Chicago Sanitary/Ship Canal to Close Dec 2 for Fish Barrier Maintenance

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Chicago Sanitary/Ship Canal to Close Dec 2 for Fish Barrier Maintenance

Rotenone to be used to prevent Asian carp from moving into Lake Michigan

Barrier area will be closed to all traffic for 4-5 days

 

 

November 16, 2009 / www.great-lakes.org

 

 

CHICAGO – A section of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) is planned to be closed to all traffic, weather permitting, beginning December 2 for a period of four to five days.

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to perform scheduled maintenance on Barrier IIA, one of two electric barriers in operation on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal constructed to prevent the movement of the destructive Asian carp into Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes. Performing scheduled maintenance is required in order to maintain reliability of the structures and minimize the risk of unplanned outages due to inadequate maintenance.

 

During the maintenance shutdown, Barrier I will remain active. However, because of late summer detection of Asian carp near the barrier system and concern that Barrier I may not be effective in deterring juvenile fish, rotenone will be applied to the canal between the barrier and the Lockport Lock and Dam, a section approximately 5 miles long. The application will allow for the removal of Asian carp and other fish to keep them from advancing past the barrier toward Lake Michigan. Illinois EPA water quality experts will be monitoring downstream of the application zone to ensure that the waters of the state are protected, and the chemicals do not move beyond the designated application area.

 

“The barrier is currently the only protection against Asian carp for the Great Lakes and the maintenance shutdown may present an opportunity for the destructive fish to advance up the canal toward Lake Michigan,” said DNR Assistant Director John Rogner.

 

During this process, the U.S. Coast Guard will be enforcing a safety zone and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) will be closed to all commercial and recreational vessel traffic between CSSC Mile marker 291 and CSSC Mile Marker 298. The waterway is planned to be closed beginning December 2 and last for the duration of operations. The waterway will reopen as soon as operations permit.

 

Asian carp have been detected using environmental DNA testing in the canal below the barrier, and there is consensus among federal, state, and local agencies along with other partners that actions must be taken to prevent these invasive species from reaching Lake Michigan while Barrier IIA is shut down.

 

The Illinois DNR), in coordination with the multi-agency Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup along with the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, will manage the application of rotenone in the CSSC. While the toxicant will eradicate Asian carp and other fish in the canal, rotenone does not present a risk to people or other wildlife when used properly.

 

The application of rotenone is planned for December 3, and crews from the IDNR and other agencies will remove fish from the canal and dispose of them in a landfill. The fish habitat in the section of the canal scheduled for treatment is made up of mostly non-sport fish with the most common species being common carp, goldfish, and gizzard shad. Before the application of rotenone, an electro-fishing operation will be conducted to relocate as many sport fish as possible. Rotenone dissipates quickly on its own, but to accelerate that process a neutralizing agent known as potassium permanganate will be used following the application.

 

If Asian carp become established in the Great Lakes, they could cause a catastrophic decline in native fish species and severely damage the Great Lakes sport fishing industry, valued at $7 billion.

 

The Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup includes many state and federal agencies including Illinois DNR, USACE, USEPA, USFWS, USCG, USDA, Chicago and regional agencies and commissions, and Wisconsin Sea Grant. All eight Great Lakes State Fisheries management agencies are providing support for the project.

 

However the process will not be without interruptions and negative economic impacts. While most all of recreational boaters heading south will have already passed thru the barrier area, some 35 commercial carriers and their crews will be idled for four to five days. The Rapid Response Workgoup is requiring suspension of all boat traffic in a five mile area to prevent colliding with the many vessels involved in the Rotenone dispersal/monitoring process. That means commodity products to coal burning power plants and sand and gravel products to Material Service will be impacted during this time and over 300 folks will be out of work for that time period. Some 7,000 boats were idled this past August when the Coast Guard temporarily closed down the barrier while increased voltage testing took place.

 

With Barrier IIB not scheduled for completion until the fall of 2010, the six month periodic maintenance requirement of our new electronic barriers means this shut down could occur again next summer. That is just one more reason to light a fire under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the construction process.