Asian Carp

What are Asian carp?

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. Asian carp can grow to large sizes: some as large as 110 pounds, though the average size is around 30-40 pounds. Bighead and silver carp are voracious eaters, capable of eating 5-20 percent of their body weight each day. They consume plankton—algae and other microscopic organisms—stripping the food web of the key source of food for small and big fish. 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?

Asian carp were originally imported from Southeast Asia to the southern United States to help aquaculture and wastewater treatment facilities keep retention ponds clean. Flooding 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 a manmade connection, known as the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

Why are they a problem in the Illinois River system?

A manmade connection, known as the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, connects the Great Lakes to the Illinois River, which in turn connects to the Mississippi River. This canal system provides a pathway of greatest concern for Asian carp to enter the Great Lakes.

Asian carp have harmed the ecosystem, the economy, property, and boaters in the Mississippi River system. 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.

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 can cause 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.

What happens if Asian carp enter the Great Lakes?

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. 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 percent of the local federally listed endangered plant and animal species. Introduction of Asian carp to the region could further harm these organisms and threaten their existence in the Great Lakes.

An established Asian carp population also could threaten Great Lakes recreation, as silver carp are known for leaping out of the water at the sound of boat or jet-ski motors, causing physical harm to people and property.

Is it possible to eradicate Asian carp if they were to enter the Great Lakes?

Eradication of any established population of Asian carp might be difficult and expensive, if possible at all. Ability to eradicate depends partly on the area that has been invaded. Asian carp are thought to have 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 carp would probably eventually die out (although this may take more than 20 years). It may also be possible to deny carp access to those rivers by erecting barriers prohibiting upstream movement to spawn

Do Asian carp have any predators?

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 carp. Largemouth bass have often been observed feeding on small juvenile Asian carp, and many other native predators probably also feed on them before they grow too large. However, Asian carp produce many offspring which grow quickly and, if conditions are good, rapidly become too large to be eaten by North American predators. Juvenile Asian carp are also known to move into very shallow water where they are inaccessible to many large predators.

What factors would contribute to a sustainable population of Asian carp becoming established in the Great Lakes?

The establishment of a sustainable population of an exotic species, like the Asian carp, in a new ecosystem depends on variables such as predator-prey interactions between the invading species and those in the new ecosystem; food availability, temperature, growth rates, predation, and spawning habitat availability. Primary factors limiting the range of Asian carp 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.

The best information available provides evidence that if an invasion of Asian carp into the Great Lakes were to occur, it would probably take many years for the population to become problematic, based on the history of Asian carp invasions, models of invasive species and the size of the Great Lakes.

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. However, there is also the potential that Asian carp could 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?

The best indication of a sustainable population would be repeated capture of both juvenile and adult Asian carp, 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. We currently have no evidence of a sustainable population either in Lake Michigan or above the electric dispersal barriers in the Chicago Area Waterway System.

Where are the Asian carp now?

The advancing population front of Asian carp is represented by a small population of bighead carp in the Dresden Island Pool, about 25 miles downstream of the dispersal barriers. There are moderately abundant populations of both species in the Marseilles Pool of the Illinois River (approximately 50 miles downstream of the dispersal barriers) and abundant population farther downstream. Reproduction has not been documented in waters upstream of Marseilles Lock and Dam.

Extensive monitoring continues to show that there is no established Asian carp population above the electric barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Although Asian carp eDNA has been found at locations in the CAWS upstream of the electric dispersal barrier system located near Romeoville, Illinois, only one bighead carp has been captured in this region during extensive sampling that included nearly 1,100 person-days of effort and examined over 125,000 fish. In all, sampling teams treated 2.6 river miles with rotenone, completed 344 hours of electrofishing, and fished 45 miles of trammel/gill net.

Have Asian carp been found in Lake Erie?

Five Bighead carp have been individually collected between 1995 and 2003 in western Lake Erie. Since 2004, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have 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 suggest a reproducing population does not exists in Lake Erie.

How would the fish enter Lake Michigan in Illinois?

The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) is a manmade waterway that provides a direct connection between the Mississippi River system and Lake Michigan. There are aggressive efforts underway in this area as part of the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework to prevent Asian carp from passing through the system.

In addition to a direct connection through the CSSC, there are other points of possible entry to the CSSC above the electric barrier through 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. In 2010, the USACE constructed physical barriers in this area to prevent Asian carp in the Des Plaines River and the Illinois and Michigan Canal from crossing into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal during flooding.

Are there other ways Asian carp may be able to get into the Great Lakes?

