Update on the Asian Carp Threat: What Can We Expect Going Forward?
Today I attended a subject matter hearing at the Thompson Center regarding the Asian carp issue. Moderated by Illinois State Senator Susan Garrett and Senate Environment Committee, the hearing featured presentations and discussions by the following organizations and panelists:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Colonel Vince Quarles (Commander of the Chicago District)
The Nature Conservatory: Lindsay Chadderton (Aquatic Invasive Species Director)
Illinois Department of Natural Resources: Marc Miller (Director), John Rogner (Assistant Director)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Bill Bolen (Great Lakes National Program Office)
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District: Ed Stadacher (Waterways Operations)
Alliance for the Great Lakes: Joel Brammeier (President)
Illinois Commercial Fishing Association: Kirby Marsden (President)
Schafer Fisheries: Mike Schafer (Owner)
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The hearing also had a short “Open Forum” section featuring the following additional stakeholder organizations and representatives:
Metropolitan Planning Council: Josh Ellis
Natural Resources Defense Council: Henry Henderson (Director)
Sierra Club: Jack Darin (Director)
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There was a lot of really good, in-depth discussion on the current status of the Asian carp threat and what might happen in the future were it to successfully establish a presence in the Great Lakes. I’ll try to distill the key points of the hearing down to the essentials. So here goes…
1) There are two non-indigenous “Asian Carp” species that threaten the Great Lakes – the bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and the silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix).
Both of these species are native to the large rivers and associated floodplain lakes of Northern and Eastern Asia (primarily China), and both feed by filtering plankton from the water. Because they are so good at this, the bighead carp and silver carp were imported to the U.S. in the 1970′s to help control algae growth and improve water quality in sewage treatment plants and aquaculture facilities. The silver carp is infamously known as the “jumping carp” due to its proclivity for leaping out of the water when startled.
2) The bighead carp is already in the Great Lakes.
Bighead carp have been reported in Lake Erie as early as 1995. Since then, other large adult bighead carp have been either captured or spotted in Lake Erie. However, there is no indication that they have established a breeding population (more on that below). Here is a very recent map by the U.S. Geological Survey indicating the current territory of the bighead carp.
3) The Illinois River is heavily infested with both bighead carp and silver carp – and there is pretty strong evidence that they are both very close to entering Lake Michigan through the Chicago water system.
The fish kill conducted last December in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal uncovered the presence of a bighead carp near the Lockport dam. However, environmental DNA (eDNA) testing of the Chicago waterways has indicated the potential presence of both bighead and silver carp as far up as Calumet Harbor and the Wilmette Pumping Station. Previous tests had only indicated a positive presence of the Asian carp eDNA as far upstream as the Calument Sag Channel:
The eDNA findings are significant. The tests are designed to detect the specific cellular debris (mucus, feces, urine, and remains) of only the bighead carp and the silver carp. And more importantly, ratios of eDNA between the two species varies by the location tested. This makes it highly unlikely that the eDNA was carried upstream in the ballast water of barges.
4) If either or both Asian carp species enters Lake Michigan via the Chicago waterways, they may or may not be able to develop a self-sustaining population.
This is the wildcard issue that we cannot yet address with 100% certainty. Both the silver carp and the bighead carp are certainly quite capable of surviving in the Great Lakes. In their natural setting, both species are big lake fish. However, both species need river systems to reproduce successfully. And therein lies the rub.
Both Asian carp species rely on long stretches of river currents (up to 100 kilometers) to keep their eggs in suspension during spawning. Without such currents, the eggs sink to the riverbed (or lake bed) and become inviable. So even if the bighead carp and silver carp manage to invade Lake Michigan, it is questionable as to whether the water dynamics of the Great Lakes can provide such lengthy and constant currents.
Nevertheless, these two carp species are quite adaptable. Despite being lake fish by preference, both the bighead carp and silver carp can live in slower moving rivers or in low velocity habitats in rivers. And they can also adapt to – and thrive in – large lakes with limited river systems feeding into them.
Hungary’s Lake Balaton is often cited as a comparable case study for what we might see in the Great Lakes. Lake Balaton is a fresh water lake about 1/5 the size of Lake Erie with a similar climate and water chemistry. The silver carp was introduced into Lake Balaton in 1972 and has since become a thriving, self-sustaining species – all without needing 100 kilometers of free flowing, undammed river water to reproduce.
So where do we go from here?
As you can see, this is not an easy issue to address. And there’s millions of dollars on all sides of the issue at stake which further complicate us finding a simple and elegant solution.
Many conversationalist groups advocate sealing off the canal system altogether and restoring the Chicago water system to its natural pre-canal ecosystem. But these ideas are quickly dismissed as unfeasible by the water reclamation district which warns of catastrophic flooding and water contamination that might result.
