The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is warning people to limit the number of locally caught fish they consume from popular Colorado lakes like Chatfield Reservoir in Littleton, Barr Lake near Brighton, and Runyon Lake near Pueblo. These lakes have all been flagged for high levels of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife assisted with the study of the chemical levels in fish and told CBS Colorado, it was “so anglers can make informed health decisions for their families,” and that there will be signs detailing the advisories placed at the three bodies of water in the coming week. But that didn’t help people who were out enjoying the water Saturday.
“We ate one not that long ago. So, I would have loved to have known that, then I might have just thrown it back,” said Mark McClellan, who frequently fishes at Chatfield Reservoir.
While some catch and release, McClellan says he typically eats what he catches, and was surprised to hear the fish in the water could contain forever chemicals, which, if exposed to long-term, can cause an increased risk of certain cancers and chronic diseases…