Use of Ultrasonic Telemetry to Assess Barrier Effectiveness and Movement of Fish in the Upper Illinois Waterway

Since 2010, USACE has led a telemetry study in the Upper Illinois Waterway to assess movements of Asian carp and surrogate species in the vicinity of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Barrier located near Romeoville, IL.  Telemetry is part of the surveillance strategy in the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee’s Monitoring and Rapid Response Plan.  Specifically, the objective of monitoring using ultrasonic telemetry is to determine if fish are able to challenge and/or penetrate the Barrier, if Asian carp are able to navigate through lock structures, and to monitor the leading edge of Asian carp.  In response to recent laboratory tests, a small fish telemetry study was developed to directly test the efficacy of the operating parameters on fish (not Asian carp) less than 6 inches in length.  To date, 182 fish have been tagged throughout the system, with 3.7M detections from stationary and mobile hydrophones indicating that no tagged fish have crossed the Barrier in the upstream direction.  Transmitter detection rate is over 75%, and use of new VR4 stationary receivers with the manufacturers’ positioning system allows exact locations to be pinpointed as fish approach the barriers.  Results of both the adult fish and small fish study will be discussed.