New Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative report presents three options to prevent Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species from entering the Great Lakes

Strategies for restoring the natural divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes – and, in the process, modernizing the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) – are identified in a report released today by the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, two Joyce Foundation Environment Program grantees. The report, Restoring the Natural Divide: Separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins in the Chicago Area Waterway System, was released on January 31, 2012.

“Physically separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds is the best long-term solution for preventing the movement of Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species, and our report demonstrates that it can be done,” said Tim Eder, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission.

The threat of Asian carp looms large for communities in the Great Lakes region. The lakes provide more than 35 million residents with drinking water, contain 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh surface water, and support a thriving tourism industry and world-class fishery, which generates an estimated $7 billion in economic activity annually.

Voracious feeders that can grow up to 90 pounds, Asian carp have overrun other ecosystems and could cause irreversible damage to the Great Lakes if allowed entry. Once established, invasive species are nearly impossible to eliminate.

“The Joyce Foundation believes that the options outlined in the report for stopping invasive species from entering Lake Michigan through the Chicago Waterways lay the groundwork for how to address this urgent issue and care for the lakes and our communities,” Ellen S. Alberding, president of the Joyce Foundation, said. “This report contains ideas that need to be taken seriously. It’s intended to get all of us in the region and beyond thinking about these long term issues and solutions.”
 

More Information

Read the summary report
Read the press release
Statements of support
Chicago Tribune op-ed written by Ellen S. Alberding

Three Separation Alternatives