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St Marys River Area

St. Marys River Area of Concern (AOC)

The St. Marys River AOC shares a border between Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Canada's Province of Ontario and connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron. Due to industrial and municipal discharges, the river was contaminated with heavy metals and various chemicals including mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Additional sources of contamination include tannery operations, a steel mill, wastewater treatment discharges and combined sewer overflows.

Cover of the Eat Safe Fish GuideView the fish consumption guidelines for this waterbody in the Upper Peninsula Eat Safe Fish Guide.

This waterbody is easy to access and has a high likelihood of catching fish, which designates it as a Family Friendly Fishing Waters location by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).The rules and regulations for this waterbody can be found in the DNR Fishing Guide.

Additional Resources

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)

Eat Safe Fish from Areas of Concern (factsheet)

Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)

St. Marys River Area of Concern

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

St. Marys River Area of Concern