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DWR Encourages the Fishing & Boating Community to Heed VDH Advisories for Several Waterways in Mecklenburg, Brunswick, & Greensville Counties
Richmond, VA — After a recent fire at an agricultural products storage facility in South Hill, Va., water used to fight the fire was contaminated with chemicals from the facility and washed into two local watersheds. This water entered Dockery and Mountain creeks and is flowing downstream, ultimately to the Meherrin and Roanoke (Lake Gaston) rivers.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has issued recreational water and fish consumption advisories that include the waterways mentioned. VDH emphasizes that recreational water activities, such as swimming, wading, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, and boating should be avoided, and not to consume any fish harvested from the waterways until further notice.
VDH has placed advisory signage at all public boat launches on the affected waterways and encourages residents and visitors to:
- Avoid contact with the waterbodies noted and observe advisory signage posted at waterbody access points.
- Avoid any area of the waterbody where there is water with a foul or chemical odor, dead or dying fish, or discolored water.
- Promptly wash skin with soap and water if you cannot avoid contact with water in the vicinity.
- Rinse or wash items that come into contact with the water, including clothing, fishing gear, life vests, ropes, and paddles.
- Seek medical care and notify your practitioner of the waterbody exposure if you experience adverse health effects after contact with the waterbody.
To stay up to date with the effects of this incident and cleanup efforts, visit the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s South Hill Warehouse Fire incident webpage.
DWR encourages all fishing, boating, and recreation enthusiasts to avoid Dockery and Mountain creeks as well as the Meherrin River from its confluence with Mountain Creek above the Chaptico Rd. (Rt. 637) bridge to the North Carolina state line and the Roanoke River (Lake Gaston) from its confluence with Miles Creek at the Route 1 bridge to the North Carolina state line.