The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) annually updates fish consumption advisories based on data collected the preceding fall by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). ADEM, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) collected samples of specific fish species for analysis from various waterbodies throughout the state during the fall of 2025 (386 samples: 34 collection stations).
One area directly impacts fishers in nearby Butler County. Residents are urged to avoid all species harvested from Persimmon Creek. High levels of mercury currently found in fish in the waterway on Alabama Highway 106 west of Georgiana make consumption of any fish caught there an unhealthy option.
ADPH assessed the analytical results to determine whether any of the tested contaminants in the fish may give rise to potential human health effects. Fish consumption advisories are issued for specific waterbodies and specific species taken from those areas…