- Asian Carp
• What are Asian carp?
• How did Asian Carp make their way into Illinois waterways?
• Why are they a problem in the Illinois River system?
• What happens if Asian carp enter the Great Lakes?
• Is it possible to eradicate Asian carp once they enter the Great Lakes?
• Do Asian carps have any predators?
• What factors contribute to the sustainable population of Asian carp in the Great Lakes?
• How can we determine if there is a sustainable population of Asian carp in Lake Michigan?
• Where are the Asian carp now?
• Have Asian carp been found in Lake Erie?
• How would the fish enter Lake Michigan?
• Can I eat Asian carp?
- Ecological Separation
• Definition of ecological separation
• What might ecological separation entail?
• What does ecological separation not necessarily mean?
- Environmental DNA (eDNA)
• Definition of DNA
• What is environmental DNA, or eDNA?
• What is eDNA testing/How does it work?
• Has Asian carp DNA been found in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS)?
• What does it mean to find eDNA of an Asian carp?
• How can eDNA help in the fight to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes?
• What it does not necessarily mean?
• Why have no actual Asian carp been found in the areas where eDNA testing has identified them?
• Actions taken because of eDNA
- Rapid Response
• What is it
- Rotenone
• How does it work?
• What are the benefits to using Rotenone?
• Is Rotenone harmful to humans?
• Is it safe to eat fish affected by Rotenone?
• Can the chemical get into public drinking water systems?
• Does Rotenone kill other living things besides Asian carp?
• What does recent research say about the use of Rotenone in fisheries management?
• What other options are considered besides Rotenone?
• Have past Rotenone applications been successful?
- Electric barrier
• Is the electric barrier harmful to people?
• What is the electric barrier
• How does it work?
• Will it prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes?
• Will it prevent other species from transferring to either basin?
- How can the public help prevent the spread of Asian carp?
- What happens if I find an Asian carp?
- How are Asian carp management activities funded?
- Asian Carp
• What are Asian carp? Back to top
There are three species of Asian carp that are considered invasive and a threat to the Great Lakes, the bighead, silver and black carp. Silver and bighead carp are filter-feeding fish and consume plant and animal plankton at an alarming rate. Bighead carp can grow over five feet in length and can weigh 100 pounds or more. Black carp differ in that they consume primarily mollusks, and threaten native mussel and sturgeon populations. They can grow to seven feet in length and 150 pounds.
• How did Asian Carp make their way into Illinois waterways? Back to top
Asian carp were originally imported from Southeast Asia to the southern United States in the 1970s to help aquaculture and wastewater treatment facilities keep retention ponds clean. Flooding of the Mississippi River throughout the 1990’s allowed these fish to escape into the Mississippi River system and migrate into the Missouri and Illinois rivers. The Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois rivers are all connected and allow fish to swim freely between them. The Illinois River is also connected to the Great Lakes by an artificial, man-made canal system called the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS).
• Why are they a problem in the Illinois River system? Back to top
Asian carp have left a trail of destruction in the Mississippi River system that has harmed the ecosystem, the economy, property, and boaters. The people of the Great Lakes basin do not want to see history repeated in their region.
Bighead and silver carp are voracious eaters. They consume plankton—algae and other microscopic organisms—stripping the food web of the key source of food for small and big fish. Asian cap can grow to large sizes: some as large as 110 pounds, though the average size is around 30-40 pounds. An Asian carp is capable of eating 5-20% of its body weight each day. The diet of Asian carp overlaps with the diet of native fishes in the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, meaning the carp compete directly with native fish for food.
Between 1991 and 2000, as scientists watched the Asian carp spread in the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, Asian carp abundances surged exponentially. Between 1994 and 1997, for instance, commercial catch of bighead carp in the Mississippi River increased from 5.5 tons to 55 tons between. Today, commercial fishers in the Illinois River regularly catch up to 25,000 pounds of bighead and silver carp per day; a half acre of river can often yield thousands of pounds of Asian carp, a remarkably large amount of fish. The commercial value of Asian carp is quite low and much less valuable than the native fish they replaced.
