Fish kill near Ill. lake turns up invasive carp

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DECATUR — Several thousand fish have died just below the dam between Lake Decatur and the Sangamon River and most appear to be a variety that local officials hope will never make it into the lake — Asian carp.

The Herald & Review newspaper in Decatur reports that the city said Tuesday that it's consulting with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on possible ways to keep the invasive fish from damaging sport-fish populations in the lake. No one is sure why the fish have died.

Asian carp have long been in the Sangamon River but have never been seen so close to the lake.

The fish have spread throughout the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio river basins in recent years. They're heavy eaters that out-compete native fish for food.