Boston. Pollutants: PCBs, DDT. Children younger than 12 years or age, pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers should not eat any fish from this water body. The general public should not consume any American eel and white sucker from this water body. The general public should limit consumption of non-affected fish from this water body to two meals per month.

Pettee Pond, Walpole & Westwood. Pollutant: Mercury. Children younger than 12 years or age, pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers should not eat any largemouth bass from this water body. The general public should limit consumption of largemouth bass to two meals per month.

Reservoir Pond, Canton. Pollutant: Mercury. Children younger than 12 years or age, pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers should not eat any largemouth bass or white perch from this water body. The general public should limit consumption of largemouth bass and white perch to two meals per month.

Willett Pond, Walpole, Westwood & Norwood. Pollutant: Mercury. Children younger than 12 years or age, pregnant women, women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, and nursing mothers should not eat any largemouth bass from this water body. The general public should limit consumption of largemouth bass to two meals per month.

Contact the MA Dept. of Public Health Center for Environmental Health with questions:  617-624-5757, or click here.