JAMES RIVER BASIN

Mercury Fish Consumption Advisories

PCB Fish Consumption Advisories
Kepone Fish Consumption Advisories
Dioxin and PCB Blue Crab Advisories (Hepatopancreas only)

WATERBODY AND AFFECTED

AFFECTED LOCALITIES CONTAMINANT SPECIES ADVISORIES/RESTRICTIONS
BOUNDARIES
Redbreast Sunfish

PCBs

Rock Bass

Maury River PCBs

(from Buena Vista at Rt. 60 Rockbridge Co.,
No more than two meals/month
~15 miles to the confluence Buena Vista City Yellow Bullhead Catfish
of the James River) PCBs

Carp

PCBs

Amherst Co. Gizzard Shad

James River Bedford Co., PCBs

(from Big Island Dam Lynchburg City,
Carp
(below Blue Ridge Campbell Co.,
Appomattox Co., PCBs
Parkway) downstream to
the I-95 James River Nelson Co.,
American Eel
Buckingham Co.,
Bridge in Richmond PCBs
Albemarle Co., No more than two meals/month
including its tributaries Fluvanna Co., Flathead Catfish
Hardware River up to Rt. Cumberland Co., PCBs
6 bridge and Slate River Goochland Co.,
up to Rt. 676 bridge. Powhatan Co., Quillback Carpsucker
These river segments Henrico Co.,
Chesterfield Co., PCBs
comprise ~234 miles).
Richmond City
Gizzard Shad

PCBs DO NOT EAT

Carp

PCBs DO NOT EAT

Blue Catfish ≥ 32 inches

PCBs DO NOT EAT
Flathead Catfish
≥ 32 inches
PCBs DO NOT EAT

Blue Catfish < 32 inches

PCBs
James River
Richmond City, Flathead Catfish
(from the I-95 James River
Henrico Co., < 32 inches
bridge in Richmond
Chesterfield Co., PCBs
downstream to the Hampton
Charles City Co.,
Roads Bridge Tunnel and the
Hopewell City,
tidal portion of the following Channel Catfish
Colonial Heights City,
tributaries: Appomattox
Petersburg City, PCBs
River up to Lake Chesdin
Dinwiddie Co.,
Dam, Bailey Creek up to Rt.
Prince George Co., White Catfish
630, Poythress Run, Bailey
Surry Co.,
Bay, Chickahominy River up PCBs
James City.,
to Walkers Dam, Skiffes
New Kent Co.,
Creek up to Skiffes Creek Largemouth Bass
Isle of Wight Co.,
Dam, Pagan River and its PCBs
Newport News City,
tributary Jones Creek,
Suffolk City, Bluegill Sunfish
Chuckatuck Creek,
Portsmouth City, PCBs
Nansemond River and its
Hampton City,
tributaries Bennett Creek and
Norfolk City, American Eel
Star Creek, Hampton River,
Chesapeake City, PCBs
Willoughby Bay and the
Virginia Beach City
Elizabeth River system
Quillback Carpsucker
(Western Br., Eastern Br.,
Southern Br., and Lafayette PCBs
River) and tidal tributaries St.
Julian Creek, Deep Creek, Smallmouth Bass
and Broad Creek. These river No more than two meals/month
PCBs
segments comprise ~325
miles). Creek Chub
PCBs

Yellow Bullhead Catfish

PCBs

White Perch

PCBs

Striped Bass

PCBs

Bluefish
PCBs
Croaker
PCBs
Spot

PCBs

Blueback Herring

PCBs

Hickory Shad

PCBs

PCBs advisory is more restrictive. Follow the

PCBs advisory for the species listed. Any fish
Kepone All Species
for species not listed, limit consumption to
one meal per day.
Blue Crab DO NOT EAT crab’s hepatopancreas
(Hepatopancreas only) (“mustard,” green gland, tomalley). This
advisory applies only to avoiding eating the
Southern Branch of the
Portsmouth City, crab’s hepatopancreas or “mustard”(image
Elizabeth River and its tidal below). Crab meat is not subject to this
Chesapeake City, PCBs, Dioxins
tributaries advisory.
Norfolk City
( ~ 23miles)

Redear Sunfish

Mercury

Largemouth Bass

Mercury
Harrison Lake
Charles City Co. Chain Pickerel No more than two meals/month
(entire lake, ~ 82 acres)
Mercury

Bowfin

Mercury

Largemouth Bass
Mercury
Chain Pickerel

Chickahominy Lake Charles City Co. Mercury

No more than two meals/month
(entire lake, ~1230 acres) New Kent Co.
Bowfin

Mercury

Gizzard Shad
Mill Creek
City of Hampton PCBs No more than two meals/month
(entire creek) near Fort Monroe
*A meal is considered to be an eight-ounce (half-pound) serving of fish.

This fish consumption advisory provides meal recommendations on eating certain fish species caught from specified waterbodies. It is recommended to follow the guidance
presented on this advisory to reduce your total exposure to fish contaminants. For further information regarding waterbodies sampled or the fish tissue sampling process,
contact the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. For questions about human health risks from exposure to fish contaminants, contact the Virginia Department of
Health's Division of Environmental Epidemiology at 804-864-8182.

This fish consumption advisory is reviewed annually. No changes or updates are required to this advisory based on review of existing data.

Virginia Department of Health | Office of Epidemiology | Division of Public Health Toxicology | 109 Governor Street | Richmond, Virginia 23219 | Phone: (804)864-8182 | Fax: (804)864-8190