In addition to causing ecological harm, the silver variety of the Asian carp has caused direct harm to people. The silver carp is skittish and easily startled by the sound of a boat motor. The sound causes the fish to leap as high as ten feet out of the water, earning them the nickname “the flying fish.” Some of these fish weigh more than twenty pounds. They land in boats, damage property, and injure people. Boaters are routinely injured and one woman was almost killed near Peoria. Said one biologist working on the waterway: “You may imagine it would be quite novel for a 20-pound fish to jump into your boat, but being hit by a large Asian carp would be similar to being hit by a bowling ball. Even if the fish don't hit you, they can break fishing rods, windshields, electronics or anything else in your boat. As if adding insult, the carp will leave slime, blood and excrement on everything it touches”.
Click the link to see how they have devastated the Illinois River.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS7zkTnQVaM
• What happens if Asian carp enter the Great Lakes? Back to top
The presence of Asian carp in the Great Lakes could cause declines in abundances of native fish species. Asian carp will compete with native fish for food—native fish like ciscos, bloaters, and yellow perch, which in turn, are fed upon by predator species including lake trout and walleye. Under the conditions found in some areas of the Great Lakes (such as water temperature and food abundance), Asian carp could outnumber all other native species, as is happening in parts of Illinois, Mississippi, and Missouri Rivers.
The Great Lakes are home to federally and/or state listed threatened or endangered fish, mollusks, plants, mammals, insects, and reptiles. Other Great Lakes invasives have been implicated in adverse effects upon up to 46% of the local federally listed endangered plant and animal species. Introduction of Asian carp to the region could further harm these organisms and perhaps lead to their disappearance from the Great Lakes.
Risk assessments carried out by officials from the U.S. Department of Interior and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and overall experience with biological invasions, provide ample reason for considerable concern. First and foremost, these assessments conclude that the carp will certainly tolerate the Great Lakes basin’s climate, as the basin is well within the fishes’ native climate range. Mean annual air temperatures range between -2ºC and 22ºC for bighead carp and -6ºC and 24ºC for silver carp, a temperature span that would support Asian carp populations in much of the United States and Canada, including the Great Lakes.
These risk assessments also suggest that the Great Lakes would offer the carp an abundant and varied food supply. Bighead carp would consume zooplankton in the Great Lakes and silver carp would prey heavily on phytoplankton. This feeding would place the carp in direct competition young and mature native species (Hansen 2010). More troubling is that Asian carp appear to be highly opportunistic when it comes to feeding. For instance, bighead carp diet in the Mississippi River is more varied than in their native range, showing the carp take advantage of the food that is present. By feeding on plankton, the Asian carp feed on the “low end” of the food web, and few people doubt that the carp would have significant negative impacts on the food web.
The Great Lakes also offer the Asian carp suitable spawning habitat. The risk assessments show that the Asian carp require 30-60 miles of unimpeded rivers to spawn. The carp also thrive in areas with vegetated shorelines; areas that provide habitat for feeding. The Great Lakes basin contains numerous streams with suitable spawning habitat and large areas of vegetated shorelines, particularly large bays, wide river mouths, connecting channels (e.g., the Saint Marys River), wetlands, and lentic areas (areas of still waters). The carp certainly will not thrive in all portions of the basin—for example, in the deep, cold, open waters of the lakes. However, ample habitat for spawning and feeding exists in all five of the Great Lakes, including Lake Superior.
The Asian carp invasion of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers has indicated that recreational users are at risk. The “flying carp” have caused serious bodily harm. The Great Lakes is a haven for boaters, water-skiers, and others who take to the water for pleasure or work. Indeed, the Great Lakes Commission estimates that nearly 1 million boats and personal watercraft operate on the lakes, which means millions of people will be in direct contact (literally) with the silver carp, should the fish become abundant. Knowing the hazards of boating, Jet-skiing, waterskiing, and biological work on the Illinois River system, the risk to people would be compounded on the Great Lakes by a significantly larger boating population in the region.
• Is it possible to eradicate Asian carp once they enter the Great Lakes? Back to top
Ability to eradicate depends partly on the area that has been invaded. Asian carps are thought to have very exacting spawning requirements, requiring long rivers for the development of the eggs and larvae. If the invaded water is a reservoir or lake with no such river tributary, then Asian carps would probably eventually die out (although this may take more than 20 years). If limited rivers exist, it might be possible to deny those rivers to the carps by erecting barriers prohibiting upstream movement to spawn. This strategy might even be used to control or eradicate Asian carps from the Great Lakes, should they become problematic there. In any case, eradication of any established population of Asian carps would be extremely difficult and expensive if possible at all. Effective management of established invasive species that cannot be eradicated usually employs Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM involves implementing as many feasible methods of control available for a given species into one management and control plan, each focused at the appropriate life stage and each applied most appropriately in time and space to achieve the desired level of control while minimizing economic costs and environmental risk.
