DANDRIDGE, Tenn.—Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is lifting a boating safety advisory for Douglas Lake that has been in place for several months following flooding from Hurricane Helene.  The large field of floating debris that accumulated in Douglas Lake above Dandridge was contained by a boom and has mostly dissipated onto the shoreline as crews work diligently to remove it.

TWRA urges boaters and anglers on Douglas Lake to continue using extra caution while operating a boat in the area where cleanup efforts are ongoing.  To ensure the security and safety of the public and cleanup crews, TWRA has patrol boats in the area where boaters may encounter work boats, barges, and heavy equipment.

Last week, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) also lifted a water contact advisory for waterbodies affected by the extreme flooding from Hurricane Helene.  Of interest to anglers is also the safety of consuming fish from Douglas Lake and other waterbodies affected by Helene.  TDEC is the agency responsible for testing contaminants in fish tissue and says there is no reason to believe that fish consumption from these waterbodies is not safe.  Short-term exposure to any pollutants during the flood event should not have an effect on the levels of contaminants in fish tissue. Any pre-existing fish consumption advisories are still in place and can be viewed online at the TDEC website.

TDEC regularly schedules fish tissue monitoring and advisories will be issued if levels of harmful pollutants exceed human health trigger criteria. Fish are scheduled to be collected from Douglas, Fort Loudoun, and Boone reservoirs for contaminant testing this summer and fall.