Posted on Sun, Mar 7, 2010 : 5:41 a.m.
If locks are not closed, Asian Carp will ruin our beautiful beaches
By Letters to the Editor
I grew up in Grand Haven when a large sandy, sun warmed beach was a constant in summer. With Asian carp taking the food source from the fish in Lake Michigan, dead fish along the shore will be a constant thing and because of the smell and presence of dead and dying fish, swimming and sunning will be a thing of memories; a waste of a perfectly wonderful beach. And, there are many like it around the lake.
The only responsible action for the Obama administration to take is that of immediately closing the locks to keep any more Asian Carp from coming into the lake and then taking the time to study the situation and come up with a lasting solution Ralph D. Bolhouse, Ann Arbor
Comments
shepard145
Mon, Mar 15, 2010 : 10:28 p.m.
The mistake has been made, the Asian Carp are in our waterways now so it's only a matter of when they get into the great lakes, not if. While someone needs to care about protecting them from invasive species, this battle has already been lost and a decade from now the lakes will be different - oh well. How many inland lakes have been messed up by the introduction of Northern Pike by local yahoos?...happens all the time.
pete costello
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 1:23 p.m.
Wow, the next thing I'm going to hear is that Silver Asian Carp reflect sunlight which will cause clouds and rain all the time. Can we stick to the facts. The Asian Carp Control framework is made up of federal, state and local agencies. It is not a Illinois thing. Closing the lock will not stop fish migration. period. So let's move on to solutions. We also have two unregulated rivers that flow into the lake like the little and grand calumet. Check out the www.asiancarp.org 2007 plan. Plus the Illinois Chamber of Commerce has 8 great suggestions. One of which is to create a dead zone by decreasing oxygen. This is something that could be done today.
Rork Kuick
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 11:04 a.m.
I'm openminded about what to do, however I did not find the dead-fish-on-the-beach argument had much plausibility. There are good enough reasons to be worried about Asian Carp without giving unreferenced and unlikely new ones. Also, it doesn't help deciding what to do. I actually haven't read a single good article anywhere advocating what actions to take, so pointers would be welcome. I am open to the idea of blocking all water connections to the Mississippi, if there is a credible argument that it would really work, and a credible estimate of the cost, and a fair assessment of the alternatives. (The lock is not watertight - sounds fixable since filling the passage is easier than creating it was. Asian Carp Workgroup, perhaps refers to "Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup", which I believe was formed by Illinois. Right? Point is that was not our biologists, other scientists, or engineers.)
Ken
Sun, Mar 7, 2010 : 12:06 p.m.
Mr Bolhouse: While I agree we need to protect Lake Michigan, you are mistaken if you think closing the lock would help. While closing the locks sounds good and makes headlines, especially for candidates running for governor, in their own framework, the Asian Carp Workgroup confirms it is not the answer. Not only is the lock not watertight, but there are other rivers that go into the lake where the carp can get in. I think it's time the discussion stops being about the lock and gets back to stopping the carp.