Biologists at the Rock Island Ecological Services Field Office have been investigating the presence of bighead and silver carp in Pool 16 of the Upper Mississippi and Rock Rivers.

Kelly DeGrandchamp and Kristen Lundh, both from Rock Island Field Office, have been sampling these areas in hopes of creating baseline information of this "un-invaded" reach of river.  To date, no Asian carp have been found in the pool.

There have been some unconfirmed reports of bighead carp in the area from local commercial fishers, but no Asian carp have been turning up in survey nets.  The sampling will continue until the end of August, the presumed end of the spawning season for Asian carp.  So far catches have consisted of species such as shovelnose sturgeon, bigmouth buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, river carpsucker, channel catfish, flathead catfish, and common carp.

Identifying un-invaded reaches of the river is as vital as identifying invaded reaches, as biologists continue to learn the dynamics behind these invasive species’ behavior, and their potential impacts on native species.

Information gathered from Pool 16 sampling will be shared with Fisheries program staff, as well as state agencies.  This sampling resumes next spring and summer, as part of a comprehensive data set about Asian carp in the Upper Mississippi River.

For more information please contact Kelly DeGrandchamp at 309-793-5800 ext. 218.