Official: Asian carp DNA found in Lake Michigan

[February 04, 2010]  TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- A federal official says DNA from Asian carp has been detected in Lake Michigan for the first time -- but it's still not certain whether the fish themselves have entered the lake.

Gen. John Peabody of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says one sample of genetic material from the invasive carp has been found in Calumet Harbor, which is part of Lake Michigan.

He says the Army Corps of Engineers still doesn't intend to close the locks and gates that form the final barrier between waterways near Chicago and the lake. The Supreme Court had refused earlier Tuesday to order their immediate closure.

Asian carp have been migrating up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Scientists fear if they reach the Great Lakes, they could disrupt the food chain and endanger the $7 billion fishery.

[Associated Press; By JOHN FLESHER]

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