Groups Declare Asian Carp Emergency,
Call on Feds to Seal Lake Michigan Gateways
The Alliance joined other conservation groups today in calling for immediate closure of all Chicago waterways and locks leading to Lake Michigan this morning in a last-ditch attempt to keep the destructive Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes. New testing shows the presence of Asian carp DNA past the electric barrier and adjacent to the O’Brien Lock just six miles south of Lake Michigan in the Calumet River, nearly 20 miles closer than previous tests had shown. The groups demand that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and State of Illinois close the O'Brien, Chicago River and Wilmette locks until monitoring results show the waterways are completely clear of bighead and silver carp and that an electric barrier built to keep them out of Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes has not been breached. “Today, there are no second chances,” said Joel Brammeier, acting president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “We’ve missed every other opportunity to protect the lakes from these fish and their devastating legacy. It’s imperative we put the health of the Great Lakes -- the world’s largest surface freshwater system -- first.” Joining in the call to action were the National Wildlife Federation, Great Lakes United, and the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. Groups have warned of the potential need for such a drastic remedy for a number of years now. Just last week the U.S. Coast Guard announced plans to close the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal for four to five days beginning Dec. 2 to perform routine maintenance on an electric barrier built to keep the carp at bay. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources still plans to treat six miles of the canal between the barrier and the Lockport Lock and Dam with rotenone, a fish-killing poison, to prevent the carp from breaching the barrier and traveling some 25 miles upstream to Lake Michigan. That plan is still on track, federal officials attending a press conference this morning, saying the barrier remains "the single most important weapon" in the battle to keep the carp out of the lake. The Alliance last year issued a report calling for physically separating the Mississippi and Great Lakes basins, a recommendation that is gaining traction as the Asian carp close in on Lake Michigan. The two watersheds are joined by the Sanitary and Ship Canal, an artificial connection engineered more than a century ago to carry Chicago’s wastewater away from Lake Michigan. Known to batter boaters and even knock them into the water at the sound of a passing motor, Asian carp are voracious filter feeders that can grow to more than 4 feet long, weigh up to 100 pounds and quickly dominate a body of water by gobbling up the same food that sustains native fish populations. If the carp make their way into the Great Lakes, they could devastate the region's $7 billion fishing industry and permanently alter how recreational boaters, anglers and tourists use and enjoy the lakes and their many tributaries. See updates on Asian carp response plan >> See map of the area >> See joint press release >> Posted 11-20-09
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