the latest in the Great Lakes/Mississippi River water war

[ensho]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121735655

Great Lakes Carp Threat Prompts New Lawsuit


Michigan asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to sever a century-old connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system to prevent Asian carp from invading the lakes and endangering their $7 billion fishery.

State Attorney General Mike Cox filed a lawsuit with the nation's highest court against Illinois, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. They operate canals and other waterways that open into Lake Michigan.

Bighead and silver carp from Asia have been detected in those waterways after migrating north in the Mississippi and Illinois rivers for decades.

Officials poisoned a section of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal this month to prevent the carp from getting closer to Lake Michigan while an electrical barrier was taken down for maintenance.

But scientists say DNA found north of the barrier suggest at least some of the carp have gotten through and may be within 6 miles of Lake Michigan. If so, the only other obstacle between them and the lake are shipping locks and gates, which open frequently to grant passage for cargo vessels.

-snip-

Cox went directly to the Supreme Court because it handles disputes between states.

Michigan is seeking to reopen a case dating back to 1900, when Missouri filed suit against Chicago over its re-engineering of the river.

After that issue was resolved, several Great Lakes states — including Michigan — renewed the suit with a new complaint: Chicago's diversion of water away from the basin was harming the lakes by lowering water levels.

The high court has ruled on the matter numerous times, setting ceilings on the amount of Lake Michigan water Chicago could divert. The present limit is 2.1 billion gallons per day.

-snip-

Obama administration officials last week pledged $13 million to prevent carp from bypassing the electronic barrier by migrating between the Des Plaines River and the canal.

-snip-

Environmentalists said closing the locks would be a temporary fix, but the only long-term solution would be restoring the natural separation between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system, which Michigan is now seeking.

"The Chicago diversion was a 19th century solution to an environmental problem. Now it's causing a 21st century emergency," said Andy Buchsbaum, director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes center.

-snip-

Michigan's lawsuit said losses to barge traffic and recreational boats would be "relatively minor and finite." In contrast, it said, "If the Asian carp enter the Great Lakes system, the damage to the environment and economies of the Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces will be staggering with no practical end in sight."
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this is a BIG deal and should be paid attention to

[marmar]

1. Close it......Great Lakes for Great Lakes States !!!!

:) Just kidding. Sort of. :P

[Mari333]

2. 6 Miles from the Great Lakes?

Fried Asian Carp

2 pounds of scored fillets
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Deep fryer with oil heated to 375° F to 400° F
Commercial frying coating (dry)

Smaller 1- to 5-pound fish have fine bones that readily dissolve when exposed to hot oil. Do not use large fish as they have much thicker bones that do not break down as easily. Most fish markets will sell the fish prescored for your convenience. Use light coatings, and avoid heavy batters that smother the scoring and which may leave the bones intact.

Salt and pepper the fillets, and let them rest in the refrigerator for an hour. Dredge the fillets in the commercial frying coating, and place in hot oil. Remove when golden brown, and serve with lemon wedges as a finger food or as a fish sandwich.

Smoked Asian Carp (Savory)

5 pounds bighead or silver carp steaks or fillets (skin on)
1cup coarse kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. fresh ground pepper
1 bunch fresh baby dill

[MineralMan]

6. The trouble with that is that anglers don't catch this fish, which is

a plankton feeder. You can't really fish for them, except with nets. Otherwise, the recipe would be a good one. Further, even if they did take bait, few anglers would target them. Carp, generally, are of little interest to most anglers in the US. I'm an exception. I actively fish for the common carp in the lakes and rivers of Minnesota. They've been in our waters for over 100 years, since they were introduced by the government, of all things, in a futile attempt to provide a food fish. Americans never took to them.

As a sport fish, they are quite interesting. Growing to weights exceeding 30 lb., they are good fighters when hooked. In Europe, carp fishing is a major sport, with all fish being released, and with an almost 100% survival rate. Carp fishermen here also release their fish. Nobody eats them, except some of the Hmong immigrants.

Now, the Common Carp has a terrible reputation for being the ruin of lakes and rivers. It does roil the water somewhat in its search for food, but I have found that other species are doing just fine in the lakes and rivers containing carp. In fact, most anglers are surprised to learn that carp are even in the lakes they fish.

What the overall effect will be of these new species invading Lake Michigan remains to be seen. But they won't be the target of anglers.

[liberal N proud]

3. This is an environmental emergency

[murray hill farm]

5. Yes!

And it is an emergency! Needs action yesterday!

[MineralMan]

7. Too late, I'm pretty sure.

Expect reports of the fish in L. Michigan in the spring.

[MineralMan]

4. Unfortunately, it's very likely that these carp have already

made it into Lake Michigan. They're hardy travelers and if they detected their DNA that close, I think they've probably already made the trip into the lake. Six miles is a really short distance for these fish, which travel long distances on a regular basis.

We won't know until the end of Winter, though, because nobody's out there checking. Expect the first reports of them in Lake Michigan in late April or May.

What their impact will be remains to be seen. In a body of water as large as Lake Michigan, we may be surprised at how little impact they have.

These measures, however, won't prevent their journey. That much I can guarantee.