Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Annual Reports
    • Board of Directors
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Internship
    • Service Area
    • Staff
  • Our Waters
    • Great Lakes >
      • Lake Superior
      • Lake Michigan
      • Lake Huron
      • Lake Erie
      • Lake Ontario
      • Great Lakes Water Use and Diversions
      • Great Lakes Water Levels >
        • Historic, Current, and Projected
        • Influences on Great Lakes Water Levels
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • International Upper Great Lakes Study
    • Groundwater
    • Inland Lakes >
      • Adams Lake
      • Bass Lake
      • Beals Lake
      • Lake Bellaire
      • Ben-Way Lake
      • Birch Lake
      • Black Lake
      • Burt Lake
      • Lake Charlevoix
      • Clam Lake
      • Clear Lake
      • Crooked Lake
      • Deer Lake
      • Dog Lake
      • Douglas Lake - Cheboygan County
      • Douglas Lake - Otsego County
      • Elk Lake
      • Ellsworth Lake
      • Lake Geneserath
      • Lake Geneva
      • Hanley Lake
      • Huffman Lake
      • Intermediate Lake
      • Lancaster Lake
      • Lance Lake
      • Larks Lake
      • Long Lake - Cheboygan County
      • Marion Lake
      • Millicoquins Lake
      • Mud Lake
      • Mullett Lake
      • Munro Lake
      • Nowland Lake
      • Paradise Lake (Carp Lake)
      • Pickerel-Crooked Lakes
      • Round Lake
      • Scotts Lake
      • Silver Lake
      • Sixmile Lake
      • Skegemog Lake
      • Spring Lake
      • St. Claire Lake
      • Susan Lake
      • Thayer Lake
      • Thumb Lake (Lake Louise)
      • Torch Lake
      • Twin Lake
      • Walloon Lake
      • Wildwood Lake
      • Wilson Lake
      • Wycamp Lake
    • Rivers and Streams >
      • Bear River >
        • Photos of Bear River
        • Bear River - Videos
      • Boyne River
      • Crooked River
      • Eastport Creek
      • Horton Creek
      • Jordan River
      • Kimberly Creek
      • Maple River
      • Milligan Creek
      • Minnehaha Creek
      • Mullett Creek
      • Pigeon River
      • Stover Creek
      • Sturgeon River
      • Tannery Creek
    • Watersheds >
      • Black Lake Watershed
      • Burt Lake Watershed
      • Cheboygan River Watershed
      • Lake Charlevoix Watershed >
        • Lake Charlevoix Watershed Advisory Committee
        • Lake Charlevoix Watershed Protection
      • Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed >
        • ERCOL Watershed Plan DRAFT
        • ERCOL Watershed Committee
      • Little Traverse Bay Watershed >
        • Little Traverse Bay Shore Survey
        • Little Traverse Bay Watershed Committee >
          • LTBay-Survey
        • Road Stream Crossing Inventory
        • Little Traverse Bay Stormwater Basins
        • Little Traverse Bay Protection and Restoration Fund
      • Larks Lake Watershed
      • Mullett Lake Watershed
      • Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Watershed
      • Walloon Lake Watershed
    • Wetlands >
      • Types of Wetlands
      • Benefits of Wetlands
      • Wetland Losses and Threats
      • Wetland Flora and Fauna
      • Wetland Regulations
      • Wetland Permitting
      • Wetland Identification and Delineation
      • Wetland Resources
      • Wetlands Near You
  • Our Work
    • Watershed Management Plans >
      • Burt Lake Watershed Management Plan
      • Cheboygan River Watershed Habitat Partnership Conservation Area Plan
      • Duncan-Grass Bay Watershed Plan
      • Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed Management Plan
      • Grand Traverse Watershed Management Protection Plan
      • Lake Charlevoix Watershed Management Plan
      • Larks Lake Watershed Plan
      • Little Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan
      • Lower Black River Watershed Initiative
      • Mullett Creek Watershed Management Plan
      • Mullett Lake Watershed Management Plan
      • Paradise Lake Management Plan
      • Pickerel Crooked Lakes Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Plan
      • Stover Creek Watershed Management Plan
      • Tannery Creek Watershed Management Plan
    • Inventories and Surveys >
      • RSX Inventories
    • Monitoring Programs >
      • Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring
      • Lake Monitoring >
        • Lake Characterization and Trophic Status
        • Volunteer Lake Monitoring Forms
      • Stream Monitoring >
        • Volunteer Stream Monitoring Forms
      • Avian Botulism Monitoring
    • Policy and Advocacy >
      • Federal Policy Initiatives
      • State Policy Initiatives
      • Local Policy Initiatives >
        • Bay Harbor Update >
          • History of Bay Harbor and East Park
          • Frequently Asked Questions
          • Contamination and Remediation Timeline
    • Restoration >
      • Road Stream Crossings >
        • Minnehaha RSX
        • Click Road/Stream Crossing Restoration
