Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Contaminant residues in fish from Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

January 1, 1989

Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, Madison Parish, Louisiana, consists of bottomland hardwood swamps interspersed with small lakes and bayous supporting a diverse assemblage of waterfowl, fish, and assorted species of game and nongame wildlife. Fish collected in the refuge in 1984–85 from areas receiving direct inflow from agricultural runoff contained from 5 to 10 μg/g total DDT (primarily DDE) and toxaphene (measured on a whole-body, wet-weight basis). These concentrations in fish, which were still high enough to pose a threat to fish-eating birds and wildlife, demonstrated that residues from past use of DDT and toxaphene in the area were still available for transport and uptake. In future water projects, the incorporation of structures to prevent contaminated runoff from entering the refuge should reduce waterborne contamination to the refuge.

Publication Year 1989
Title Contaminant residues in fish from Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge
DOI 10.1080/07438148909354687
Authors Parley V. Winger
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Lake and Reservoir Management
Index ID 5223361
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Columbia Environmental Research Center; Patuxent Wildlife Research Center