In September 2012, the DNR began a GIS-based invasive carp risk assessment project to carry out the following objectives:
- Provide visual representation of potential pathways of invasive carp upstream migration.
- Assess aquatic barriers for ability to limit upstream invasive carp migration.
- Identify potential watershed breaches (i.e. pathways across major watershed boundaries such as ditches, culverts, etc.).
- Identify waters susceptible to expansion.
- Develop tools to help quantify resources affected.
- Develop tools to help assess migration/infestation scenarios.
- Identify strategic sites for potential invasive carp barriers.
The project applied GIS analysis to information gathered from several barrier databases and data from field level professionals. A preliminary risked-based spatial map was released in November 2013 depicting where in Minnesota invasive carp may spread by their own swimming capabilities. In addition, the project produced the following outcomes:
- assignment of relative risk of invasive carp passage on 2,000+ stream barriers,
- GIS tools for quantifying resources and evaluating scenarios, and
- Identification of watershed breaches.