DARKWATER DOCUMENTARY-Jackson Purchase Foundation

DarkWater Documentary
The Foundation has partnered with Glenn Hall Photography on the production of DarkWater, a feature-length documentary film exploring the local economic and ecological impact of one invasive species: Asian carp in the rivers and lakes of the Ohio River Valley and beyond. 
Deliberately and accidentally, invasive aquatic species have been introduced into American rivers and lakes where they now thrive. Almost without exception, these species have demonstrated their capacity to detrimentally reproduce and reduce, rather than increase, aquatic biodiversity. Their economic impact is significant, both locally and nationally. In fewer than forty years, Asian carp have spread from their initial limited introduction in Arkansas to eight states along the Mississippi River and its tributaries, including the Illinois, Missouri, Cumberland, Tennessee and Ohio Rivers. In terms of rivers alone, this gives the carp a range of well over 7,000 miles through thirteen states. Their numbers are increase dramatically in both rivers and lakes – over 56% of fish collected during a 2010 survey in Kentucky and Barkley Lakes were Asian carp – and publically mandated efforts for control remain unfocused and unsuccessful. 
DarkWater promises to bring not only a new, objective voice to regional discussions among professional and sports fishermen and local regulators, but also a broader public awareness and engagement in national discussions of invasive aquatic species. For more information, visit http://darkwaterdoc.com/
In 2014, the DarkWater project was featured in the Oxford American magazine in their Eyes on the South blog feature. Production of this documentary was completed in 2017. In 2018, DarkWater won the "Jurors Award for Best Documentary Feature" in the 2018 Rivers Edge International Film Festival. The film was also featured at Cinema International at Murray State University as part of the Four Rivers Watershed Sustainability Festival in 2018. 

We are actively fundraising for this project. If you would like to donate, click here.