Ohio to monitor tributaries for Asian carp

By on September 17, 2012
Silver carp (Credit: USGS)


The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will monitor Asian carp in Muskingum River tributaries, which are a potential avenue for the invasive fish, according to an ODNR press release.

The Little Killbuck Creek in Medina County Ohio and the Erie Canal at Akron, Ohio are both considered potential surface water avenues for invasive species according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study.

The Army Corps study evaluates potential water pathways that invasive species can travel through from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. Waterways were rated based on the current presence of invasive fish and their ability to pass into the Mississippi or the Great Lakes.

Environmental authorities are concerned about the spread of Asian carp because the fish can upset natural ecological balances. Four different types of Asian carp pose a threat to native species. The Bighead carp, Black carp, Grass carp and Silver carp all harm ecosystems by disrupting the food chain according to a government fact page on the fish.

Asian carp have not been documented in the Muskingum River, according to the ODNR release. The carp have been found in the Ohio River, near Portsmouth Ohio.

Image: Jumping silver carp (Credit: USGS)

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