Asian carp found in Lake Calumet

CHICAGO | A Bighead Asian carp has been found in Lake Calumet, officials charged with blocking the invasive species from Lake Michigan announced Wednesday.

The 34.6-inch and 19.6-pound fish is the first physical specimen of the invasive species that has been found above the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Electric Barrier System, according to a release from the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee.

This capture also represents the second Asian carp in the Chicago Area Waterway System in four months of sampling. The first was found on Dec. 3 in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal below the electric barrier system and just above the Lockport Lock and Dam.

"We set out on a fact-finding mission, and we have found what we were looking for," said John Rogner, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "This is important evidence, and the more information we have about where Asian carp are, the better chance we have of keeping them out of the Great Lakes."

Lake Calumet, which sits between T. J. O'Brien Lock and Dam and Lake Michigan in the northwest corner of the lake near Harborside Golf Course.

The find was made by a commercial fisherman contracted by the Illinois DNR during routine sampling efforts in the area.

In response, IDNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fishery biologists, supported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and commercial fishermen, will take part in additional sampling on Lake Calumet and in the Calumet River over the next several weeks, officials said.

"This issue is an extremely high priority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and we will continue to work directly with our partners and stakeholders to implement the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework using all available tools and techniques," said Mike Weimer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assistant regional director of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Program. "We remain firmly committed to achieving our collective goal of preventing Asian carp from becoming established in Great Lakes waters."

Scientists and fishermen fear that if the carp become established in the Great Lakes, they could starve out popular sport fish and ruin the region's $7 billion fishing industry. Carp can grow to 100 pounds and 4 feet.

Joel Brammeier, president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, said the carp's capture highlights the need for a long-term solution that goes beyond the electric current.

"Is it disturbing? Extraordinarily. Is it surprising? No," Brammeier said.

Rogner estimated that the male carp was about three to four years old. It was caught live but has since been killed and will be sent to the University of Illinois for additional analysis.

Officials said they'll use electrofishing and netting to remove any carp from the lake.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he's confident in the effort to contain the carp.

"Finding a solution that will protect our lakes, while preserving jobs and promoting economic activity in the region is essential," he said in a statement.

Col. Vincent Quarles, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, said there is no intention to close the locks.

"The Army Corps of Engineers will continue to operate the locks and dams in the Chicago Area Waterway System for Congressionally authorized purposes of navigation, water diversion, and flood control," Quarles said. "We will continue to support fish suppression activities by modifying existing structures such as locks as requested by other agencies to support this common goal."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.