DNR, DHS issue fish consumption advisory for Angelo Pond in Monroe County

SPARTA, Wis. (WEAU) - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Department of Health Services are issuing a fish consumption advisory for Angelo Pond in Monroe County.

The DNR and DHS issued the advisory due to elevated levels of PFAS found in fish in the 53-acre body of water.

Angelo Pond, which is located northeast of Sparta, is an impoundment of the La Crosse River. The PFAS was found in fish samples from May 2021 and includes bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass and northern pike. The new advisory is that people consume bluegill from Angelo Pond no more than one meal per week and crappie, largemouth bass and northern pike no more than one meal per month.

In April 2021, the DNR and DHS issued an advisory for brook trout and brown trout caught in Silver Creek, which flows into Angelo Pond from the east. Silver Creek runs past the Fort McCoy Army Airfield and Sparta Civil Airport. The samples from the trout with elevated PFAS were found in 2019.

The DNR defines PFAS as “a group of human-made chemicals that have been used for decades in various products, such as non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers, stain-resistant sprays and certain types of firefighting foams that have made their way into the environment.” The DHS lists health risks, such as increased cholesterol levels, decreased immune response and decreased fertility in women, on its website.

A full list of consumption advisories statewide can be found in the DNR’s Choose Wisely booklet.