The Battle for the Great Lakes: Army Corps of Engineers Versus Alien Fish
Humans built electrical barriers and dumped poison in the Illinois waterways, but an alien species still managed to leave a disturbing presence in the waters of Lake Michigan near Chicago. Fresh lake samples taken in December revealed the DNA of aggressive Asian carp, according to the Journal Sentinel. That news surfaced even as the U.S. Supreme Court announced yesterday that it had turned down a plea from Great Lakes states to force the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to shut lakeside navigation locks against the intruders. Asian carp feed on 20 percent of their weight in plankton daily and can grow up to 50 pounds. Their voracious appetite has allowed them to crowd out local fish species since beginning a northward migration from Arkansas in the 1970s, and they may now pose a threat to Lake Michigan's $7 billion annual fishery. Oh, and they also happen to like leaping...