And while these various stakeholders polemic their respective causes, the INDR and USACE keep stepping up their efforts to contain the silver carp and bighead carp before they breach the electric barriers – provided they haven’t done so already.
So I’ll continue to stay on top of this and keep you all informed on any new updates as I hear about them. In the meantime, my recommendations would be to heed the timeless wisdom of Douglas Adams – Don’t Panic.
How to Sight in the Open Water
In the “I don’t know how I missed this earlier” category, here’s a great video from Leslie Thomas at Swim Art on how to properly sight in the open water:
Check out the whole thing!
Important – Read This! Chicago’s Winter Lakefront Hazards
After I scoped out the swim site yesterday, I decided to check out the lakefront at North Avenue Beach. The cumulative winter winds and waves over the past 20-30 days have created a fairly continuous ice shelf that extends out quite a ways over the water:
Unfortunately, many people walk over this without even realizing that there is essentially nothing underneath them but an icy lake:
Remember – just because there’s ice on top doesn’t mean that there’s dry land underneath supporting it.
Product Review: Xterra Vortex 3 Fullsuit
Back in May 2009, my 5-year-old Ironman Instinct finally ended its useful life for my purposes. So I went to a number of Chicago-area multi sports stores and tried out a variety of brands including Zoot, BlueSeventy, and Orca. While they all looked great and had some really neat features, none of them seemed like much of a departure from my Instinct.
As chance would dictate, I received an email ad from Xterra Wetsuits about their Spring 2009 special on their Vortex 3 and Vector models. I had seen Xterra’s wetsuits at a number of triathlons and swim events, but I had never had an opportunity to try one out. This is because the company has a direct order business model that doesn’t use distributors. So the only way to get one is to order directly from Xterra or to visit their factory outlet store near their San Diego, CA headquarters.
Given an attractive price point ($199), I decided to give the Vortex 3 a shot.
Appearance and Fit
I ordered the fullsuit version of the Vortex 3 directly from Xterra’s website. The company shipped out the product the same day, and it arrived four days later. Also included in the package was an Xterra mesh wetsuit/swim bag and an Xterra latex swim cap – both unexpected surprises.
As you can see, it’s a pretty sharp looking wetsuit:
Probably the most significant visible feature of the Vortex 3 is the 5mm layer of neoprene that extends from the neck to the ankles on the front side of the wetsuit. This maximizes swim buoyancy – especially in your lower extremities. The 5mm (versus the 3mm-4mm used by other companies) really made a difference for me as my lower legs tend to sink and drag if I’m not swimming at a fairly brisk pace.
This thicker layer also provides a high degree of insulation against colder water temperatures. In fact, I delayed writing this review until I could test the Vortex 3 in our winter swim conditions. And I am happy to report that the wetsuit provides very adequate thermal insulation even when the water temperatures fall below 40F (4.4C).
But my favorite feature is undoubtedly the fully-body X-tra Stretch Liner:
This highly flexible inner liner covers the entire inside of the wetsuit. Not only does the X-tra Stretch Liner provide excellent flexibility and range of motion, but it also makes the Vortex 3 very easy to get on and off.
Performance
As mentioned earlier, I recently field-tested the Vortex 3 in icy Lake Michigan, and I was very pleased with how the product held up under these extreme conditions. I wore it over my thermo shirt and neoprene dive hood, and the wetsuit provided plenty of insulation without causing constriction around my neck or letting in excess cold water. I also had a full range of swim motion in my arms and shoulders despite this rather snug set up.
During my numerous training and event swims in 2009, the Vortex 3 performed exceptionally well in terms of buoyancy, swim ability, and thermal protection. There are, however, a few minor issues I had with the Vortex 3 that definitely warrant mentioning.
First of all, given Xterra’s direct sales model, you can’t really try on a Vortex 3 before you purchase it. You have to rely on the detailed sizing chart on their website and hope that you choose the right size. I was actually on the border between two sizes, so I chose the larger one. This proved to be a mistake, and I had to go through the return/exchange process to get my correct size.
Second, the Vortex 3 fullsuit is a very well-insulated wetsuit that retains a LOT of heat. And while this is highly desirable in colder water conditions, I could see this becoming a problem during longer swims in warmer water temperatures. In fact, there were a couple of times that I interrupted my swim to take off my Vortex 3 as I was feeling somewhat overheated.
My final critique of the suit involves its outer lining. For some reason, it seems more vulnerable to fingernail gouge marks than other wetsuits I have used. So you have to be extra careful putting it on or you’ll easily end up with one of these:
The Bottom Line
Overall, I am very pleased with the quality, fit, and performance of the Xterra Vortex 3 fullsuit. I think it’s a great all-around wetsuit that you can use for both training and competing. It’s priced at $400 on their web site, but the company occasionally runs time-limited promotions where they offer the wetsuit at a 50% discount.
