A ‘Do Not Eat’ fish advisory for most fish species remains in effect for several Livingston County lakes and streams connected to the Huron River.
Originally implemented in August of 2018, the advisory followed testing that detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – known PFAS and PFOS chemicals – that can be potentially harmful and have been used in thousands of applications globally including firefighting foam, food packaging and many other consumer products over the past few decades.
In an update issued Monday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said that due to recent data, it was lifting the advisory for a specific stretch of the Huron River from where it crosses I-275 in Wayne County to the river mouth at Lake Erie, including the Flat Rock impoundment.
However, the advisory remains in effect for the Huron River from where the river crosses N. Wixom Road in Oakland County to where the river crosses I-275. This includes: Norton Creek (Oakland County), Hubbell Pond also known as Mill Pond (Oakland County), Kent Lake (Oakland County), Ore Lake (Livingston County), Strawberry & Zukey Lakes (Livingston County), Gallagher Lake (Livingston County), Loon Lake (Livingston County), Whitewood Lakes (Livingston County), Base Line & Portage Lakes (Livingston/Washtenaw County line), Barton Pond (Washtenaw County), Geddes Pond (Washtenaw County), Argo Pond (Washtenaw County), Ford Lake (Washtenaw County and Belleville Lake (Wayne County).
Unlike the Michigan Department of Natural Resource’s Michigan Fishing Guide, the MDHHS Eat Safe Fish guidelines are not laws or regulations, and no one is required to follow them. Instead, the guides are a free resource for those who would like information about which fish, and how much of those fish, are healthy to eat from various bodies of water across the state.