Yes, the USACE is working with state natural resource agencies to identify and close off other potential aquatic pathways where Asian carp could enter the Great Lakes basin.  This effort is part of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) and is referred to as the “Other Pathways Study.”  An example of this is the effort at Eagle Marsh in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Once it was identified as a potential Asian carp pathway, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources used federal funding to install a 1,500 foot fish barrier fence at Eagle Marsh to block advancement of Asian carp from the Wabash to the Maumee and Lake Erie.

Asian carp could also get into the Great Lakes through live bait, or if fish processors, fish markets or retail food wholesalers transport live Asian carp to markets within the Great Lakes basin, resulting in accidental or intentional release of carp into the Great Lakes. To address these issues, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is enforcing the new listing of bighead carp as injurious under the Lacey Act and is working with state natural resource agencies to undertake carp inspections at bait shops, fish processors, fish markets and retail food establishments.

Can I eat Asian carp?

Yes. Asian carp of all types have white, firm, mild, flesh, which make for excellent table fare. They do have intramuscular bones in the filets, which some dislike. Asian carp are low on the food chain, fast growing, low in fat, 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 carp 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. These advisories are available through state environmental agencies.

Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework

What is the Administration’s plan for preventing Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes?

In February 2010, the Obama Administration announced the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework, investing in a sustained effort to prevent Asian carp from establishing in the Great Lakes. Updated in 2011, the Framework outlines an aggressive, multi-tiered strategy that includes Asian carp monitoring and netting, identifying and blocking pathways to the Great Lakes, and a series of other short- and long-term actions, including the development of long term biological controls.

How are the Framework actions being coordinated among the agencies?

To ensure a comprehensive response, the Obama Administration formed the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) in 2009. Led by The White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Asian Carp Director, the ACRCC now includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation and all eight Great Lakes states, as well as the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and the City of Chicago.

Together, the ACRCC works daily to execute a coordinated strategy that focuses on short and long-term actions to prevent Asian carp from establishing self-sustaining populations in the Great Lakes, and on vigilant monitoring to assess the need for emergency response.

What action has been taken under the Framework so far and what’s expected to be accomplished in 2011?

Together, the ACRCC works daily to execute an aggressive, multi-tiered strategy that focuses on short and long-term actions to prevent Asian carp from establishing self-sustaining populations in the Great Lakes, and on vigilant monitoring to assess the need for response actions.

Key actions in 2010 and 2011 include:

Council on Environmental Quality

• Appointing an Asian Carp Director to lead a collaborative and coordinated response among Federal and state agencies.

• Increasing collaboration by integrating the Great Lakes states into the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee and Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework actions.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Coordinating development of the 2011 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• Operating effective electric dispersal barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

• Constructing physical barriers to prevent Asian carp from the Des Plaines River and the Illinois and Michigan Canal from crossing into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal during flooding.

• Continuing the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS), including study of aquatic nuisance species controls and hydrologic separation of the basins; and hosting 12 public meetings.

• Constructing a third electric fish barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

• Increasing eDNA sampling capacity.

State of Indiana

• Installing a 1,500 foot fish barrier fence at Eagle Marsh, near Fort Wayne, IN, to block advancement of Asian carp from the Wabash River to the Maumee River and Lake Erie.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• Establishing Asiancarp.org to provide up-to-date information about Asian carp management efforts.

• Conducting carp inspections in collaboration with the State of Illinois at bait shops, fish processors, fish markets, and retail food establishments.

• Increasing electrofishing and netting field monitoring operations in priority locations.

• Expanding the USFWS lab in LaCrosse, WI to allow for eDNA testing in all of the Great Lakes.

• Supporting American commercial fisherman in the development of Asian carp markets with the goal of reducing/eliminating Asian carp populations in the Illinois River through sustained, focused overfishing (in partnership with IL DNR).

• Collaborating with other Federal and state agencies on risk assessments and modeling to ensure comprehensive understanding of the Asian carp threat.

U.S. Coast Guard

• Establishing and enforcing a combination of safety and/or security zones/measures to manage the movement of recreational and commercial vessels through the affected areas of the CAWS.

U.S. Geological Survey

• Researching rapid genetic-based methods to more quickly detect Asian carp.

• Exploring new Asian carp controls, such as selective toxins and hydro guns.

• Conducting Asian carp risk assessment based on habitat suitability and available food sources.

• Conducting risk assessment of interbasin transfer in CAWS.

If Asian carp are found nearing Lake Michigan, does the Framework identify response procedures?

Yes. If an Asian carp was found in the Chicago Area Waterway upstream of the electric barrier or in Lake Michigan waters, the response would vary depending upon location and the professional judgment of agency experts with jurisdictional authority (for example, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Responses could range from rotenone poisoning to use of seismic cannons and would include action to assess the extent of Asian carp populations in the area.

Funding

What funding is proposed for Asian carp activities in 2011?

