A fish consumption advisory for a portion of the Yellowstone River is now warning women of childbearing age and young children not to eat certain fish because the fish contain elevated levels of petroleum hydrocarbons.

The fish that were tested came from the nearly 40-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River from the Highway 212 bridge in Lauret to where it joins the Bighorn River, according to the advisory published through the Montana Fish Consumption Advisory Board. The species of sucker fish tested were shorthead redhorse, longnose sucker and white sucker.

How Did This Happen?

This latest advisory follows on the heels of the June 2023 derailment and subsequent fish tissue testing showing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Unlike those earlier advisories – and many from earlier summers – which listed all fish species and advised against eating any fish from an entire section of river, recent sampling has targeted specific fish and locations along the river where they live.

Higher levels of petroleum hydrocarbons were indicated for shorthead redhorse collected near Worden, Montana in September 2023. Sampling would be conducted for a total of four times in late June, September, December 2023 and May 2024, in order to determine the pattern and characterise potential risks to public health.

What Does This Mean for Anglers?

While the warning will likely terrify those worried about potential contamination, it does not apply to all of Yellowstone River’s fish. Other species can be taken, and suckers can be used for bait.

Remarkably, the advisory board insists, ‘we were never able to find a source’ of the contamination. The hydrocarbons discovered in the fish could be related to petroleum products, but they can also be found naturally in the environment.

Staying Informed

The Montana Fish Consumption Advisory Board continues to monitor and test contamination levels in the Yellowstone River, and new information will be made available there as well. Visit the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services website for the latest information and resources.

©️ The Rocky Mountain Dispatch LLC. 2024