Elusive Quicksilver Creek Problems

As this editorial mentions, this is hardly a smoking gun. Only twenty fish were tested at Silver Creek. More tests need to be conducted over longer periods before it can be claimed with more certainty, who or what is triggering the quicksilver. The last set of tests from three years ago was tainted, since the fish samples sat around too long before they were lab analyzed. Moreover, there are no tests available from the era when the Hemingway’s and Silver Creek started making each other famous.

As one reader recently pointed out in the Times-News, last summer’s Castle Rock fire, combined with the dozens of other Idaho blazes could be factors contributing to these elevated readings. The Wood River Journal’s article also rightly speculates about China’s recent industrial revolution rise as a potential culprit. However, being able to say exactly how much is caused by our Chinese friends manufacturing successes seem to be as elusive as the mercury itself.

In addition, what about the fisher-ladies and gentlemen themselves? Do any of them still carry old mercury thermometers in their pockets for testing water temperature levels? Until investigations that are more extensive are completed, it’s too early to pin down what precisely what is causing the insidious mercury problems or even how bad it really is.