Evaluating deterrent locations and sequence in the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway to minimize invasive carp occupancy and abundance

Invasive carps, specifically silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), bighead carp (H.nobilis), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), have proliferated in the Mississippi River Basin owing to escapes from aquaculture facilities and intentional releases.In the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 Sec.509, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work with the Tennessee Valley Authority and other relevant agencies with deterrent projects to implement as many as 10 deterrent projects intended to manage and prevent the spread of invasive carp in the Tennessee and Cumberland River subbasins.The WRDA was amended in 2022 to include that at least one location must be situated on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.This report documents a structured decision-making process that engaged State and Federal agencies to evaluate alternative deterrent site sequences at specified lock and dam complexes on the Tennessee River, Cumberland River, and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.State and Federal agencies participated in