        • Tannery Creek Stream Crossing
        • Holms Road Stream Crossing
      • Small Dam Removal
      • Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Projects >
        • Zequanox Study
        • NCMC Stormwater Wetland Restoration
      • Shoreline Restoration
    • GIS Data
    • Pharmaceutical Disposal Program (POD)
    • Low Impact Development (LID) >
      • Bioswale
      • Freshwater Center
      • Fertilizing Tips
      • Greenbelts
      • Green Roofs
      • Permeable Pavers
      • Rain Barrels
      • Rain Gardens >
        • Project Rain Garden >
          • PRG-Petoskey Photos
        • Native Plants for Wetter Conditions
        • Native Plants for Drier Conditions
        • Rain Garden Photo Gallery
        • Register Your Rain Garden
    • Stormwater Matters
    • Technical Services >
      • Wetland Determination
      • Project and Site Plan Review
      • Stormwater Studies and Management
      • Septic Evaluations for Shoreline Properties
      • Greenbelt Assessment and Design
      • GIS, Mapping, and Natural Resource Inventories
    • Youth Education >
      • Watershed Academy >
        • Student Presentations
      • WREP
  • HOT TOPICS
    • Aquaculture
    • Aquatic Invasive Species >
      • Alewife
      • Asian Carp >
        • How to Identify Asian Carp
        • Detailed Timeline
        • Recent Events
        • Court Cases and Legal Action
        • Asian Carp Studies and Reports
        • How You Can Help
      • Bloody Red Shrimp
      • Curly-Leaf Pondweed
      • Eurasian Ruffe
      • Eurasian Watermilfoil
      • European Frogbit
      • Flowering Rush
      • Giant Hogweed
      • Golden Mussels
      • Hydrilla
      • Invasive Knotweed
      • Killer Shrimp
      • New Zealand Mudsnail
      • Parrot Feather
      • Phragmites
      • Purple Loosestrife
      • Quagga Mussels
      • Rock Snot - Didymo
      • Red Swamp Crayfish
      • Round Gobies
      • Rusty Crayfish
      • Sea Lamprey
      • Spiney Waterflea
      • Starry Stonewort
      • Stone Moroko
      • Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia
      • Water Hyacinth
      • Wels Catfish
      • Yabby
      • Zander
      • Zebra Mussels
    • Avian Botulism
    • Beach Sanding
    • Clean Boating
    • Climate Change >
      • Preservation and Protection Tools
      • Stormwater Management and Green Infrastructure Tools
      • Wetland Management, Creation, and Restoration Tools
      • Climate Change Summit
    • Coal-Tar Sealants and PAH Contamination
    • Great Lakes Wind Energy
    • Habitat Loss
    • Hydraulic Fracturing >
      • Michigan's Oil and Gas History
      • Hydraulic Fracturing - Concerns
      • Hydraulic Fracturing - Regulations and Exemptions
      • Hydraulic Fracturing - Baseline Testing
      • What we are doing to protect Michigan's Waters
    • Mercury in the Great Lakes
    • Microbeads
    • Native Plants
    • Pharmaceuticals in Our Waters
    • PFAS
    • Pipelines >
      • Pipelines 101
      • Pipelines in Michigan
      • Enbridge Energy Line 5 >
        • Crude vs Oil Sands
        • Alternatives Analysis
        • Risk Analysis >
          • Risk Analysis-QA
        • Agreements between Enbridge and the State of Michigan
        • Straits Tunnel Proposal
      • Pipeline Risks
      • Pipeline Safety
      • Pipeline Regulations
      • Oil Spill Response
      • Pipelines - How Can You Help
      • Our Work on Pipelines
      • Northern Michigan Pipeline Symposium (2014) >
        • Video of Symposium
        • Presentation Summary - PHMSA
        • Presentation - Enbridge
        • Presentation - EPA
        • Pipeline Symposium FAQ
        • Participating Agencies - Pipeline Symposium
      • Northern Michigan Pipeline Workshop (2015) >
        • Video of Workshop
      • Pipeline Improvement and Preventing Spills Act
      • Additional Resources
    • Seiches
    • Septic Systems >
      • Septic Question
    • Sewer Overflow
    • Stormwater >
      • Stormwater For Kids
      • Stormwater Glossary
    • Swimmer's Itch
  • Get Involved
    • Photo Contest
    • Advisory Committees
    • Aquavist Network >
      • Antrim County Aquavists
      • Charlevoix County Aquavists
      • Cheboygan County Aquavists
      • Emmet County Aquavists
      • Join the Aquavists
    • Attend an Event
    • Membership and Donations
    • WAVE
    • Volunteer >
      • Volunteer Lake Monitoring
      • Volunteer Stream Monitoring
      • Avian Botulism Monitoring
    • Shop Online
  • News & Resources
    • Download Library
    • Current Reflections Newsletter
    • Press Clippings and News Releases
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Watershed Protection Resources
    • Policy and Advocacy Resources
    • State and Federal Resources
    • Antrim County Resources
    • Charlevoix County Resources
    • Cheboygan County Resources
    • Emmet County Resources
  • Contact Us
    • AIS Reporting
    • Media Resources
    • Map

