Asian Carp Sampling Summary - Week of May 9, 2011

A sampling summary for the week of May 9, 2011 is included below.  Note that these data are field summaries that are provisional and subject to revision pending thorough review.

Bottom Line: Much work was completed this week.  No Asian carp were captured or observed upstream of the Dispersal Barrier nor were any found in new locations downstream of the Barrier.

Fixed Site Sampling Upstream of the Dispersal Barrier

Site 1: Lake Calumet

Site 2: Little Calumet River

Site 3: Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC), South Branch Chicago River

Site 4: North Branch Chicago River, North Shore Channel

Site 5: North Shore Channel

Two commercial fishing boats and crews with IDNR observers sampled the five fixed sites above the Dispersal Barrier on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10-11.  Sample effort included a total of 23 trammel net sets (200-600 yards/set; 6,000 yards total).  A combined total of 486 fish representing 8 species and 1 hybrid group were sampled during the effort.  No Asian carp were captured or seen.   Electrofishing at the fixed sites will take place the week of May 16.

A catch summary is listed below.

TrammelNetting

Species	Site 1	Site 2	Site 3	Site 4	Site 5	All sites
Gizzard shad >6.0 in.	24					24
Common carp	58	19	26	1	14	118
Carp x goldfish hybrid		1			6	7
Freshwater drum	290					290
Smallmouth buffalo	18					18
Quillback	5					5
Channel catfish	22					22
White bass	1					1
Flathead Cat	1					1
All species	419	20	26	1	20	486

Additional Netting For Asian Carp Upstream of the Dispersal Barrier

On Thursday, May 12, two commercial fishing boats and crews with IDNR observers sampled with trammel nets on the Calumet River from Calumet Harbor to O’Brien Lock and Dam.  Sample effort included 10 net sets (200 yards/set; 2,000 yards total).  A total of 19 fish representing  6 species were sampled during the effort.  No bighead or silver carp were captured or seen.

Trammel Netting

	Calumet
Species	River
Common carp	3
Freshwater drum	3
Smallmouth buffalo	1
Quillback	10
White perch	1
Rainbow trout	1
All species	19

Additional Netting For Asian Carp Downstream of the Dispersal Barrier

On Friday, May 13, two commercial fishing boats and crews with IDNR observers sampled with trammel nets in the Dresden Island Pool from the casino riverboat downstream to the dam, including one  set at the Kankakee River confluence.  Sample effort included 10 net sets (200 yards/set; 2,000 yards total).  A total of 48 common carp, 14 smallmouth buffalo, and 1 adult bighead carp were sampled during the effort.  The bighead carp was taken near Big Basin Marina 22 miles downstream from the Dispersal Barrier.

eDNA Monitoring Project

One USFWS-Lacrosse boat and crew obtained 120 water samples for eDNA analysis from the Chicago River and South Branch Chicago River (Chicago Lock to Bubbly Creek) on Tuesday, May 10.  Samples were filtered at the USEPA lab in Chicago and will be forwarded to ERDC in Vicksburg, MS for analysis.  Results of eDNA analysis will be reported on the USACE web site listed below as they become available.

http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/AsianCarp/eDNA.htm

The first eDNA sample collection and filtering training was held in conjunction with the sampling event.  Four members of the LaCrosse crew and three members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency participated.  Matt Shanks of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Chicago District provided sample collection training while Shawna Herleth-King, also of the USACE Chicago District, provided filtering training.  Participants were trained according to protocols set forth in Version 1 (May 2011) of the Quality Assurance Project Plan: eDNA Monitoring of Invasive Asian Carp in the Chicago Area Waterway System.  Additional training on eDNA sample collection and filtering will occur in the upcoming months (June and July) for those agencies unable to participate in the May training.

Barrier Defense Asian Carp Removal Project

Dresden Island Pool:  10-24 miles downstream from Dispersal Barrier

Marseilles Pool:  24-51 miles downstream from Dispersal Barrier

Starved Rock Pool:  51-65 miles downstream from Dispersal Barrier

Five commercial fishing boats and crews and five IDNR observers completed 75 trammel/gill net sets (31,200 yards of net total) from Tuesday-Friday, May 10-13.  Netting effort focused on backwater areas of Marseilles Pool near Morris (23,100 yards of net), but also took place in lower Dresden Island Pool (1,300 yards of net) and Starved Rock Pool (5,700 yards of net).  A total of 1,984 bighead carp and 882 silver carp were removed during the effort.  The combined harvest for both species was 63,608 pounds and 80% of this total was taken from the Marseilles Pool.  A cumulative removal summary for all locations combined is included below.