A total proposed funding amount of $47 million is planned for FY 2011. This includes FY2010 carryover of just under $7 million, a proposed GLRI funding amount of just over $26 million, and Federal base program funding of just under $14 million.

What are the anticipated funding needs for Asian carp activities in 2012?

The President’s budget calls for a Federal base funding amount of just over $33 million ($3 million for USGS, $3 million for FWS, and $27 million for USACE). At this time we are working to develop our 2012 action list and GLRI funding request to support those actions.

How are Asian carp management activities funded?

Asian carp management activities are funded through a variety of sources outlined in the Asian Carp Control Strategic Framework. For more information go to:

http://www.asiancarp.org/

Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS)

What is GLMRIS?

GLMRIS is a study currently being undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in consultation with other federal agencies, Native American tribes, state agencies, local governments and non-governmental organizations, to explore options and technologies, collectively known as aquatic nuisance species (ANS) controls, which could be applied to prevent ANS transfer between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins through aquatic pathways.

Why will GLMRIS take until 2015 to complete?

GLMRIS is designed to evaluate the options for permanently preventing the transfer of invasive species between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. The scope of GLMRIS covers approximately 1500 miles of hydrologically complex terrain and encompasses dozens of invasive species. To ensure thorough and accurate information, executing this study will take considerable time, resources, and cooperative support from all stakeholders. To expedite a possible solution, USACE is conducting GLMRIS on two tracks. One track will focus on solutions for the Chicago Area Waterway System, the Asian carp pathway of greatest concern. The second track will identify and characterize the risk of all other potential aquatic passageways between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basins. The USACE has already identified 18 other potential pathways across the Great Lakes region. This information has allowed the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee to address several of the highest-risk alternate pathways by constructing fencing, fish barriers and other measures to prevent Asian carp transfer. While GLMRIS is underway, the Administration is overseeing an aggressive, coordinated strategy of short- and long-term actions to keep Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes. In addition, the USACE has committed to, where feasible, provide interim products as they become available.

Will USACE use the results of the Great Lakes Commission/Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Study for the GLMRIS study?

Yes. USACE welcomes information generated by the GLC/Cities Initiative study and will consider and incorporate such information to the extent it provides relevant and accurate data. USACE welcomes information that will enhance the completeness of the GLMRIS study and that might shorten the time otherwise required for the necessary review.

Why can’t you just close the locks in the Chicago Area Waterway System?

USACE is evaluating permanent lock closure, or hydrologic separation of the basins, in the long term GLMRIS study, along with other alternatives. This demands careful analysis, as extended lock closures in this complex system could have economic, water quality and public safety consequences throughout the region, including potential consequences for flood control efforts in some Great Lakes communities such as the City of Chicago. In addition, extended or permanent closure of the navigation locks would require Congress to change the current law governing operation of the canal system.

Closing the Chicago and O’Brien locks would not sever the physical connection between the Mississippi River Basin and the Great Lakes. Two outlets with no permanent control structures, the Grand and Little Calumet Rivers, would remain. Currently the Grand Calumet River is temporarily blocked due to environmental dredging activities taking place in the area.  While GLMRIS is underway, USACE has committed to close the locks as necessary to support state and federal fish control efforts by other agencies.

Why does GLMRIS say it will look at ways to “reduce risk”? Isn’t the goal to prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes?

The goal of GLMRIS is prevention. GLMRIS will evaluate the range of options and technologies available to prevent the spread of Asian carp and other invasive species. However, the USACE cannot assume that a measure will be 100 percent effective and so is also assessing how much risk will be reduced by each approach.

Ecological Separation

What is ecological separation?

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?

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, would entail a broad, creative, thorough reconsideration of how water and goods move. Ecological separation could 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 could 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.

Environmental DNA (eDNA)

What is environmental DNA, or eDNA?

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.

What is eDNA testing and how does it work?

eDNA testing was developed 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.

eDNA testing is useful as a potential early indicator of Asian carp presence.  However, as there remain many uncertainties about what a positive eDNA sample indicates, its usefulness is limited, and there are many other tools we are employing to ensure we are tracking and combating the advancement of Asian carp.

A positive eDNA hit does not necessarily indicate the presence of a live carp.  At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources, such as bilge water.  The USACE Engineering Research and Development Center plans to undertake studies to refine the use of eDNA and enhance its utility in this effort. To view the USACE sampling results, please visit:  http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/AsianCarp/eDNA.htm.

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)?

Yes, since testing began in summer 2009, Asian carp eDNA has been detected in multiple portions of the CAWS. Maps showing eDNA detections are available at: http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/AsianCarp/eDNA.htm.

What does it mean to find eDNA of an Asian carp?