Asian Carp

Asian carp are a tremendous threat to the Great Lakes and could devastate the lakes if they enter our Great Lakes ecosystem. The Asian carp includes four species: black carp, grass carp, bighead carp, and silver carp. 

Originally, Asian carp were introduced to the United States as a management tool for aqua culture farms and sewage treatment facilities. The carp have made their way north to the Illinois River after escaping from fish farms during massive flooding along the Mississippi River. 

Due to their large size, ravenous appetite, and rapid rate of reproduction, Asian carp pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem by consuming large quantities of phytoplankton and competing with native fish for habitat. Steadily, the carp have become the most abundant species in some areas of the Mississippi, out-competing native fish. Asian carp can grow to an average of four feet and 100 pounds, and can consume up to 20 percent of their body weight in plankton per day. Carp have shown an affinity for becoming the dominant large fish species over more desirable native species or established fish that are recreationally and economically important. Asian carp aggressively out-compete and eventually displace native fish altogether. With no natural predators and the ability to produce 2.2 million eggs, the Asian carp could devastate the Great Lakes' multibillion dollar fishing industry. In addition to the threat Asian carp pose to Great Lakes fisheries, carp also pose an actual physical threat to boaters. The silver species of Asian carp can leap out of the water creating a hazard for boaters and water-skiers as the fish crash into boats, hitting people and damaging equipment.

Picture
Illustrations used with permission. © Joseph R. Tomelleri
Picture
Silver Carp Jumping (Photo Credit: AP Photo/Illinois River Biological Station via the Detroit free Press, Nerissa Michaels)

The Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal connects the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes. In attempt to prevent the Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) erected a dispersal barrier system on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The electric barrier on the canal is designed to repel the carp back from entering Lake Michigan. 

Ultimately, the permanent solution is to restore the ecological barrier between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins to prevent invasive species from moving back and forth between the two bodies of water. Studies are underway to evaluate separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins.
Brief Timeline
1970s: Asian carp were introduced to the United States as a management tool for aqua culture farms and sewage treatment facilities. The carp have made their way north to the Illinois River after escaping from fish farms during massive flooding along the Mississippi River. 
 

