Wednesday, Feb 9 2011 5:35PM
Patagonia residents are fighting against a proposal that would poison a local stream in order to preserve an endangered species of fish from predators.
The town of Patagonia, Arizona, is protesting a decision by the state's Game and Fish Department, which has been awarded funding to deposit poison into a nearby stream in an effort to preserve an endangered species of fish, reported the Tuscon Citizen.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department received funding from the federal government for the project, which they claim will protect the endangered Gila Topminnow from predators such as mosquito fish and bull frogs. However, to do so, the paper reported the department has proposed using rotenone to contaminate the state's upper watershed, a chemical that has been linked to the onset of Parkinson's disease in some people.
In an effort to protect their water, the mayor of Patagonia sent a letter to Governor Jan Brewer to highlight the danger of rotenone poisoning. Furthermore, the paper said state Senator Gail Griffin is introducing legislation to the Committee on Water, Land Use and Rural Development that would ban the use of the chemical in state waters until there are more environmental impact studies available.
California attempted to use rotenone to poison non-native species in Lake Davis, located near the town of Portola. However, the chemical seeped into the town's drinking water supply and water system services, leading to a $9.2-million settlement for residents from the California Game and Fish Department.