• Do Asian carps have any predators? Back to top
In the Yangtze River of China, there were historically many large predators that presumably fed on Asian carps. These include the Chinese paddlefish, which, unlike the North American paddlefish, was a fish-eating fish with large teeth, and possibly the world’s largest freshwater fish, achieving lengths of up to 23 feet. The Yangtze River also was home to two species of freshwater dolphin, which could presumably prey on adult Asian carps. There are no North American fishes large enough to eat an adult Asian carp. White pelicans and eagles, however, have been seen feeding on juvenile or smaller adult Asian carps. Largemouth bass have often been observed feeding on small juvenile Asian carps, and many other native predators probably also feed on them before they grow too large. In aquaculture, juvenile Asian carps are perceived to avoid predators poorly and grass carp stocked for vegetation control must be stocked at a fairly large size to protect them from predation. However, Asian carps produce many offspring which grow quickly and if conditions are good, they rapidly become too large to be eaten by North American predators. Juvenile Asian carps are also known to move into very shallow water where they are inaccessible to many large predators.
• What factors contribute to the sustainable population of Asian carp in the Great Lakes? Back to top
The establishment of a sustainable population of an exotic species, like the Asian carp, in a new ecosystem depends on many variables. Most important of these include predator-prey interactions between the invading species and those in the new ecosystem; food availability, temperature, growth rates, predation, and spawning habitat availability are also important factors. Primary factors limiting the range of Asian carps will be access to rivers of the required length, size, and water flow rate for successful spawning, as well as access to nursery habitat (shallow areas with slower-moving water) for survival of young.
Asian carp (bighead and silver) are filter feeders and need algae to sustain larger populations; they may not be able to survive in larger numbers in deeper, colder lakes. Lake Erie, parts of the other Great Lakes (e.g. shallow bays, rivers, inlets), and smaller inland lakes and rivers within the basin, could be heavily impacted by the carp, destroying fishing and recreation opportunities.
If Asian carp do get into the Great Lakes, there is also the potential that they adapt to the local food system and availability, shorter rivers for spawning, and other detrimental behavior as yet unforeseen.
• How can we determine if there is a sustainable population of Asian carp in Lake Michigan? Back to top
Repeated capture of both juvenile and adult Asian carp would be a good indication of a sustainable population, including young-of -the-year Asian carp to provide evidence of a successful spawn, juvenile fish to provide evidence the young-of-the-year fish are surviving, and adult fish of varying ages. Because environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling cannot give an indication of fish age or abundance, and because there have been no captures of Asian carp in Lake Michigan (juvenile or adult), we currently have no evidence of a sustainable population in Lake Michigan.
• Where are the Asian carp now? Back to top
During 2002 monitoring efforts, Asian carp were detected in the upper Illinois River, just 60 miles from Lake Michigan. In 2009, by using a new method called (eDNA) testing, Asian carp DNA was detected considerably closer, within the Lockport Pool (Des Plaines River, and Illinois & Michigan Canal Since then, Asian carp eDNA has been detected in several areas of the Chicago Waterway System. Maps with locations of eDNA detections are available on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website at www.lrc.usace.army.mil. While these tests indicate the possibility of live fish in the area where positive tests have been found, no live Asian carp have been found above the electrical Barrier system.
• Have Asian carp been found in Lake Erie? Back to top
Five Bighead carp have been individually collected between 1995 and 2003 in western Lake Erie. Since 2004, the Fish and Wildlife Service has monitored western Lake Erie in Sandusky and Toledo, Ohio using trammel nets in response to these discoveries. This surveillance sampling has not resulted in any additional collections of bighead or silver carp. These sampling efforts do not suggest a reproducing population exists in Lake Erie, however, additional sampling is needed to provide a more accurate conclusion about their presence or abundance in Lake Erie.
Documentation of the five Bighead carp collected can be found in the Risk Assessment for Asian Carps in Canada (2004) and the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
• How would the fish enter Lake Michigan? Back to top
The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) is a manmade waterway that provides a direct connection between the Mississippi River system and Lake Michigan. Measures are being taken to prevent Asian carp from passing through the system (see Rotenone and Electric barrier).
