Letter Regarding the Separation of the Great Lakes and Mississippi Basins to Prevent Asian Carp

The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy
Assistant Secretary of the Army
Department of the Army, Civil Works
108 Army Pentagon
Washington , DC  20310-0108

Dear Secretary Darcy: 

As Members of Congress who care deeply about the Great Lakes and the economic and environmental benefits this natural treasure provides, we want to call your attention to a report released on January 31, 2012 by the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.  This report, Restoring the Natural Divide, analyzes various engineering options to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins in the Chicago Area Waterway System to prevent inter-basin movement of harmful aquatic invasive species including Asian carp.

The Army Corps of Engineers is conducting its own study, the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS), which is a comprehensive study of multiple aquatic pathways and control strategies, including hydrologic separation of the basins.  The new report, Restoring the Natural Divide, provides the Corps with a large amount of information concerning engineering design, economic impacts, flood and stormwater management, and water quality impacts that should be of benefit to the Corps’ analysis of hydrologic separation.  We ask how the Corps will use the thorough analysis provided in this new report, and how the Corps will be able to shorten its timeframe for completing the GLMRIS by incorporating the new information contained in the report.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to your prompt reply.