Great Wall of … Asian Carp?

Asian Carp threaten Great Lakes

Mike Licht, Creative Commons

MinnesotaBrown.com has been the internet’s one-stop-shop for those casually interested in the threat of Asian carp species to the fresh waters and Great Lakes of the Upper Midwest, but who do not want to be bothered with excessive “fancy science.”

But the fancy science is out there, and a recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study shows that keeping Asian carp, which are known to choke out native species of fish and plants, out of the Great Lakes will require a mighty solution.

Here’s the press release from the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Regional Center:

CHICAGO – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified physically separating the Mississippi River and Great Lakes watersheds as the most effective way to prevent aquatic invasive species like Asian carp from moving between the two iconic waters.

Conservation groups today responded to a congressionally mandated study released Monday that outlines eight ways to prevent the transfer of invasive organisms between the two water bodies via Chicago-area canals built more than 100 years ago to connect the two systems. Of all the options studied, the groups agreed that only one – physical separation –is effective at stopping the transfer of the various invasive fish, parasites, grasses, algae and other organisms.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study leaves no doubt that the most effective way to stop invasive species from wreaking environmental and economic harm on the Great Lakes and Mississippi River communities is through the construction of a physical barrier,” said Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “This paves the way for Congress and our region to move from study to action on a permanent solution that will protect the environment, jobs and way of life for millions of people.”

The report comes soon after the Army Corps admitted in a report that a series of electrical barriers designed to repel the advancing Asian carp can be breached in a variety of ways, leaving Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes vulnerable to the destructive non-native fish.

“All evidence points to one conclusion: Physical separation is the only defensible solution to the epidemic of invasive species which pose a threat to people, wildlife and our economy,” said Robert Hirschfeld, water policy specialist, Prairie Rivers Network. “It’s time to get away from Band-Aid approaches and toward a long-term, comprehensive, and permanent solution. This report can help us do that.”

The Army Corps findings mesh with overwhelming public support for physically separating the two systems. The public has clamored for a long-term solution to the Asian carp crisis ever since environmental DNA of the fish was discovered past the electric fence in 2009.

“More than 25,000 people, many organizations, and nearly 90 communities in the Great Lakes region concerned about an Asian carp invasion have communicated to decision makers how we want the Great Lakes separated from the Mississippi River,” states Cheryl Kallio, associate director for Freshwater Future. “We are pleased to learn the Army Corps’ report identifies how this can be done and confirms that separation is the most protective option.”

The Army Corps study pegs the cost of separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River systems in the billions—a cost that is in-line with large-scale city infrastructure projects in cities across the region. Building a physical barrier would also mean restoring and revitalizing part of the Chicago River and the area’s drinking water and wastewater systems. It would also help address flooding.

“This is not a Chicago problem, an Illinois problem, or a regional problem. It is a national issue, that will require appropriate resources for a solution,” said Henry Henderson, NRDC Midwest director. “But the scale of the response creates a tremendous opportunity to revitalize Chicago’s failing waterways while taking essential action to protect the Great Lakes. Those don’t come often, as evidenced by the sorry state of both the river systems and the lake. This is a chance to do better.”

So, the question returns to this: How can we keep this marauding threat from Asia from overrunning our territory?

The answer, time tested:

Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China once served to keep central Asian tribes from invading China. It worked great. Actually, not really, but the premise was tight. PHOTO: Matt Barber, Creative Commons

 

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