In an effort to keep ecologically dangerous Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox is preparing to file a lawsuit against the city of Chicago to ensure the closure of their locks feeding to Lake Michigan.
According to Cox spokesperson Nick De Leeuw, once Cox’s office examines all legal options, it will file a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the state of Illinois and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to close the canals and develop a solution to the problem.
The suit is a response to a DNA test performed last week revealing traces of carp upstream from Lake Michigan. The test results, De Leeuw said, led the authorities responsible for the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to perform a massive fish kill, in which one carp was discovered.
De Leeuw said carp are an “aggressive and invasive” species, which threaten both the Great Lakes fish population and, by extension, Michigan’s $7 billion fishing and tourism industries.
“The Great Lakes are a vital part of the economy as a way of life here in Michigan, and Michigan’s economy is struggling more than any other economy in the nation,” De Leeuw said. “The Great Lakes are an essential part of turning Michigan around, so allowing [the lakes] to be decimated when we are aware of the danger is not something that can be allowed to happen.”
With the Great Lakes’ ecosystem and Michigan’s economy at stake, the problem necessitates immediate action, Cox said.
“This is a situation that needs to be resolved right now and on a long-term basis,” Cox said.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Adam Collins said Gov. Jim Doyle is committed to keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes and is currently reviewing Michigan’s plans. Collins said Doyle has been a leader fighting for the carp barrier and keeping the Great Lakes safe from exotic species.
Most recently, Wisconsin provided supplies and staff to kill carp in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to prevent the fish entering the Great Lakes.
According to Phil Moy, a researcher with the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, the problem of Asian carp is twofold. Carp, by eating the plant and animal plankton that form the basis of the food chain, starve out native species.
“Our concern ecologically is this would be another blow to the Great Lakes food web,” Moy said.
Additionally, Moy said the jumping of the carp interferes with recreational activities such as boating and water skiing.
However, the issue is more complex than simply keeping out carp. According to Moy, the closure of locks could affect the flow of goods in and out of Chicago, particularly items that travel on barges, such as coal, steel, chemicals and road salt.
Ultimately, UW zoology professor James Kitchell said it is unknown what the effects of carp would be in the Great Lakes.
“What does this mean in the long haul? We really don’t know,” Kitchell said. “We really don’t have a good sense of how these things will impact the native species.”
