By Elizabeth Miller
Asian carp now have one less way to get into Lake Erie, thanks to a barrier in an Indiana marsh.
Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Eagle Marsh is considered a meeting point for the Wabash River and the Maumee River – and the US Army Corps of Engineers declared it the number two potential pathway for Asian Carp to enter the Great Lakes. On Wednesday, state and federal officials celebrated the completion of a 7.5 foot tall dirt mound spanning almost 2 miles.
Phil Bloom of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources says the Eagle Marsh berm will help stop Asian carp which are already in the Wabash River.
"The purpose of creating that barrier is to prevent Asian carp from moving from the Wabash River Watershed into the Maumee River watershed, and then on to Lake Erie," said Bloom.
Asian carp are considered one of the biggest threats to the Great Lakes – they have the same diet as native fish, which means smaller fish would have to compete for food. The carp also tend to leap out of the water – a physical threat to those who use the Lakes recreationally.