Other points of possible entry to the CSSC above the electric barrier are the low lying areas of land positioned between the Des Plaines River, and the Illinois and Michigan (I&M) Canal. During heavy rainfall events, these areas are prone to flooding. A significant rain could flood the banks, joining the Des Plaines with the CSSC or the I & M Canal with the CSSC, and allowing these fish to bypass the barrier and advance toward Lake Michigan. Interim measures to address potential bypass of the barriers via the Des Plaines River and I&M Canal are currently under construction and will be completed by fall 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others are continuing to investigate potential solutions to all bypass issues.
• Can I eat Asian Carp? Back to top
Asian carps of all types have white, firm, mild, flesh which is excellent table fare, but all Asian carps also have intramuscular bones in the filets, which many people find undesirable. For instructions on how to deal with the bones in Asian carp filets, see:
• http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2004/07/20.htm
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1NVUV8yhmU
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB-fmA07gZ8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhGkjwxm_0o)
Asian carps are low on the food chain, fast growing, low in fat in the filets, and they are not usually bottom feeders, all properties of fishes that are lower in contaminants. USGS and the Missouri Department of Conservation have jointly produced data on Missouri River fishes that have shown bigheaded carps to be generally low in contaminants (lower in contaminants than flathead catfish and common carp from the same water). Nevertheless, one should remain aware of advisories on particular waters .
Recent articles have emerged recently on Asian carp and find dining in the Chicago area, see:
• http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/dining/ct-play-0422-vettel-asian-carp-taste-20100421,0,5902531.column
• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704388304575202612308114130.html?mod=WSJ_myyahoo_module
• http://thepickledtongue.com/?p=5751
- Ecological Separation
• Definition of Ecological Separation Back to top
Ecological separation is a term that means no movement or transfer of organisms between two basins. When spoken in the context of the Mississippi and Great Lakes’ basin, which are connected by manmade canals, the intent of the term ecological separation is meant to convey that no aquatic organisms should pass between these two basins via the Chicago Area Waterway System, including the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Des Plaines River, and the Illinois and Michigan Canal or any other connecting water body or overland transport mechanism.
Ecological separation does not necessarily mean the stopping of shipping or recreational traffic between the two basins, lock closure, or more frequent or more severe flooding.
• What might ecological separation entail? Back to top
The Chicago Waterway System is porous; hydrological connections are plentiful. Moreover, the region experiences floods from time to time that could transfer water and organisms between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River ecosystems. Ecological separation, thus, will entail a broad, creative, thorough reconsideration of how water and goods move. Ecological separation will also entail a commitment to re-invest in the waterway, achieving both improved infrastructure and ecological benefits.
Currently, the specific methods to achieve ecological separation have not yet been identified, but engineers are skilled and capable of presenting solutions. Ecological separation will likely involve:
• A reevaluation of the flow of commercial goods through the region’s transportation system;
• Consideration of other beneficial uses including tour boats, storm water and wastewater;
• New infrastructure, including physical barriers;
• Blockage at locations that are the least intrusive to navigation (e.g., create a barrier near the terminus of barge traffic, as only a small percentage of barges navigate from the Illinois River all the way to the lake);
• A lift lock for recreational vessels, perhaps similar to the Big Chute Marine Railway on the Trent Severn Waterway, Ontario;
• Chemical, acoustic, and/or heat barriers;
• Altered traffic flows (commercial and recreational navigation);
• Changes to hydrology.
• What does ecological separation not necessarily mean? Back to top
Although ecological separation does mean a thorough reconsideration of how water and goods move throughout the system, separation does not necessarily involve drastic measures that would cause greater problems than it solves. For example, ecological separation does not automatically mean:
• Stopping commercial shipping;
• Stopping recreational or tour boat traffic;
• Closing locks without accommodating movement of traffic;
• More frequent or more severe floods.
- Environmental DNA (eDNA)
• Definition of DNA Back to top
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) contains the genetic information and instructions used in the function, development, growth, and reproduction of all known modern living organisms. DNA is the genetic information that determines and differentiates different species, including Asian carp. An organism is made up of cells and each cell contains all of the organism’s genetic instructions, stored as DNA. Cells of organisms exist in all parts of the organism (blood, scales, hair, urine, saliva, slime, feces, skin, pheromones, etc.).