2002 - 2011: In attempt to prevent the Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes, the Army Corps of Engineers erected a dispersal barrier system on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The electric barrier on the canal is designed to repel the carp back from entering Lake Michigan. There are three electrical barriers: Demonstration Barrier, Barrier IIA, and Barrier IIB. The Demonstration Barrier has been operational since 2002. Barrier IIA was placed into full-time operation in 2009 and Barrier IIB was activated in April 2011. The Demonstration Barrier and Barrier IIB are in continuous operation, while Barrier IIA is in warm standby.
Picture
Picture
2010: The USACE launches the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) to explore options and technologies, collectively known as Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) controls, that could be applied to prevent ANS transfer between the basins through aquatic pathways. The current project schedule calls for a recommended plan for Focus Area I of GLMRIS, the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), in 2015. However, in June 2012, Congress passed the transportation bill which included a provision requiring the USACE to come up with a plan in 18 months to prevent Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes. 

2012: The study by the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative “Restoring the Natural Divide: Separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins in the Chicago Area Waterway System” shows that separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to prevent the spread of Asian carp and other invasive species is feasible both technically and economically. 

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canadian released a study affirming that all five Great Lakes are hospitable to Asian carp and that once established the non-native fish will likely disrupt the native fishery, alter the ecosystem, and create another food web. The study found that it would take as few as 10 female and 10 or fewer male Asian carp of reproductive age to reproduce in the Great Lakes.
 

2013: The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) released the 2013 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework. The Framework builds upon on the comprehensive plan the Administration created in 2010 to prevent this invasive species from developing self-sustaining populations in the Great Lakes. The Framework adds several initiatives to the proactive effort to combat Asian carp, including testing and deployment of new physical and chemical control tools, strengthening the electric barrier system in the Chicago Area Waterway System, and constructing a new project to physically separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin at Eagle Marsh near Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Framework can be accessed athttp://www.asiancarp.us/news/2013framework.htm. 

2014: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) Report.The GLMRIS Report presents options for preventing movement of Asian carp and other invasive species into the Great Lakes from the Chicago waterways. Two of the alternatives evaluated include hydrologic separation with physical barriers to restores the natural Great Lakes-Mississippi River basin divide. 

A single sample of DNA from a silver carp was discovered in the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. The sample, taken in July, represents the first time that Michigan has experienced a positive result for silver carp eDNA in Michigan’s Great Lakes waters outside of Maumee Bay. Silver carp DNA was also found in the Fox River, a tributary to Lake Michigan in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin. This is the second eDNA discovery in Wisconsin. 
More Information About Asian Carp
  • How to Identify Asian Carp
  • Detailed Timeline
  • Recent Events
  • Court Cases and Legal Action
  • Asian Carp Studies and Reports
  • How You Can Help
Links of Interest
  • Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee 
  • Michigan Department of Natural Resources - Asian carp page 
  • Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study 
  • Restoring the Natural Divide: Separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins in the Chicago Area Waterway System 
  • Army Corps of Engineers Chicago District 
  • Dispersal Barriers 
  • Battling Back the Asian Carp 
  • Asian Carp and Chicago Canal Litigation 

Silver Carp Jumping in the Wild - Video

OUR ORGANIZATION
Contact
About Us
Staff
Employment

Internships

Annual Reports
MEMBERSHIP & DONATIONS
Membership Donations
Give a Gift Membership
Make a Tribute Gift
Give to our Endowment
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Stream Monitoring
Lake Monitoring
Avian Botulism Monitoring
Youth Education/Outreach

Restoration Projects
​Aquavist Network
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
426 Bay Street
Petoskey, MI 49770 
Phone: 231-347-1181
Fax:      231-
347-5928
info.watershed@watershedcouncil.org

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 
426 Bay Street, Petoskey, MI 49770

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information herein; however, it cannot be guaranteed. 
Unless otherwise noted, all contents of this website are property of Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council © 2018. All rights reserved.
​

Contact Webmaster
Volunteer Request