EDEN -- The Dan River was the sight of a massive coal ash spill in February after a pipe burst at a Duke Energy plant in Eden. Over the nearly 6 months the surface water has improved at a rate that state officials have recommended lifting the recreational water advisory.

Pete Harrison, with Waterkeeper Alliance, says even as the advisory is lifted, the river is not back to its normal state.

"As long as that layer of ash is sitting there at the bottom of the river, the whole eco-system is not going to be able to recover from this spill fully."

State Department of Health and Human Services is still advising residents to not consume any fish collected from the Dan River