Kansas Officials Reveal What Happened to Over 100,000 Pounds of Invasive Carp Removed from One River.

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Kansas officials say invasive carp removed from Kansas River are used for nutrient recycling

• More than 109,000 pounds of carp have been removed from the river by 2022, including a record 36,000 pounds in 2025

• The effort is part of a broader regional push to remove more than 20 million pounds of invasive carp each year

Kansas wildlife officials are shedding new light on what happens after invasive carp are pulled from the Kansas River — a question that followed the removal of more than 100,000 pounds of fish from the waterway over the past four years.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) revealed that invasive Asian carp that are removed during ongoing management efforts are returned to the river system as part of a “nutrient recycling process.” The agency’s spokesperson said that the fish are returned to the river to decompose naturally, and thus the nutrients stored in their bodies re-enter the ecosystem.

“This allows the fish to decompose naturally and ensures that the nutrients stored in the fish’s body are returned to the river ecosystem,” explained the KDWP spokesperson, describing the practice as an “environmentally sound” way to close the loop after a large-scale removal.

The clarification follows years of carp removal along the Kansas River. As PEOPLE previously reported, KDWP biologists have removed an estimated 109,000 pounds of invasive carp since organized efforts began in 2022. The campaign reached a high point in 2025, when officials pulled 36,863 pounds from the river – the most successful year on record.

Targeted removal of three invasive species present in Kansas waters: silver, bighead and black carp. Originally imported from Asia in the 1970s for improved aquaculture, the fish escaped into Midwestern waterways decades ago and spread rapidly. They grow fast, consume large amounts of plankton and compete directly with native fish for food.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“These removal efforts appear to have produced positive effects in Kansas waterways and for native species,” said Liam Odell, an invasive carp biologist with the KDWP, who noted that biologists are observing population declines in areas where removals have been concentrated, along with signs of native species returning.

The Kansas work is part of a much larger, multi-state effort. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, invasive carp management programs throughout the Mississippi River basin now remove more than 20 million pounds of invasive carp from US waters each year.

The agency announced nearly $19 million in funding in August 2025 to support carp removal, monitoring and prevention efforts in 18 states, including Kansas.

In Kansas, biologists use a combination of electrofishing, gill nets and specialized equipment, including electrified dozer trawls designed specifically for carp removal. In 2025, the effort expanded downstream by 15 miles, while the Bowersock Dam in Lawrence, Kan., continues to block fish from spreading further upstream.

KDWP officials say year-round removals will continue and may expand as research and funding allow, stressing that controlling invasive carp remains critical to protecting native ecosystems — even after the fish leave the nets.

Read the original article on People