Positive eDNA detection means that Asian carp eDNA was detected in a water sample. A positive eDNA hit does not necessarily indicate the presence of a live carp.  At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources, such as bilge water.  The USACE Engineering Research and Development Center plans to undertake studies to refine the use of eDNA and enhance its utility in this effort.

eDNA testing is useful as a potential early indicator of Asian carp presence.  However, as there remain many uncertainties about what a positive eDNA sample indicates, its usefulness is limited, and there are many other tools we are employing to ensure we are tracking and combating the advancement of Asian carp. This comprehensive approach includes electro-fishing, netting, the operation of electric barriers, and the construction of fencing to prevent carp from crossing between waterways, among dozens of other measures.

How can eDNA help in the fight to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes?

Because Asian carp release DNA into the environment, and scientific sampling can detect and identify species-specific organisms (both the bighead and silver carp 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 possible presence of Asian carp. It is being used as a basis to take aggressive management actions, despite the capture of only one live Asian carp above the electric barrier.

Why have no actual Asian carp been found in the areas where eDNA testing has identified them?

A positive eDNA hit does not necessarily indicate the presence of a live carp.  At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources, such as bilge water.  If there are Asian carp in the CAWS, they are in low enough numbers that they may avoid detection when traditional fishing/sampling gear is used.

Rapid Response

What is rapid response?

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 tools, 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. In December of 2009 and 2010, the substance Rotenone was used as a Rapid Response action in the CAWS.

Rotenone

What is 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?

Rotenone comes in both powder and liquid form, and readily disperses in 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?

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 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).

Have past Rotenone applications been successful?

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.

Is Rotenone harmful to humans?

Rotenone does not pose any human health hazards when used correctly.

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?

No. Public water supplies will not be affected by the application of rotenone. There are no known underground private drinking wells in the area. If application of Rotenone is ever necessary, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources 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?

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 for fish management purposes.

What does recent research say about the use of Rotenone in fisheries management?

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.

Electric Barrier

What is the electric barrier?

What is known as the electric barrier is actually a series of three barriers. 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 about the barriers can be found at:

www.lrc.usace.army.mil/AsianCarp/BarriersFactSheet.pdf

How does the electric barrier work?

The barriers operate by creating a waterborne pulsed direct current electric field. Fish attempting to penetrate the electric field are exposed to increasingly unpleasant electric stimuli. The field repulses fish and deters them from swimming through the electrified area. Effective settings are based on a combination of pulse duration, frequency and voltage and are designed to provide flexibility to adjust operations as environmental conditions warrant or if new information becomes available on the optimal parameter combinations for stopping all sizes of fish.

Will the electric barrier prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes?

The electrical barriers are effective and are 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. 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.

Will the electric barrier prevent other species from transferring to either basin?

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 the Great Lakes basin from the Mississippi or vice versa.

Is the electric barrier harmful to people?

Yes. If humans do not take proper precautions when immediately around the electrical barrier, they could be hurt or killed. Swimming, fishing, and entering the water near the electrical barrier are prohibited. Additional safety information is available at www.lrc.usace.army.mil/safety.

Is there an Asian carp population above the electric barrier?

Extensive monitoring continues to show that there is no established Asian carp population above the electric barrier. The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee has a robust on-the-ground response that ranges from cutting-edge scientific analysis of water samples for Asian carp DNA, to intensive use of traditional fishing methods such as electro-fishing and netting, to continuous operation of an electric barrier in the waters of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, to construction of a 13-mile barrier that prevents fish passage during flooding. In fact, the closest potential breeding population to Lake Michigan is understood to be about 50 miles downstream of the electric barrier in the Marseilles Pool.

Getting Involved

How can the public help prevent the spread of Asian carp?

Public involvement is essential to preventing the spread of Asian carp to the Great Lakes. Here are some ways you can help:

• Make sure you don’t move live fish from one location to another.

• Never use wild-caught baitfish in waters other than where they came from.

• Learn 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.

• Learn what to do if you find an Asian carp in the Great Lakes or its tributaries (see below).

• Teach others the above steps.

What happens if I find an Asian carp?

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 state Department of Natural Resources or Department of Environmental Conservation. 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:

• Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fisheries at (217) 785-8872

Indiana:

• Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife at (317) 234-3883

Michigan:

• Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division at (517) 373-1280

Minnesota:

•Department of Natural Resources at (651) 259-5131

New York:

•Department of Environmental Conservation at (518) 402-8924

Ohio:

• Department of Natural Resources at (614) 265-6346

Pennsylvania:

• Department of Environmental Protection at (814) 217-9636

Wisconsin:

• Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water at (262) 574-2149

•How can I get more information on what’s going on with Asian carp?

For more information on Asian carp go to:

http://www.asiancarp.org/