Protect Boater’s Rights — Don’t Disconnect the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River

There is a bill being considered by the US Congress which would completely sever the connection of the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River in order to prevent the invasive Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes.

This could severely impact thousands of recreational boaters (including those wishing to cruise America’s Great Loop), commercial fisherman, smaller commercial vessels, marinas, waterfront communities, and others.

If a permanent barrier is put in place, existing transfer ports would be modified to accommodate commercial shipping (cargo is usually off-loaded from freighters to barges already); however, smaller shipping vessels and pleasure craft would be severely impacted unless and until systems are built allowing those to be lifted, ramped or railed from the Great Lakes system to the river system -- about 41,000 non-cargo vessels transit the locks per year, according to the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study. In addition, the cost to US taxpayers could reach billions of dollars.

There have been many alternative plans proposed containing far less draconian measures. We feel these proposals should be more fully explored before taking this action.