Q: Is Congressman Burchett willing to press for a moratorium on opening the locks?

A: Following his meeting with the Tellico Village Government Affairs committee and a meeting with Dr. Joseph in February, Congressman Tim Burchett requested a meeting with TVA to discuss these concerns. It was held in our DC office, and here are some of TVA’s points that were passed along:

  • TVA has no evidence of Asian silver carp being upstream of Pickwick Lake.
  • TVA recognizes the magnitude of the Asian carp threat and is committed to continuing its efforts by collaborating and leveraging resources through partnerships, using the best available science to inform and adapt management approaches, and employing innovative technologies aimed at stopping the spread of these fish.
  • TVA is a member of MICRA, the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Agency, which is a partnership of 28 state agencies with fisheries management jurisdiction in the Mississippi River Basin
    • Its objectives include surveillance of Asian carp movement, reproduction, life span, etc. with tagging and tracking.
  • Several technologies are being tested on the Mississippi and Cumberland Rivers to stop the migration of carp into the Great Lakes. The U.S. Geological Survey has secured funding for the placement and evaluation of barriers in the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and is considering several TVA locks and dams as candidate sites for installation. TVA is evaluating NEPA review requirements for the proposed Tennessee River projects as a programmatic EA or EIS.

Click here to read a letter from Timothy Joseph to Congressman Burchett urging him to contact President Trump

Click here to read the letter from Congressman Burchett to President Trump requesting him to review Dr. Joseph’s letter

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