Overrun: Dispatches from the Asian Carp Crisis is environmental journalist Andrew Reeves' in-depth look at just how the Asian Carp species that were brought into the United States to help solve one environmental issue ended up causing one of the biggest threats to the Great Lakes to date. Reeves gets to the heart of the matter by going back to the beginning when the first carp were brought over as well as looking into what invasive species are as a whole and their impact on the environment.

As an environmental scientist who lives on one of the Great Lakes, Overrun was of particular interest to me. I do a lot of education on invasive species and wanted to learn more about these species of fish. Overrun is a very comprehensive look at the Asian Carp crisis over time. You do not need to be a scientist to understand the issue at all. Reeves tells the story of these misunderstood fish through a series of interviews with those who have worked with the fish from the beginning, his own research and observations from the field. I was very interested in exactly how the species of Asian Carp were brought to the US and was meant to be an ecologically friendly alternative to herbicides in order to clean up waterways. Unfortunately, after this step it seems like everything went wrong for the Asian Carp. Reeves conducts intriguing interviews with those who were responsible for the first Asian Carp in the country, those dealing with their impacts and those trying to solve the crisis. I also enjoyed his time in the field working with the fish and seeing the issues that they caused. I was most amazed by just how resilient these fish are, it seems that everyone has underestimated them. The money that has gone into these fish is astounding, because of this alone I can't believe that more people aren't interested in this issue. In addition, their presence has seemed to create a domino effect of other issues in waterways and riparian ecosystems including environmental justice issues. Overall, the Asian Carp crisis highlights human's relationship with water and nature and the unintended consequences of our actions.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

In this book, the author does a fine job of describing everything one might want to know about Asian carp and the environmental crisis that is arising from its presence in North American waters. I learned many interesting things reading this book, not just about Asian carp, but about fish in general, the ecology of our waterways, and the effect of government policy on a range of environmental issues. I liked how the author structures the book around the journey Asian carp has taken from the Southern US toward Canada and gives a sense of the local effects and efforts to counter them at each stage while also describing the global cooperation needed to tackle the problem. ( )

Overrun details the introduction of Asian carp fish (grass, bighead, and silver carp) into North American waterways, and how these fish have become an ecological threat. Reeves tells the story of his detailed hands-on research into the history of Asian carp. Initially Asian carp were promoted as an alternative to chemical usage, to control or eliminate aquatic weeds choking public lakes and streams, golf courses, and irrigation canals. They were even used to purity sewage ponds. If you are interested in fish and/or the politics of ecology, this book might be of interest to you. ( )

Living mid-way between Lake Michigan and the Illinois River, I'm well aware of the battles that have on-going to keep Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes. Andrew Reeves gives us a history of this problem dating back to when it was thought introducing ravenous species for aquatic weed control was a good idea. Why it happened. how it happened, the arrogance of those who thought they could control a foreign species in large numbers is all documented in this fascinating book.

Reeves explores all facets of this complex issue. How flooded ponds allowed contained fish to escape into the wild, eventually reaching the Mississippi. He discusses the engineering marvels that reversed the flow of the Chicago River and shipping canals that connect the Great Lakes to the Mississippi via numerous waterways (including the heavily-infested Illinois River). Lawsuits from states fighting to preserve natural resources vs. states trying to protect industry and jobs. Even international efforts from the Canadian side of the Great Lakes receives a chapter.

Asian carp are a destructive species predicted to wreak great havoc on the ecosystem of the great lakes. Tons of fish are removed from waterways every year, and no containment solution has proven to be 100% effective. Some insist the only way is physical separation of the watersheds which would involve the removal of several locks used for transport along the Chicago River and Sanitary and Ship Canal. Although shipping industry is in a long decline, there are still a lot of jobs at stake and great resistance to this change.

Perhaps of greatest interest was the evolution of technology over the years. Now, rather than searching for elusive populations outside of the containment area, rather than fish or shock areas randomly, a technique called eDNA can detect DNA from target fish in the environment. Once a positive ID is made, more intrusive methods can follow. While the current barriers aren't 100% effective, using eDNA to search for escaped populations can help track the numbers of fish (and whether or not the fish are sterile in the first place - another containment method). So far, critical mass numbers have not been found beyond the current barriers.

All of this technology, planning, engineering and research might be for naught as the programs mentioned in this book are under onslaught by Trump's War Against the Environment. Budgets have been slashed upwards of 90% when increases are necessary to have a tangible effect. Whether we can make it a few more years before tragedy strikes the Great Lakes is anyone's guess.

I was very interested to read this book, but I did not realize how pressing the Asian Carp problem is in the US. With each chapter, the situation becomes more and more depressing. I feel that the Great Lakes cannot be saved from this menace, and we should be grateful that scientists and ecologists have tried their best (against many difficulties) to prevent the invasion. But it's a case of playing catch-up against political indifference. And now we are at the point where even unlimited funds would probably not make an impact.

The author spins a good story and it's really quite gripping to read of the many failures to contain the spread of these invasive pests and their destruction of our native species.

I received a free e-book copy from Library Thing in return for writing this review. ( )