Are Asian Carp heading to the Grea Lakes?
There has been alot of news lately about the potential entrance of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. An $18-million electronic barrier used to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal—and ultimately, Lake Michigan—should do its job effectively, particularly now that the voltage has been doubled to two volts per square inch. But there may be yet another way the fish can end up where they are least wanted. DNA evidence shows that the fish are present in the Des Plaines River, which is in some places only a few yards away from the canal. A heavy January rain over frozen ground may be all that is needed to wash invasive Asian carp from the Des Plaines floodplain into the canal, according to Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Phil Moy. A higher levee could keep the fish from making their escape. Dr. Moy has a useful list of Questions and Answers on his Web site.
