Can we stop Asian Carp?

The Great Lakes are one of the natural wonders of the world and a treasure for us all. In Michigan, we depend on this largest freshwater system in the world for drinking water, food, transportation, recreation and unparalleled scenic beauty. In spite of their critical importance to all life, the Lakes have been heavily impacted by people throughout the past century. Water pollution and the introduction of invasive exotic species (such as Zebra Mussels and Sea Lampreys) have dramatically affected water quality, plant and animal life.

One of the newest threats facing the Great Lakes is the possible invasion of Asian Carp from the Mississippi River system. These fish grow up to 100 pounds and eat up to 40% of their body weight each day, devastating native ecosystems. Last December, DNA testing found that Asian Carp were in the Chicago River within a few miles of Lake Michigan (though no fish were found) and the barrier designed to keep them out may have been breached. One way to help prevent the invasion of these fish into Lake Michigan is to close the system of locks that connect the river to the lake, a move long-championed by environmental groups. With the support of Governor Granholm, Michigan's Attorney General, Mike Cox filed a lawsuit designed to force the closing of the locks. Since then, the states of New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and the Province of Ontario have joined the fight.

On January 19, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Michigan's request for a special injunction to immediately close the shipping locks on the Chicago River. It did not, however, rule on the separate request to reopen other court cases dating back from the 1920s dealing with water diversion from the Lake. Also in January, Federal officials said revealed that Asian carp DNA had been found for the first time in the lake at Calumet Harbor in Illinois. More testing is scheduled to occur in nearby Indiana waters this spring.

On January 21, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Dave Camp introduced legislation to the U.S. Congress in a new attempt to stop Asian Carp. Senator Stabenow's letter to constiuents about their actions read, in part:

Today, I introduced the CARP ACT in the U.S. Senate. This bill directs the Army Corps of Engineers to construct additional barriers and immediately close the locks between the Chicago waterway and Lake Michigan to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp. Congressman Dave Camp (R-Michigan) has also introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives...

I have been working to ensure that federal and state experts have all the tools they need to protect the Great Lakes from the Asian carp, and so far, the efforts have been very successful. However, the recent announcements by scientists are a troubling development that requires an urgent response. Therefore, the bills that Congressman Camp and I introduced call for immediate action to:

Immediately close the barriers and locks into the Great Lakes

Expedite the installation of interim barriers in rivers where no barriers currently exist

Enhance existing barriers and monitoring systems to prevent fish from crossing into the Great Lakes

Grant full authority to the Army Corps of Engineers to eradicate the Asian carp and prevent them from entering the Great Lakes.

Is it already too late to prevent Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes? If not, acting swiftly seems to be the only chance we have to stop Asian Carp from invading our Lakes. To learn more about this issue and to sign an online petition in support of Michigan's lawsuit, visit: http://stopasiancarp.com/