A federal judge rules Wisconsin and four other states (Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania) have not shown a sufficient likelihood of irreparable harm and therefore can’t force the Army Corps of Engineers to block the movement of Asian carp through the Chicago Area Waterway System.
In addition to closing the shipping locks, the lawsuit had called for the addition of grates and screens to block the migration.
US District Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr. says the states failed to show that the invasion of Asian carp is an imminent threat. The Great Lakes states claim infiltration of the invasive species could have a devastating effect on the Great Lakes ecosystem and a significant economic impact on the $7 billion fishery.