Michigan Request For Lock-Closing Turned Down By US Supreme Court

From Treehugger:

"An Asian Bighead carp swims in the Great Lakes Invasive Species tank at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium." Image credit:Nancy Stone/ Chicago Tribune.

I hate it when lawyers end up managing shared environmental resources. So, it is with some pleasure that I share this breaking news, from the Chicago Tribune: "The Supreme Court turned back the Asian carp issue today, rejecting a request from Michigan and other Great Lakes states to force Illinois to stop the flow of water from its rivers into Lake Michigan."

Actually, the Trib wrote about this in a confusing way. The Illinois Chicago River naturally flowed into Lake Michigan until, in the early 1900's, a series of man-made flow control structures were built to prevent storm water and sewerage from the City of Chicago from discharging into the lake and getting into Lake Michigan drinking water intakes. The diversion also provided for barge traffic connecting to the Mississippi River. (Chicago River waters were thus diverted into the Illinois River and on down to the Mississippi, via the Sanitary and Ship canal.) What Michigan wanted in requesting the lock-closing court injunction was to keep river locks permanently closed to impede the migration of Big Head carp toward Lake Michigan - which would eliminate one of the major benefits of the Federal project, as managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Article continues: Asian Carp Update: Michigan Request For Lock-Closing Turned Down By US Supreme Court