Federal officials revealed a plan to combat the spread of Asian carp in the Great Lakes at a White House summit Monday attended by Gov. Jim Doyle and two other Midwestern governors, among others.
At the summit, federal officials from the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Coast Guard revealed a plan that outlines more than 25 short and long-term actions and $78.5 million in investments to combat the advance of Asian carp.
“As with many great eco-systems across the country, invasive species have harmed the Great Lakes, and an invasion of Asian carp threatens to be particularly ecologically and economically damaging,” Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said in a statement. “We have an opportunity to work together to prevent environmental and economic damage before it happens.”
In the short term, the strategy focuses on stopping Asian carp from establishing populations in the Great Lakes. It proposes reducing the passageways of Chicago’s navigational locks to halt carp movement into Lake Michigan, as well as deploying federal field crews for physical and sonar observation, electroshocking and netting operations within the waterway.
Additionally, two contracts worth a total of $23.7 million will be awarded in March for the construction of barriers between the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Des Plaines River and for the construction of a third electric barrier.
Longer-term solutions include $5 million for additional chemical treatments in case of barrier failure and $1.5 million for research. The research will focus on tools to help officials with the development of biological controls like poisons, tools to disrupt spawning, sonic barriers and evaluation of habitat and food sources.
Sue Jones, spokesperson for the Dane County Office of Lakes and Watersheds, said Asian carp are especially dangerous for the Great Lakes habitat because of their size, which can reach up to 100 pounds. Asian carp are known for jumping out the water when they are disturbed, which can also harm people in boats and affect lake recreation.
“Like all invaders, they out-compete our native species,” Jones said. “Because of their large size, they reproduce really quickly and they can damage our local ecosystems.”
Jones added Dane County has its own plan for countering Asian carp if they get into the county’s water systems. She said they have identified the most likely pathways the species would use and which places are most vulnerable for carp infestation.
John Magnuson, University of Wisconsin professor emeritus in zoology, said he believes the best way to stop the carp infestation would be to completely close the Chicago locks.
“If you’re trying to prevent all ecological and economic damages that will occur as an animal moves into the Great Lakes basin or another species into the Mississippi Valley, you need to shut that door,” Magnuson said. “The plans they’ve had about partly shutting, only making it so big fish can’t get through, will not solve the problem.”
Although the summit may address certain issues with the carp, Magnuson said he doubts it will completely stop the spread of the carp.
“The typical behavior is to act when it’s too late, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this is a case of acting too late,” Magnuson said.
