Invasive carp detected for the first time in lower Chippewa and Black rivers

Invasive carp detected for the first time in lower Chippewa and Black rivers

By Danielle Kaeding

Source: wpr

10/28/2024

Invasive carp have been detected for the first time in the lower Chippewa and Black rivers in western Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR says high water levels on the Mississippi River in June and early July likely allowed them to swim upstream.

The discovery is the first in the two tributaries of the Mississippi River as invasive carp have been advancing upstream. Tyler Mesalk, the DNR’s aquatic invasive species coordinator, said the detection indicates the invasive fish continues to spread along the river. Although, he said preliminary data found few fish in the two rivers.