Michigan Senator warns Governor Daniels

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - Michigan U.S. Sen. Carl Levin has told Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels he's "deeply concerned" Indiana officials have downplayed the threat of Asian carp spreading from Indiana waters into the Great Lakes.

Levin's office said  he wrote Daniels on Wednesday , saying the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has understated the danger of the invasive fish spreading from the Wabash River system into the lakes.

The Michigan Democrat says flooding near Fort Wayne could let the fish bridge the 20 miles between the river system and the Great Lakes.

For the carp to get to the Maumee, it would have to be a flooding domino effect from the St. Mary's River.

If the Saint Mary's would back up, then Junk Ditch would flood.  Those waters would continue into Eagle Marsh, which in turn could connect to the Little Wabash River.

If the conditions were right and the carp were already in the Little Wabash River, then they would have a steady route to the Maumee River, which flows into Lake Erie.

Senator Levin in Michigan said he received reports the carp have been spawning in the Little Wabash River closer to Fort Wayne.

But Indiana DNR officials say the farthest east the Asian carp have been spotted in the Wabash River was under Roush Lake in Huntington.

"Fish of any species by anyone's estimation cannot breach that dam, get to the other side and go on towards the headwaters of the Wabash River," said Indiana DNR Communications Director Phil Bloom.

While the Indiana DNR works with other agencies to see how much flooding would need to happen to create the path to the Maumee, Levin asks Daniels to take "immediate and decisive action."

Daniels spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said Thursday the Republican governor will comment on the letter , later next week.