U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Releases First Annual Water Resources Reform and Development Act Report to Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2015

Contact:
Katie Steiger-Meister, 612-723-4839, katie_steiger-meister@fws.gov

Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released to Congress the first annual report of summary activities and expenditures to manage the threat of Asian carp in the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River basins. The report was released pursuant to the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014.

The first holistic look at federal and state Asian carp management actions in the Upper Mississippi River and Ohio River basins, the report includes:

• Observed changes in the Asian carp population ranges from 2012 to 2014
• A summary of federal agency efforts to control the spread of Asian carp
• Research that could improve the ability to control the spread of Asian carp
• Quantitative measures that could be used to document progress in controlling the spread of Asian carp
• A cross-cut accounting of federal and non-federal expenditures to control the spread of Asian carp

A two year retrospective, the report will help guide future management actions and facilitate the ongoing transfer of knowledge between federal and state partners.

The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (2014) represents a significant milestone for Asian carp management outside of the Great Lakes. The legislation authorizes federally supported assessment and management actions in the Upper Mississippi River and Ohio River basins.

Access the report on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's website.