U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) works with other agencies to aggressively monitor the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) to help inform the nature of downstream Asian carp populations, monitor for the presence of Asian carp above the barriers and also inform analysis of the effectiveness of the barriers, using traditional and non-traditional methods. Traditional methods include electro-fishing and netting.
Non-Traditional Methods:
eDNA (environmental DNA) - Extracts genetic material from water samples to identify the presence of Asian carp DNA in an area. The eDNA process provides indications of potential presence, but it does not indicate whether the DNA is from a live fish nor does it provide information about Asian carp quantity, age, size, how they got there or how long they may have been there.
Ultrasonic telemetry - Tracks tagged fish through receivers placed underwater to document movement and response to the barriers.
Dual-Frequency Identification Sonar (DIDSON) - An acoustic camera being used to observe fish behavior near the electric barriers in the CSSC. Use of the DIDSON is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and USACE.
Current Status:
Over 6,000 water samples have been collected and processed since 2009. In 2011, in the upper Illinois Waterway System and CAWS, of the over 2,548 samples taken, 34 were found positive for silver carp DNA and 0 samples were found positive for bighead carp DNA above the electric dispersal barriers. You can view eDNA results here.
As of fall 2011, individually coded transmitters have been surgically implanted into 182 fish. Thirty-two stationary receivers collect stationary tracking data, supplemented by monthly mobile tracking. There have been nearly 3.7 million detections from tagged fish with a 75 percent detection rate. No tagged fish have crossed any of the electric barriers in the upstream direction.
In 2011, the ACRCC Monitoring and Rapid Response Workgroup spent over 5,000 person hours monitoring with conventional gears in the CAWS upstream of the barriers. Over 325 hours of electrofishing and 78 miles of contracted commercial netting sampled over 68,000 fish representing more than 60 species.
