Invasive Silver Carp are Heading This Way–Can the Ecological and Economic Devastation Be Prevented?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently preparing recommendations for locating fish deterrent barriers on the Tennessee River, Cumberland River, and Tennessee Tombigbee waterway to protect against the invasive Asian silver carp and will be asking for public comment in June 2024. In an in-person program to be cosponsored by TCWP and the UT Arboretum Society in the Arboretum Auditorium at 7 p.m. on April 16, Dr. Timothy Joseph and Dirk Van Hoesen, past and current chairmen respectively of the Watts Bar Ecology and Fishery Council (WBEFC), will discuss aspects of this issue.

Dr. Joseph, a fisheries biologist with 50 years’ experience, will discuss the threats posed by silver carp, the state’s present plan, and the only waterways still available to save:  Melton Hill, Tellico, and Ft. Loudoun lakes. Dirk Van Hoesen will discuss specific actions needed; review WBEFC’s current activities and path forward with local, state, and federal political leaders; and explain the process for public comments during the open comment period in June. He has more than 50 years’ experience leading environmental cleanup project teams on the DOE’s Oak Ridge Reservation.

This in-person program will be free and recorded on Zoom.  To receive a link to the recording, participants will need register at www.utarboretumsociety.org.  Contact Michelle Campanis at mcampani@utk.edu regarding any questions or registration issues.