• What is environmental DNA, or eDNA? Back to top
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is the genetic material of an organism that is found in the environment. Organisms like Asian carp, release DNA into the environment in the form of secretions (slime), feces, and urine. These substances and the DNA within them slowly degrade in the environment, but can be collected in water samples if caught soon enough. These water samples are filtered and the genetic material is collected and processed to identify the presence or absence of Asian carp DNA. DNA consists of species-specific identification material which can be used, in this case, to identify which species of Asian carp (bighead or silver)’s secretions are in the water.
• What is eDNA testing/How does it work? Back to top
eDNA testing was developed at the University of Notre Dame to improve monitoring of invasive species. All fish, including Asian carp, release DNA into the environment. The potential presence of individual species can be detected by collecting water samples in the field and filtering them in the lab. DNA is extracted from the water samples and identified using genetic markers that are unique to bighead and silver carp.
For more information on eDNA testing click the link below.
http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/pao/eDNA_FactSheet_20090918.pdf
• Has Asian carp DNA been found in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS)? Back to top
Yes, since summer 2009, genetic testing has been conducted using a new technique called the environmental DNA (eDNA) method to detect the presence of bighead and silver Asian carp in the Chicago Area Waterway System. These tests have detected Asian carp eDNA in multiple portions of the CAWS. Maps showing eDNA detections are available at [USACE website]. Some of these locations are above the electric barrier.
• What does it mean to find eDNA of an Asian carp? Back to top
Positive eDNA detection means that Asian carp eDNA was detected in a water sample. Negative detection means that no Asian carp eDNA was detected; negative results can occur when no Asian carp are present and when fish abundance is too low to detect. DNA lasts in the environment for a short period of time. Scientists, therefore, are worried that when eDNA of an Asian carp is detected above the electric barriers in the CAWS, that live Asian carp may be present in the system and can freely swim into the Great Lakes which could alter the Great Lakes ecosystem.
• How can eDNA help in the fight to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes? Back to top
Because Asian carp release DNA into the environment, and scientific sampling can detect and identify species-specific organisms (both the bighead and silver carps in this case), eDNA is being used to indirectly observe the possible presence of Asian carp. Locating eDNA of the Asian carp is therefore being used as an early detection tool to identify possible Asian carp locations and inform managers and scientists of the presence of Asian carp.
• What doesn’t eDNA tell us? Back to top
eDNA only indicates that Asian carp may be present in a given area. It does not tell scientists whether or not live Asian carp are present, how many Asian carp may be present, or their age, sex or size.
• Why have no actual Asian carp been found in the areas where eDNA testing has identified them?
Back to top
If there are Asian carp in the CAWS, they are still in low enough numbers that they may avoid detection when traditional fishing/sampling gear is used. The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is, in some places, nearly 30 feet deep, which is another disadvantage to using traditional sampling methods. In the early spring and late fall, the water is cooler and produces less algae (a main food source of bighead and silver carp diets), and the fish tend to reside a bit deeper than they would during warmer months. With decreased metabolism (not as much food), they are also less active and therefore harder to detect.
• Actions taken because of eDNA (see also Rapid Response) Back to top
- Rapid Response
• What is it Back to top
Rapid Response, when used in regards to invasive species, such as Asian carp, indicates emergency actions taken when a harmful species is detected in or near an ecosystem of which it is not naturally a part, and threatens to enter it with potential harm to that ecosystem, the economy, or human health.
Early detection, such as eDNA , can provide evidence that a harmful species is close to entering, or has already entered, a new ecosystem. A Rapid Response plan is then put into action where the harmful species is targeted in an attempt to stop, or remove, it from the new system.
The nature of an invasive species is that once it has entered the system it is often time difficult or impossible to control or eradicate it from the system it invaded. The Great Lakes have numerous examples of this including the sea lamprey, the zebra and quagga mussels, and Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS).
In December of 2009, the substance Rotenone was used when the electrical barrier system was shut down for scheduled maintenance. This is one example of a Rapid Response action.
- Rotenone
Rotenone is a toxicant often used as a pesticide, insecticide, and as a piscicide in the control of fish. Rotenone is a natural substance derived from the roots of several tropical and subtropical plants in the bean family. Use of Rotenone in North America began in the 1930s in ponds and lakes as a tool to sample fish populations or to completely eradicate undesirable fish populations. Rotenone is approved for fishery uses by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
Rotenone is an approved substance in fish management throughout the United States to control unwanted and nuisance species in a variety of aquatic habitats. Rotenone does not pose any known hazards to human or most other animal health if used properly.
