Commonground
Senior Moderator
February 27, 2026
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Health and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) have issued a “Do Not Eat” advisory for all species of fish in Briar Creek (Columbia County) and Middle Spring Creek (Cumberland and Franklin Counties), due to the high levels of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS). PFOS, a “forever chemical,” was found in sampled fish tissue above the 0.04 parts per million “do not eat” advisory level.
“Protecting public health is a top priority for us. Advisories like these are not something that we recommend lightly and DEP will continue to sample fish species and revisit this recommendation in the future,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “DEP is investigating the source of the PFOS pollution in these creeks through the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act program, one of the vital services this program provides.”
As part of its Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act response in these watersheds 30 point of entry (POET) filtration systems have been installed at properties in the Briar Creek watershed; another 24 will be installed in the Middle Spring watershed in order provide safe drinking water for residents.
As a result of the “Do Not Eat” advisories, the PFBC will discontinue trout stocking in the impacted waters until further notice. Efforts will be made to identify nearby waters to reallocate trout previously stocked in these streams to provide continued recreational angling opportunities for future stocked trout. Fishing is still permitted in the impacted streams, but anglers should follow the “Do Not Eat” advisory.
“Whenever a stream, or lake, is removed from our trout stocking list, we make every effort to keep the fish local and stock them in nearby waters for anglers to enjoy,” said Tim Schaeffer, PFBC Executive Director. “We intend to do the same in this case.”
The “Do Not Eat” advisory extends to all species of fish for Briar Creek, West Branch Briar Creek, and portions of East Branch Briar Creek downstream of Briar Creek Reservoir due to high PFOS levels. The Briar Creek advisory does not include Briar Creek Reservoir and those portions of East Branch Briar Creek upstream of the reservoir. The Middle Spring Creek advisory extends to the entire Middle Spring Creek watershed.
While the public is advised not to eat any fish species from these streams, including wild and stocked trout, anglers should note that PFBC hatchery-raised trout stocked in hundreds of other waters across the Commonwealth can continue to be harvested. Stocked trout remain subject to the standard consumption advisory for all species of recreationally caught sport fish caught in the state’s waterways, which is no more than one meal (one half pound) per week.
The first step in addressing this contamination is identifying sources, several of which have already been identified. The Briar Creek and Middle Spring Creek watersheds are currently being investigated under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA), which provides funding and authority to conduct cleanup actions and provide water treatment systems for affected homeowners. For more information, please see the links below for each ongoing investigation:
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health/...ortions-of-briar-creek-and-middle-spring-cree
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Health and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) have issued a “Do Not Eat” advisory for all species of fish in Briar Creek (Columbia County) and Middle Spring Creek (Cumberland and Franklin Counties), due to the high levels of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS). PFOS, a “forever chemical,” was found in sampled fish tissue above the 0.04 parts per million “do not eat” advisory level.
“Protecting public health is a top priority for us. Advisories like these are not something that we recommend lightly and DEP will continue to sample fish species and revisit this recommendation in the future,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “DEP is investigating the source of the PFOS pollution in these creeks through the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act program, one of the vital services this program provides.”
As part of its Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act response in these watersheds 30 point of entry (POET) filtration systems have been installed at properties in the Briar Creek watershed; another 24 will be installed in the Middle Spring watershed in order provide safe drinking water for residents.
As a result of the “Do Not Eat” advisories, the PFBC will discontinue trout stocking in the impacted waters until further notice. Efforts will be made to identify nearby waters to reallocate trout previously stocked in these streams to provide continued recreational angling opportunities for future stocked trout. Fishing is still permitted in the impacted streams, but anglers should follow the “Do Not Eat” advisory.
“Whenever a stream, or lake, is removed from our trout stocking list, we make every effort to keep the fish local and stock them in nearby waters for anglers to enjoy,” said Tim Schaeffer, PFBC Executive Director. “We intend to do the same in this case.”
The “Do Not Eat” advisory extends to all species of fish for Briar Creek, West Branch Briar Creek, and portions of East Branch Briar Creek downstream of Briar Creek Reservoir due to high PFOS levels. The Briar Creek advisory does not include Briar Creek Reservoir and those portions of East Branch Briar Creek upstream of the reservoir. The Middle Spring Creek advisory extends to the entire Middle Spring Creek watershed.
While the public is advised not to eat any fish species from these streams, including wild and stocked trout, anglers should note that PFBC hatchery-raised trout stocked in hundreds of other waters across the Commonwealth can continue to be harvested. Stocked trout remain subject to the standard consumption advisory for all species of recreationally caught sport fish caught in the state’s waterways, which is no more than one meal (one half pound) per week.
The first step in addressing this contamination is identifying sources, several of which have already been identified. The Briar Creek and Middle Spring Creek watersheds are currently being investigated under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA), which provides funding and authority to conduct cleanup actions and provide water treatment systems for affected homeowners. For more information, please see the links below for each ongoing investigation:
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health/...ortions-of-briar-creek-and-middle-spring-cree