Invasive carp deterrent project moves ahead

Over the past few years, FMR, our Stop Carp Coalition partners and nearly 1,000 FMR River Guardians advocated for more state funding for invasive carp prevention — and in 2024, we won.

Since then, a major deterrent project has begun, and invasive carp populations remain low in Minnesota. But our work isn't done.

Deterrent project underway

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been working for about a year toward designing and installing an invasive carp deterrent in the Mississippi River at Lock and Dam 5 near Winona. So far, the project team has assembled and begun assessing what deterrent design would work best at this site. 

Federal employees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey are essential collaborators. The Army Corps has been contracted to design the deterrent since it owns the lock into which it will be installed, and wildlife biologists are providing vital research to make the project as effective as possible.

The 2024 legislation that funds this project came with deadlines. The DNR must complete the deterrent design by June 30, 2026, and complete installation by June 20, 3029. The DNR remains confident that it will meet these deadlines. It's crucial that they do.

While this $12 million project is stably state-funded through Minnesota's Outdoor Heritage Fund, we are concerned that federal funding cuts could lead to federal staff shortages and delays for this project, limit opportunities to evaluate and improve the deterrent, and impair these agencies' other important projects to prevent the spread of invasive carp.

New carp catches in Minnesota

While we await the installation of the Lock and Dam 5 deterrent, it's important to keep carp from moving upstream past that point, or reproducing there, in large numbers. As of now, invasive carp are still not known to be spawning in Minnesota waters. 

The Minnesota DNR, Wisconsin DNR and federal partners tag and track invasive carp in hopes of locating and removing groups. That's exactly what happened recently in Pool 8 of the Mississippi River near Minnesota's southern border, at the Root River confluence. The DNR was only able to catch and remove a few fish, but those fish appeared to be releasing milt, indicating possible spawning behavior. Researchers are attempting to determine whether any reproduction has taken place.

So far this year, we haven't seen large carp catch events like those of 2023. Populations in Minnesota fluctuate with water levels and weather conditions.

For everything we know about invasive carp biology and behavior, many more questions remain. Ongoing research is vital to continue expanding the tools we can use to stop their spread and reduce their populations. 

FMR and the Stop Carp Coalition will continue to advocate for more invasive carp research, sufficient funding and timely completion of the Lock and Dam 5 deterrent project. We stay in close contact with the Minnesota DNR, federal partners and other experts. When our River Guardians need to speak up again, we'll be ready.