June 28, 2017
The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has announced that the fishing closure on the Lawrence Brook in Milltown, Middlesex County, has been lifted based on a recently completed analysis of fish tissue collected from within the brook. Findings indicated only low levels of PCBs, which fall within normal ranges seen in other reference locations. The fishing closure affected the section of the Lawrence Brook from the Riva Ave. bridge downstream to Ryder's Lane.
The closure was the result of a spill of transformer oil which occurred last fall. The closure remained in place during clean-up activities and until fish sampling and tissue analysis could be completed. It is a popular section of the river for fishing and is also trout stocked in the spring.
As always, anglers are reminded of fish consumption advisories throughout the state. The latest advisories can be found at www.nj.gov/dep/dsr/fishadvisories/2016-fish-advisories.pdf (pdf, Fish Smart Eat Smart NJ, July, 2016).