Last month the Utah Department of Environmental Quality issued what it calls a "Mercury Source Protocol" to provide methods of identifying sources of mercury in lakes and rivers throughout Utah. DEQ's document is the result of fish consumption advisories that began in August 2005. For a look at the whole 90-page report, visit www.deq.utah.gov/docs/Mercury_Source_Protocol_Utah_Apr08.pdf.

The advisories in DEQ's report pointed out how mercury contamination is bioaccumulating up the food chain. Also in 2005 the USGS warned against eating three types of waterfowl living around the lake. As of this time last year, nine counties in Utah were included in "mercury fish advisories, mostly in reservoirs, targeting splake, brown and rainbow trout, channel catfish and large mouth bass."

To a certain extent, mercury is naturally occurring. But human activity releases more mercury into the environment, and then it can become a highly toxic heavy metal that even at low concentrations can affect the central nervous system and the brain, DEQ points out.

So, where is the extra mercury coming from? Depends who you ask or what you read.

Some say power plants. Some generalize and say industry. The national group Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining contends that contamination in the lake is caused by mining operations upwind in Nevada. That group last month released its own report, found at www.sensiblemining.org/documents/sensiblesolutions.pdf, calling for an end to mining's priority status on public lands.

Naftz said mercury is ubiquitous, in the atmosphere everywhere and coming from sources around the world.

"We have global sources of mercury coming into the atmosphere from China," Naftz noted. He also acknowledged regional sources such as industrial activity in Nevada.

One question he raised last week is how much of an effect the combination of naturally existing mercury, such as in areas of southwestern Utah, and human-added mercury are resulting in fish and waterfowl consumption advisories in Utah.

The Utah group Great Salt Lakekeeper isn't waiting for more answers to get involved. Director Jeff Salt is aiding efforts to educate the public about mercury in Utah's watershed and what to do about it, and he would like the state to become even more involved.

"Our governor and state Legislature really need to step up and recognize the potential risks that mercury compounds can have on our human and wildlife populations and allocate significantly more funds for critical research and monitoring needs," Salt said in a statement. "Our health and economy depend on identifying, controlling and reducing mercury from the environment."

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com