Carp barrier might be activated this month

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Chicago District commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, Col. Vincent Quarles, on Thursday told about 50 experts in the fight to keep the monstrous Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes that he will do what it takes to get the job done - including turning on the corps' new $9 million fish barrier by Jan. 30.

"I know my mission," said Quarles, standing in combat fatigues tucked into high-laced boots, at a meeting of a barrier advisory group.

The corps and the Coast Guard have come under fire in recent weeks from the Great Lakes governors and members of Congress for taking nearly three years to flip the switch on an electric barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, an artificial link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River basin.

The device is designed to repel Asian carp - a super-sized cousin to the common carp - by firing powerful jolts of electricity into the water. The problem is that the canal is a busy waterway for barge operators and recreational boaters, and the electricity poses an obvious hazard to people who fall overboard and to barges carrying flammable materials.

A smaller, less powerful electric "experimental" barrier has been the only thing standing between the fish and the Great Lakes.

The corps and the Coast Guard have spent the past 2 1/2 years on $1 million worth of safety tests and projects to make the new barrier safer for people using the canal, which was built more than 100 years ago to flush Chicago sewage away from Lake Michigan and toward the Gulf of Mexico. more

De-icing system fails to dissuade anglers from using marina

Kenosha News

A new de-icing system in Kenosha’s Simmons Island Marina is not dissuading anglers — or their prey — from descending upon the venerable ice fishing spot.

Though signs warn that the air-driven de-icers make “any ice” in the marina unsafe, a few dozen fishermen were on the frozen water Saturday morning, some shielding themselves in canvas shanties.

The ice in the middle of the marina was 8 inches thick, according to one angler’s measurement, and — at least for some — the brown trout were biting.

Racine resident Cary May, fishing the frozen marina for the first time, said he was excited when he learned the marina’s management had installed the water aeration system.

May and other anglers explained that such systems add oxygen to the water, which tends to attract fish.

“I find it’s a big assistance,” May said. “It makes a difference.”

The de-icers were installed last year, after Great Lakes Yacht Sales took over operations of the 142-slip marina — also known as the small boat harbor — via a lease agreement with the city. They are making their debut this winter. more

Foreign species stall in Wisconsin waterways in 2008

Superior Telegram

The spread of invasive species to Wisconsin lakes last year slowed to the lowest rate since extensive tracking began in 2000. Those results come with a combination of coercion and education … and a bit of fear. News of the fish-killing VHS virus found in the Lake Winnebago system, Lake Michigan and Green Bay has had a sobering effect statewide. more

More species invasions feared for Great Lakes

Associated Press

Dozens of foreign species could spread across the Great Lakes in coming years despite policies designed to keep them out, causing significant environmental and economic damage, a federal report says.

The National Center for Environmental Assessment issued the warning in a study released this week. It identified 30 nonnative species that pose a medium or high risk of reaching the lakes and 28 others that already have a foothold and could disperse widely.

Among the fish that scientists fear could cause ecological and environmental damage are the monkey goby, the blueback herring and the tench, also known as the "doctor fish."

The report described some of the region's busiest ports as strong potential targets for invaders, including Toledo, Ohio; Gary, Ind.; Duluth, Minn.; Superior, Wis.; Chicago and Milwaukee.

"These findings support the need for detection and monitoring efforts at those ports believed to be at greatest risk," the report said.

Exotic species are one of the biggest ecological threats to the nation's largest surface freshwater system. At least 185 are known to have a presence in the Great Lakes, although the report says just 13 have done extensive harm to the aquatic environment and the regional economy. more

Boat club signs leasehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Lansing City Pulse

Nearly a year after the Lansing Boat Club got an eviction notice from the city of Lansing, the two sides have come to an agreement allowing the club to stay at Grand River Park.

At a press conference at City Hall today, Mayor Virg Bernero and boat club Commodore Jan DeMarco signed a one-year lease agreement — the one-year lease was offered to the club by the city last February to prevent its eviction, but the club rejected the offer, hoping for a five-year lease.

Bernero said that the eviction was never about kicking the boat club out; it was about a fairer return for taxpayers and determining a long-term use for the land. It was also important to sign a lease, he said, to make it clear that the city owns the land.

Boat club members said last year that a one-year lease would be the equivalent of signing one’s own death warrant, because the club would have to worry each year that its lease would not be renewed.

The boat club will rent its space from the city — located along the banks of the Grand River in Grand River Park — at a variable rate, depending on the number of members. The club will also pay the city whatever it gets for its slip rentals, the price of which will increase to $200 for city residents and $400 for non-residents. more

Annual RV and boat show set to dock in Chicago

Naperville Sun

The 79th annual Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show will take place at McCormick Place Jan. 14 to 18.

"In its 79th year, the Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show continues to provide visitors with the unique opportunity in the middle of winter to experience all that the outdoors has to offer and gear up for summer fun," said Keith Ogulnick, Show Manager of the Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show. "Whether you come to view the latest products, or take advantage of the family friendly features, this five-day event showcases hundreds of retailers and manufacturers under one roof offering the best bargains of the year."

Nearly 500 boats and a wide selection of the latest RVs will be showcased at the 2009 event, totaling millions in merchandise. In addition to the latest boats, RVs and accessories, visitors to the 2009 Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show can find a variety of special features, including: more