We need to protect our Great Lakes. Asian carp have already wreaked havoc on the Mississippi River and Illinois Rivers, out-competing native fish for food and habitat. Great Lakes communities and industries would suffer irreparable harm if Asian carp reach the Great Lakes and its many tributaries (including the Milwaukee River!).
We need to act now. In June, an Asian carp was found 9 miles from Lake Michigan – past the established electric barrier. The Army Corps of Engineers need to move swiftly to find and implement a solution to stopping Asian carp. We can’t afford to wait.
We need a permanent, comprehensive solution. We support the current plan to retrofit the Brandon Road Lock and Dam to add additional control technologies to minimize movement of carp from the Mississippi River Basin to the Great Lakes. However, the current plan leaves a 13% probability that Asian carp will make it through the lock and into the Great Lakes. The current electric barriers separating the Great Lakes from the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are not foolproof, and recent evidence shows juvenile fish easily passing through the electric barriers by passing through electric-free water around barges. We still need a permanent two-way solution that prevents invasive species from reaching the Great Lakes and Great Lakes species from reaching the Mississippi River Basin. The Army Corps needs to start planning and implementing a permanent solution in concert with immediate efforts to improve Asian carp control at Brandon Road Lock and Dam.