So if you’re in the market for a new wetsuit and feel comfortable with ordering one directly from the manufacturer, I highly suggest you check out what Xterra has to offer. You’ll get a really high quality wetsuit for a price significantly lower than that of a comparable – or even lower quality – wetsuit at a local retail outlet.
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** UPDATE – 5/5/10 **
I have to be honest here. This wetsuit has not lived up to my expectations since writing this review in January 2010. It turns out that the suit is much more vulnerable to rips and tears than I expected. In fact, despite being very meticulous in putting the wetsuit on and applying copious amounts of Suit Juice during the process, I still somehow managed to develop very frustrating rips and rents in numerous places.
And let me tell you something, folks. It is NOT pleasant to have cold water rush in through rips located near some of the more, er, “delicate” areas of the human anatomy.
Here are a few pics showing the rips and the repair jobs I had to do (I used both Black Magic and Aquaseal)
I don’t have long fingernails, so that’s not the issue here. I think that the wetsuit just has a shorter shelf life – especially when exposed to more extreme temperatures. And once it reaches a certain point, it just starts to deteriorate where it’s thinner (forearms) and where you place the most stress putting it on (legs and crotch).
So I cannot, at this point, strongly endorse this product.
** UPDATE – 5/25/10 **
Many of you have read this review, and a few of you have contacted me directly about it. Let me just clarify a few things.
First, I purchased this wetsuit in May 2009, and it did perform quite well for an entire year. I deliberately waited until January 2010 because I wanted to see how the suit performed under extreme cold water swimming conditions. And as I had originally reported, the Vortex 3 did indeed perform quite well even under the most extreme swim conditions.
My primary issue with my Vortex 3 was that the softer outer neoprene layer seemed to be much more prone to tearing after having to endure three months of sub-40F water temperature exposure. And to be fair to Xterra – these are not typical swim conditions that most triathletes practice in or face on race days.
One other FYI – when I informed Xterra recently of this issue, they immediately sent me another Vortex 3 as a replacement. So while I may have had some frustrations with my Vortex 3, this doesn’t necessarily imply that you will have the same experience. And even if you do, Xterra has definitely demonstrated that they are willing to go above and beyond to make their customers happy.
I hope this further clarifies everything for everyone. If anyone has any other questions, feel free to send me a quick note at srhernan [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks!
Indiana’s Water Rules Still Don’t Protect Lake Michigan
I’m a big fan of the Alliance For the Great Lakes, and I support them whenever they need help with local publicity. I received an email notice about an upcoming deadline regarding public participation for a water quality ruling decision. Since this affects Lake Michigan – and all of us who swim in it regularly – I’ve copied the notice in it’s entirety below:
Act Now! Object to Indiana rules allowing more Lake Michigan pollution!
The public has until January 30 to comment on a federally mandated water quality rule proposed for Indiana, which still falls short of protecting Lake Michigan. Introduced in 2008 and since vetted at four public meetings, the draft rule contradicts the intent of federal antidegradation laws, which are meant to protect water quality while working to comply with existing standards.
Instead, Indiana’s rule would trigger an antidegradation review only when a new or increased discharge would increase the level of a pollutant to the degree it poses a potentially “detrimental effect” on lake uses.
Other concerns:
* The rule includes several unjustified exemptions, and excludes phosphorus, sediment and other key pollutants for which no thresholds exist from protective provisions — even though these pollutants are known to harm water quality.
* The rule exempts so-called “de minimis” – or low-level — new pollution discharges from a federal requirements that the pollution is a necessary byproduct of important local economic or social benefit.
The result: Using the methods proposed in the draft rule, state regulators could permit multiple new low-level discharges of a pollutant that together have a significant cumulative impact on Lake Michigan’s water quality, without any evidence that the additional pollution is justified.
The Alliance is working with a coalition of groups in Indiana to strengthen the federally mandated rule, which sets a limit for how much new pollution can be discharged to Lake Michigan and other waterways in the state.
Action Needed: Keep the Pressure On. Mail or fax comments asking Indiana to improve the proposed antidegradation rule to fully protect Lake Michigan.
Tell Indiana that Lake Michigan deserves the highest level of protection from new or increased pollution. Indiana’s proposed rule must be strengthened to protect water quality as the Clean Water Act intended. All comments must be postmarked, faxed or hand delivered to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management by Jan. 30.
Mail comments to:
LSA Document #08-764 (Antidegradation)
MaryAnn Stevens, Rules Development Branch
Office of Legal Counsel
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
100 North Senate Ave.
MC 65-41
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2251.Fax comments to: (317) 233-5517.
Hand-deliver comments to: Receptionist, 13th floor reception desk, Office of Legal Counsel, Indiana Government Center North, 100 N. Senate Ave, Room N1301, Indianapolis.
