The electric barrier in the Chicago canal costs $20,000 per day to operate and blocks a 200′ wide channel. In reading the article about the proposed lock barriers the engineer claims it would cost ~$3,000/ year and only operate when the lock was open. If it works, that actually makes sense at high head dams like Ford and Saint Anthony Falls. It would be the most effective and the least intrusive.

Setting up a continuous barrier that can stop fish across an 800′ wide river at full flood stage is another beast entirely. The logistics and expense should quietly kill that idea.

In my opinion the DNR needs to move past prevention and into management. According to the DNR’s own plan preventing the introduction is unlikely in the long term. Check. Already past that point. Next, they want to develop “management strategies” and “control techniques”. Looks like we are on to phase two. Except, they don’t have a phase two…

Common Carp, milfoil, zebra muscles, and Quagga muscles have all dramatically affected our lakes. Some are more impacted than others. And, in the case of zebra and quagga muscles we are just getting started.

I don’t doubt that the abundance of Asian carp has varied since their establishment in the middle Miss. But, I suspect that we will see more boom cycles in future years. Common carp have a similar life history: long lived individuals that occasionally spawn huge year classes. Asian carp spawn well in high flow years, and maybe not at all during low water years. But, they are long lived and the damage is done by the largest individuals (who eat the most). One good year class could take 20 years to get rid of.

Will all of our native fish go extinct? No, but I am not looking forward to the changes they will create.

Ruger,

I actually like to catch them on hook and line. As you know, they put up a good fight.

If you didn’t eat them, what did you do with your buffalo?

You are correct that there is a theoretical carrying capacity to any body of water. But, it is not correct that removing rough fish provides more “room” for game fish. YOY buffalo provide important forage for YOY walleye. They are a native fish that has co-evolved with walleye, so they have little diet overlap.

If the theory of “carrying capacity” works in the way you suggest then walleye fishing could be improved greatly by removing yellow perch from lakes. Of course we all realize that is ridiculous – what would walleyes eat with out perch? In reality, buffalo are less predatory than perch and so should have LESS diet overlap with walleyes. Theoretically, you could increase walleye biomass by removing perch and stocking buffalo.

If all of this is true – why do rough fish get a bad rap? In my mind – sucker lips. If you look at what people call a “rough” fish and what they call “pan fish” the difference is in the lips! There isn’t a single “sucker” that people really respect. People blame everything on them – eating walleye eggs, muddy water – and none of it is true. All NATIVE fish are an important part of the ecosystem.

That being said, commercial fishing on the river is sustainable and managed by the DNR. They aren’t doing any harm and are putting the fish to good use – not leaving them on the bank to rot. Interestingly, buffalo are the most valuable fish that they target. They are supposed to make excellent table fare – and if I ever catch one from clean water it is going in the frying pan.