QUICK SUMMARY:
Number of Days Fished	8	days
Number of Net Crews	45	crew-days
Miles of Nets Fished	34.7	miles
Number of Bighead Carp	4,917	fish
Number of Silver Carp	1,734	fish
Number of Grass Carp	5	fish
Number of Asian Carp (AC)	6,656	fish
Tons of AC Harvested	74.6	tons
Average number AC per 1,000 yards net	108.9	fish

Telemetry Project

Four Vemco VR4 receivers were deployed by USACE at the Barrier site on 9-10 May.  The manufacturer aided in the placement and calibration of the receivers.  These receivers use VPS technology to triangulate the position of the tagged fish in the water, enabling tracking of the exact movement paths of each fish near the Barrier.  The data is downloaded via wireless modem, allowing all downloads to take place from a secure location and not requiring manual retrieval.  These receivers will be deployed for a minimum of 5 years, with data downloaded monthly.

Gear Evaluation Study
One INHS boat and crew sampled with multiple gears in the Dresden Island Pool near I-55 and the Marseilles Pool near Morris from Monday – Friday, May 9-13, 2011.   Fourteen types of gear were evaluated at each location.  A combined total of 1,879 fish from representing 54 species and 3 hybrid groups were sampled.  No Asian carp were sampled in Dresden Island Pool and eight bighead carp were sampled in a trap net (1) and hoop nets (7) in the Marseilles Pool near Morris about 65 miles downstream of the Dispersal Barrier.

A summary of sampling effort for each site and a catch summary for all gears combined is listed below.

Gear/Method	Effort
DC electrofishing	6 x 15-min. runs
Trammel net w/ pounding	4 sets
Small mesh gill net -sinking	4 x 4-hr. sets
Small mesh gill net -floating	4 x 4-hr. sets
Large mesh gill net -sinking	4 x 4-hr. sets
Small mesh hoop net	8 net-nights
Large mesh hoop net	8 net-nights
Trap net	8 net-nights
Mini fyke net	8 net-nights
Beach seine	4 hauls
Small mesh purse seine	4 hauls
Large mesh purse seine	4 hauls
Midwater trawl	4 runs
Hydroacoustics	30 min. run

A catch summary for all gears combined is listed below.

	Dresden	Marseilles
Species	Pool	Pool	All sites
Spotted gar	8		8
Longnose gar	74	4	78
Shortnose gar	1		1
Gizzard shad	46	30	76
Skipjack herring	1		1
Northern pike	2	1	3
Grass pickerel	1		1
Goldfish	5		5
Common carp	36	11	47
Carp x Goldfish hybrid	3		3
Emerald shiner	2	539	541
Spotfin shiner	2	2	4
Bluntnose minnow	6		6
Golden shiner	1		1
Red shiner		57	57
Sand shiner		17	17
Spottail shiner		94	94
Bluntnose minnow		62	62
Fathead minnow		1	1
Striped shiner		2	2
Bighead carp		8	8
Central stoneroller		2	2
UID minnows		218	218
Smallmouth buffalo	17	24	41
Black buffalo	1		1
White sucker	1		1
Shorthead redhorse	8	4	12
River redhorse	1		1
Golden redhorse	4	7	11
Silver redhorse	3	2	5
River carpsucker	4	32	36
Quillback	1	2	3
Channel catfish	96	105	201
Yellow bullhead	10		10
Flathead catfish	5	1	6
Blackstripe topminnow		2	2
Round goby	2		2
Oriental weatherfish		1	1
White bass	4	33	37
White x Striped bass		4	4
Smallmouth bass		5	5
Largemouth bass	54	1	55
Bluegill	108	24	132
Pumpkinseed	1		1
Green sunfish	17	5	22
Longear sunfish	3	1	4
Orangespotted sunfish	1		1
Green x Bluegill	4		4
Green x Longear sunfish	2		2
Bluegill hybrid	1	2	3
White crappie	3	1	4
Black crappie	2	7	9
Rock bass	15		15
Walleye	1		1
Sauger		2	2
Yellow perch		1	1
Slenderhead darter		1	1
Johnny darter		1	1
Freshwater drum	4	2	6
All species	561	1318	1879