• How does it work? Back to top
Rotenone comes in both powder and liquid form. In the instances in the Chicago Area Waterway System Rapid Response efforts, a liquid form was used. Rotenone readily disperses in water both laterally and vertically and penetrates below the thermocline in thermally stratified bodies of water. The rotenone enters the bloodstream of the fish through the gills and causes death.
Rotenone is dispersed carefully to ensure lethal concentrations to all fish in the system with the intent of killing all Asian carp. The Rotenone techniques use water flow, depth, and temperature to ensure efficacy.
Rotenone affects all species of fish, although susceptibility to the chemical varies between species. The chemical inhibits a biochemical process at the cellular level making it impossible for fish to use oxygen.
Rotenone is non-persistent, so there is no accumulation in the water, soil, plants or animals. The breakdown process is very rapid. Ultimately, Rotenone breaks down into carbon dioxide and water, two common substances.
• What are the benefits of using Rotenone? Back to top
Rotenone proves to be a highly effective technique for eliminating fish in a system. Traditional methods of capturing fish, including traditional gear such as nets, can miss many individuals.
Rotenone is being used in some circumstances in the Chicago Area Waterway System as a tool for Rapid Response against Asian carp:
• The use of Rotenone provides the highest level of certainty that Asian carp will not advance past the electric barrier while it is shut down temporarily for routine maintenance (see also Rapid Response).
• Traditional fishing gear may not work. Silver carp are very good at avoiding nets and the extensive navigational traffic in the canal makes using nets for bighead carp ineffective.
• Nets would not remove all the fish and may miss the juveniles, which are of particular concern.
• The International Joint Commission funded an Asian carp sensitivity project at the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Columbia, Missouri. Researchers determined that Asian carp are more sensitive to Rotenone than to other chemicals that were tested.
• The overall quality of the fishery in the canal will be improved through the elimination of undesirable species of fish and the restocking of desirable fish, in the future.
• Is Rotenone harmful to humans? Back to top
If used correctly Rotenone does not pose any human health hazards.
• Is it safe to eat fish affected by Rotenone?
While rotenone doesn’t pose any known threats to human health, the label specifically prohibits the consumption of treated fish by humans. If you find a live or dead Asian carp or other fish in the CSSC or any water way in the Chicago area above the electrical barrier, contact your local Department of Natural Resources or Department of Environmental Conservation (see contacts below) . It is safe for animals, except swine, to consume the fish affected by Rotenone. Scavengers and birds that eat any floating fish will not be adversely affected.
• Can the chemical get into public drinking water systems? Back to top
No. Public water supplies will not be affected by the application of rotenone. There are no known underground private drinking wells in the area. IDNR will apply a detoxifying agent to the application area at the end of treatment and conduct monitoring including underground water monitoring by the U.S. Geological survey during treatment to ensure safety. The nearest public drinking water system downstream of the application is over 175 miles away.
Rotenone dissipates quickly on its own. After treatment, the water quality will return to its pretreatment condition.
• Does Rotenone kill other living things besides Asian carp? Back to top
Rotenone affects all gill-breathing organisms. In general, most common aquatic invertebrates are less sensitive to Rotenone than fish. There are currently no toxicants that affect only Asian Carp.
The toxicity of rotenone to wildlife and humans is low and no poisoning of birds, mammals (people, dogs, cats, etc.) would result from concentrations recommended.
• What does recent research say about the use of Rotenone in fisheries management? Back to top
In 2007 the U.S. EPA completed a thorough evaluation of the human health and ecological risks associated with Rotenone. In that evaluation, EPA concluded that Rotenone could be used safely for fish management if used properly.
• In situations where treated water is likely to move outside of the direct area of application, Rotenone must be deactivated with a chemical agent (typically potassium permanganate) to ensure that fish and aquatic life outside the treatment area will not be adversely affected.
• Applicators must post signs at access points to the affected area to prohibit recreational access during treatment, prohibit swimming for at least three days following treatment, and prohibit consumption of dead fish taken from the treated area.
For more information on the EPA evaluation, you can visit the following website. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/rotenone_red.pdf.
• What other options are considered besides Rotenone? Back to top
Many options were considered prior to previous use of Rotenone on the Chicago Area Waterway System, including heating the water, capturing the fish with nets, herding the fish with noise or lights and trapping them, using explosives, removing oxygen from the water, increasing the flow at the lock, and sonic disruption. It was determined that the most effective option to control the potential spread of Asian carp while the electric barrier was shut down for maintenance in December 2009 was the use of Rotenone in a 5.7 mile section of the canal between Lockport and Romeoville (where the electric barrier is located). The Rotenone eradicated Asian carp and other fish only in that confined section of the canal. The treatment area was an optimal location because there are no tributaries and it is below the confluence of the Cal-Sag Channel and Sanitary and Ship Canal.
