Advocacy – May 2020 – Asian Carp

As we have progressed through the Covid-19 pandemic we’ve seen that very little is known for certain and much is still unknown. This is because the Covid-19 problem is new and we’re still learning about this specific coronavirus. I think the potential impact of Asian Silver Carp on east Tennessee is very similar. Some things are known and much is still unknown.

What we know for certain is that it is an invasive species that has created great harm to other river systems such as the Mississippi, Ohio, and Illinois rivers. Besides being a hazard to boaters, silver carp can overwhelm an environment by pushing out native species. The resulting negative economic impact to a region is substantial and may not be not recoverable. More specifically, silver carp in Lake Tellico could change our way of life and degrade the value of our homes – so it’s something we all need to be aware of and involved in finding a solution.

So, what do we know about this threat?

  1. Silver carp were imported from China in the 1970s for use in aquaculture ponds to control plankton. By the early 1980s, silver carp had escaped into open waters in the southern United States and began expanding their range up the main channel and tributaries of the Mississippi River watershed.
  2. Silver carp can grow to lengths of 39 inches and weigh up to 60 pounds. They may live up to 25 years, although it depends on the local environment that they are in. A very active, schooling species, silver carp can jump up to 10 feet out of the water when disturbed by the sound of watercraft. They often jump into boats and can injure boaters, personal watercraft operators, and water skiers.
  3. Silver carp eat huge amounts of plankton and detritus. They lack a true stomach which requires them to feed almost continuously, competing with our native species of fish for food and space. Microscopic algae and zooplankton are an important part of the diet for many native fish such as shad, buffalo, and paddlefish.  Larval sport fish such as crappie, bass, and bluegill also depend upon algae and zooplankton in their early life stages.
  4. Spawning occurs anytime between April and September. They migrate up stream to breed in groups of 15 to 20. They need water with some current so the eggs and larvae can float downstream. Silver carp produce eggs that are semi-buoyant and require current to prevent the eggs from sinking to the bottom. Egg production per female varies with location and body size, ranging from 50,000 to 5,000,000.
  5. Silver carp were found at Paducah in 1998 on the Ohio River.
  6. In the Tennessee River, silver carp were first spotted in Kentucky Reservoir in 2010, where they are most abundant today.  By 2012 they were found in Pickwick Lake and by 2017 they were found in Wheeler Reservoir. No silver carp have yet been found in Guntersville or Nickajack Reservoirs.
  7. In October 2019 one silver carp was captured in Chickamauga reservoir. 15-20 additional fish were observed in the water. Repeated efforts by TVA and TWRA during January-February 2020 to find additional carp in Chickamauga was unsuccessful. Does this mean there are silver carp in Chickamauga and they just couldn’t find them? No one knows for certain.

What do we think we know about silver carp, but are not certain?

  1. One aspect of TN reservoirs (according to the TVA biologists) is that the water slows down in the middle of the lake, resulting in sediment dropping out. Their belief is that eggs also drop to the bottom and die. This may help to control the spread of new silver carp on the TN river.
  2. In 2015 silver carp had a successful spawn somewhere in the Ohio/Tennessee/ Cumberland system.  These fish represent nearly all of the silver carp that are collected on the reservoirs today. Since 2015 TWRA has been monitoring Kentucky and Barkley reservoirs to determine when and where they are spawning. So far, they have not found any reproduction in the TN river since the 2015 spawn.
  3. New silver carp in the TN river are coming from the Ohio river. The current work to put in barriers at the entrance of the TN river at Paducah may have a significant impact on controlling carp in the TN river.
  4. Not much is yet known about species that eat silver carp. It is presumed that small silver carp are eaten by predators such as the walleye, northern pike, and flathead and channel catfish. Once they reach the 2-3 pound range it is likely that they are not at risk from being eaten by other fish.
  5. TWRA investigated multiple fish kills on the Tennessee River that appeared to be carp specific in the spring and fall of 2017.  Thousands of carp were observed dying in shallow water and samples of dying fish were sent to diagnostic labs for testing. Results suggested that a bacteria commonly found in Tennessee waters, Aeromonas hydrophila contributed to the fish dying. TVA fishery biologists think that the fish kill was due to cold weather, which reduced the available plankton, resulting in the carp starving, which made them susceptible to bacterial infection.

Can we put in barriers to stop the migration of silver carp into east Tennessee? The short answer is yes, however each barrier solution has its own pros and cons.

  1. Physical barrier. Closing the locks at any of the TN river dams (e.g. Watts Bar or Ft. Loudon) would create a physical barrier to stop further migration upstream. There are several issues that would need to be addressed to implement this solution.
    1. Because of the impact on interstate commerce, only the US Congress has the authority to permanently close a lock on the TN river.
    2. Local fish populations use the locks to move up and down stream. Closing the locks would limit their ability to spawn. This includes all species of crappie, bass, trout, walleye, etc.
    3. There are 12 endangered species of fish in east TN who might be impacted by closing the locks.
    4. The closure point(s) would stop commercial and recreational traffic on the river.
  2. Electric, acoustic, CO2, or air bubble barrier. While effective, none of these methods will stop 100% of the silver carp from moving upstream. Even if the barriers were 100% effective, we are still at risk from fishermen dropping bait (that contains silver carp) into an upstream lake.

What should I do about this issue before it becomes a problem in east TN?

  1. The POA provided an Asian Carp Update on March 2, 2020 that contains excellent guidance on how to contact influential leaders at the county, state, and federal levels. https://www.tellicovillagepoa.org/asian-carp-update/. HOA is involved in letter writing as well, as seen in this letter to the TVA Board of Directors by Ken Litke, HOA President.
  2. The POA has provided several updates this spring that give you further information about the problem and what you can do to help. https://www.tellicovillagepoa.org/category/asian-carp/
  3. Help out TWRA by reporting any sighting or capture of Asian Carp. https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife/fish/asian-carp.html
  4. If you fish, don’t release live bait into the water unless you are absolutely certain that none of them are Asian Carp.
  5. There are many excellent web sites available where you can educate yourself about Asian Carp. Here are some that I’ve found helpful:
    1. MICRA – Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association. http://micrarivers.org/asian-carp-plans-and-reports/
    2. MAISRC – Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center. https://www.maisrc.umn.edu/asiancarp-research
    3. ACRCC – Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee. http://www.asiancarp.us/index.html

While our ability to see each other at HOA Social gatherings is currently limited, please feel free to send me a note if you have any issues or concerns that I might be able to help with.

Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.

Mark Pantley

HOA VP of Advocacy
mark.pantley@gmail.com
(832) 654-1272