Environment & Climate Change

A bighead carp at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

Asian carp have been making their way up the Mississippi River system for years after escaping from fish farms and wastewater treatment ponds in the southern U.S.They’re knocking on the door of the Great Lakes, and a number of people are concerned about what could happen if carp become established in the region.In this five-part series, we’ll take a look at what officials are trying to do to keep the fish out, what might happen if carp get in, and why some people want to turn carp into a business opportunity.

Federal Court says "no" to closing Illinois canal to prevent Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan

Michigan Public | By The Associated Press

Published August 24, 2011 at 9:27 PM EDT

A federal appeals panel has rejected a request by five Great Lakes states for an immediate order to close shipping locks on Chicago-area waterways and take other steps to prevent Asian carp from invading Lake Michigan.

The three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday against the request by Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The states were appealing a decision by a federal district judge in Chicago last December.

The states have a pending lawsuit that calls for closing the locks and quickening an Army Corps of Engineers study of whether to permanently sever the man-made link between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.

It says the locks could provide a pathway for the carp to invade the lakes and disrupt the food web.