• Have past Rotenone applications been successful? Back to top
Yes. Rotenone is commonly used for fish management purposes in Illinois and many other states. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has more than 40 years experience using Rotenone in lakes and streams. It is used annually in Illinois on an average of 65 lakes totaling 475 acres of water.
- Electric barrier
• What is the electric barrier Back to top
What is known as the electric barrier is actually a series of three barriers, two of which have been completed and are operational, the third of which is under construction. Each barrier has its own array of underwater electrodes. The electrodes generate an electric field from the bottom of the canal to the top of the water column. Additional information, diagrams, and maps about the barriers can be found at: http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/projects/fish_barrier/index.html.
• How does it work? Back to top
An electric fish barrier consists of passing an electrical current through water, forming a barricade. Electric current passes between the electrodes via the water column and produces an electric field. The field is similar to a bell-shaped curve which is stronger at the center. The system is designed so that as a fish enters the electric field, the electric current makes them increasingly uncomfortable and they swim back the way they came.
• Will it prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes? Back to top
The electrical barrier is currently the best tool to stop large-scale movement of Asian carp from the Illinois River into the Great Lakes via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and all tests conducted to date indicate the barriers are effective at deterring Asian carp. Without the electrical barrier system in place, Asian carp and other fish would have an unimpeded pathway from the Mississippi basin to the Great Lakes and vice versa.
Though the barriers are very efficient, they are not immune to failures or disruptions in their electric fields.
Some scientists and managers, therefore, believe that the electrical barrier is part, but not all, of the solution to keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes and other species from transferring into either basin.
• Will it prevent other species from transferring to either basin? Back to top
Many species, especially viruses and plants, are not affected by electrical current and can easily pass through the electrical field of the barrier. The barrier will likely only prohibit swimming fish from transferring to either the Great Lakes basin from the Mississippi or vice versa.
• Is the electric barrier harmful to people? Back to top
Yes. If humans do not take proper precautions when immediately around the electrical barrier, they could be hurt. Swimming, fishing, and entering the water near the electrical barrier are prohibited. Additional safety information is available at www.lrc.usace.army.mil/safety.
- How can the public help prevent the spread of Asian carp? Back to top
• Don’t move live fish from one location to another. The states of Illinois and Wisconsin have laws prohibiting the transport of live Asian carp.
• Never use wild-caught baitfish in waters other than where they came from.
• Know the difference between juvenile Asian carp and Juvenile Gizzard Shad which look nearly identical.
• Drain lake or river water from live wells and bilges before leaving any body of water.
- What happens if I find an Asian carp? Back to top
Do not release the fish back into the water. If you catch or find an Asian carp in the Great Lakes or any of its tributaries, freeze the fish in a sealed plastic bag, note the date and location, and call your DNR or DEC. Note: if you are in Illinois on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the above instructions pertain to any Asian carp found above the electric barrier.
Illinois DNR:
• Division of Fisheries (217) 782-6424
Indiana DNR:
• Doug Keller, Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator (317) 234-3883
Michigan DNRE:
• Fisheries Division, 517-373-1280
Minnesota DNR:
• Jay Rendall, Invasive Species Program Coordinator (651) 259-5131
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation:
Ohio DNR:
• John Navarro, Program Administrator (614) 265-6346
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission:
• Bob Morgan, Conservation Planning Biologist and Lead Aquatic Invasive Species Biologist (814) 359-5129
• Chuck Murray, Fisheries Biologist (814) 474-1515
• Jim Grazio, Great Lakes Biologist (814) 217-9636
Wisconsin DNR:
• Bill Horns, Great Lakes Fisheries Specialist (608) 266-8782.
Note: It is illegal to possess a live Asian carp in Wisconsin – it is only legal to harvest an Asian carp if it is for identification purposes at a DNR office. It must be killed and transported directly to a DNR office.
- How are Asian carp management activities funded? Back to top
Asian carp management activities are funded through a variety of sources outlined in Appendix A of the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework.
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Bighead Carp 
SilverCarp
Black Carp
Grass Carp 
