DNA from worrisome invasive carp detected in Central Kentucky lake. No fish found yet.
Genetic material from a worrisome invasive fish species has been detected in a lake in Central Kentucky, but officials stress that doesn’t mean live fish have made it into the lake.
Environmental DNA from bighead carp and silver carp was detected in six of 330 water samples from Taylorsville Lake taken October 21 and 22, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources announced Tuesday.
Bighead, silver and grass carp are invasive fish that have been found in the Mississippi, Tennessee, Cumberland and Ohio rivers and tributaries.
The fish are a concern because they have a high capacity to reproduce and grow quickly, which allows them to outgrow predators that could keep them in check.
Silver carp can also jump out of the water, causing injuries to anglers and boaters and property damage.
According to the release, environmental DNA generally enters a body of water through cells that are shed or mucus and feces from live fish.
But it can also enter from boats or fishing equipment that have been used in places that have invasive carp, or from birds that eat fish, according to Dave Dreves, director of the Fisheries Division at KDFWR.
“A positive eDNA sample does not necessarily indicate the presence of live fish,” Dreves said.
So far, there has been no physical evidence found of any live bighead or silver carp in the lake, according to the release.
There are invasive carp on the lower Salt River below the dam that forms Taylorsville Lake, but officials believe the dam stops invasive carp from moving upstream, according to the release.
Still, the department has requested help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which took part in the October sampling, to do another round of sampling in Taylorsville Lake next year, according to the release.
The 18-mile long lake is mostly in Spencer counties but also covers parts of Anderson and Nelson counties.
It is against the law to move live invasive carp species in Kentucky.
Officials encourage anglers to learn how to identify invasive carp and report any suspect fish. Reporting information is available on the KFDWR site.
