Asian Carp Found Nearing Lake Erie
Levin calls for action against 'this clear threat'

Congressional staff were briefed late Wednesday June 30, on the discovery that Asian carp have been moving upstream in the Wabash River in Indiana, far from any locks or the electric barriers in Illinois built to deter carp, and that flooding could send the fish into the nearby Maumee River in Ohio, which leads into Lake Erie.  "The news that Asian carp in the Wabash River in Indiana are mere miles away from the Great Lakes basin is yet another alarm calling us to address this clear threat," said U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, in a statement. However, Indiana wildlife officials say they're way ahead of the Asian carp.

Phil Bloom of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said carp found spawning in May were near Lafayette, 100 miles downstream from a 91-foot-high dam that has so far kept them far from the headwaters of the Wabash.
Bloom said there's no evidence carp have been able to get past the dam near Huntington.  Even so, the Indiana DNR is working with federal agencies to determine how much flooding it would take for the fish to escape from the Wabash to waters that connect with Lake Erie.

Levin said action needs to be taken in Indiana to halt the carp's progress. Some Asian carp occasionally have been found in Lake Erie, including a sizable one caught in a net in 2000. But no more than a handful have been discovered.

Voracious appetite

The problem with the Asian carp is their size, voracious appetite, and high rate of reproduction. They can weigh up to 100 pounds. They were brought to the United States in the 1970s.  The situation is similar to Illinois' Des Plaines River, which runs parallel to the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal for several miles in Illinois. That river, like the Illinois River, has plenty of Asian carp in it. Although the canal has an electric barrier, officials fear that flooding on the Des Plaines could wash carp into the canal past the electric barrier.

Various members of Congress have said during the past week that more aggressive anti-carp actions are needed, after the discovery June 22 of a 3-foot, 20-pound bighead species of Asian carp in Lake Calumet in Illinois, six miles from Lake Michigan. Scientists aren't yet sure how that carp got there.

Bill introduced

On Wednesday, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, introduced legislation to require the Army Corps of Engineers to study separating the Chicago-area waterways that feed into the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes. That study must be done 18 months after the legislation passes with an initial report within six months.

A coalition of Midwestern environmental groups said Thursday the latest finding means more effectively leadership is needed.  "We're being outmaneuvered by a fish and can't afford to play catch up," said Joel Brammeier, president and chief executive of the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The Detroit Free Press and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reminder: Angler's Bait Must Be Certified VHS-Free -

May 27: MDNRE has issued a release reminding anglers that the use of salmon eggs or minnows for bait is restricted in some waters as part of a strategy to slow the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). Anglers who purchase spawn or minnows for bait should make sure it is certified as VHS-free. Certified VHS-free bait is widely available and may be used anywhere in the state for 14 days. The use of bait that has not been certified as disease-free is restricted, depending on where the bait was collected, and anglers need to follow the regulations to use uncertified bait in the correct locations. Uncertified bait can only be used for three days after purchase. All bait collected by anglers is considered to be uncertified bait.

MDNRE Fish Production Manager Gary Whelan said, "There is no known treatment for VHS. Our best defense against it is trying to prevent its spread. It is important to anglers to realize that the virus is not yet widely distributed in Michigan, thus anglers have the opportunity to help slow its spread by using baitfish properly." It should be noted that the virus will not affect humans regardless of whether you touch or eat it because it dies at human body temperatures.

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THE VALUE MICHIGAN INLAND LAKES
Tony Groves, Pam Tyning and Paul Hausler

Michigan has over 11,000 inland lakes with a surface area greater than 5 acres and, of those, 2,000 are larger than 50 acres. Each year, thousands of people enjoy swimming, fishing, boating, and other recreational pursuits on Michigan’s lakes. There is no question that Michigan’s lakes are a valuable public and private asset. Clearly, our lakes pay huge dividends in terms of increased property tax revenues and tourist dollars, not to mention boat sales. In fact, Secretary of State records for 2008 indicate Michigan had nearly 814,000 registered boats.

In recent years, several studies have been conducted to evaluate the real estate value of lakes and the value of maintaining good water quality. A study of water amenities in Hillsdale County found that, on average, properties located within 50 feet, 51 to 250 feet, and 251 to 500 feet of water had 81.8%, 38.5%, and 22.9% more value, respectively, when compared to similar properties located away from the water. A recent estimate of the value of riparian (shoreline) property on Michigan’s inland lakes is $200 billion which, in turn, generates about $3.5 billion in annual tax revenues. Other studies have found a direct correlation between increased water clarity and increased value of adjacent lakefront property. Clearly, it makes good economic sense to preserve Michigan’s lakes. Yet, while Michigan has a number of laws that regulate activities in and around lakes, there is no comprehensive, state-wide funding mechanism that addresses lake-specific management issues.

While we can attempt to put a dollar value on lakes, at the end of the day there can be only one conclusion: Lakes are priceless. Given the value of Michigan’s lakes, the establishment of a state-wide funding mechanism for lake-specific management would certainly be a sound investment.

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