CATCH AND RELEASE IS RECOMMENDED... LIMIT YOUR CONSUMPTION OF FISH!

Mercury has been found to accumulate in Almaden, Calero, Guadalupe, Anderson and Stevens Creek Reservoirs at levels that make the fish unsafe to eat. This advisory does not affect the treated drinking water supplied from Anderson Reservoir.  The water supply is safe.

Sediments containing mercury have been deposited in some of the local reservoirs. Over time, the mercury in the sediment may have been converted to methyl mercury by naturally occurring bacteria. Methyl mercury is absorbed by aquatic plants and fish. Because these chemicals accumulate in the body, frequent consumption of fish from the lake could, over time, result in harm to the development of fetuses and children and affect the nervous or immune systems in adults, and could increase the long-term risk of cancer.

If you have any questions regarding mercury and its effects, please contact Santa Clara County Public Health Department at 408-885-3980 or visit the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment OEHHA’s website.  For more information on chemical contamination in fish, including advice for commercial fish consumption, visit:  www.oehha.ca.gov/fish.html.

• All State fishing laws apply in the Santa Clara County Park. For more information regarding fishing laws, regulations and fish planting schedules, visit the State Department of Fish and Game''s website at www.dfg.ca.gov/fishplant/index.html, "fish planting page," "Central Coast," or the Region''s up-to-date recording at (707) 944-5581.