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Maritime Musings > January 2010

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

by Dennis Bryant

Jan 05, 2010, 7:00AM EST

An example of the law of unintended consequences

What is now the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal started out as the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848. This was a lengthy (96 miles) water route from the Chicago River at Bridgeport to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru. It included seventeen locks and, like the Erie Canal, had paths on either side where the mules and their attendants walked as they pulled the boats. In the 1880’s, it became apparent that the sewage disposal method utilized by the City of Chicago (pumping into Lake Michigan) had become inadequate. A drainage canal, eventually called the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, was built largely parallel to the Illinois and Michigan Canal. It was much larger than the old canal and involved an actual reversal of the flow of the Chicago River. In addition to serving as a conduit for sending Chicago’s processed sewage down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, the new canal (24 miles long, about 200 feet wide, and about 24 feet deep) also serves as a navigation link between the Great Lakes and the Illinois-Mississippi basin. This link now supports a fairly substantial tug and barge industry. Numerous businesses have been established along the canal and on nearby waterways that rely on this transportation link. Unfortunately, the Asian carp has infested the Mississippi River basin. This nonindigenous species was introduced into catfish farms in the Arkansas area in the 1970’s as a means of keeping the pond water clean. Some of the carp escaped and have become widespread in the river basin. They tend to crowd out native species, particularly game fish. There is great fear that, if the Asian carp reach the Great Lakes, they will devastate the rich game-fish grounds and have a significant negative effect on regional economies. The US Army Corps of Engineers constructed an electric fence in the canal near Romeoville in an effort to stop the Asian carp from moving up into the Great Lakes. There is some evidence that the carp have gotten past the barrier. Some to the states bordering the Great Lakes have brought suit in the US Supreme Court seeking closure of the canal.

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	Mike Bolinger
	I work on the aforementioned waterways as a towboat pilot. I would like to ask all of the lawmakers and politicians that are sueing to have O'Brian lock shut down a couple of questions. Question #1 is a hypothetical. Let's just say a destructive grasshopper was discovered out West. If this grasshopper was hitching a ride on East bound trains to the fertile farmlands of the Midwest would we shut down the entire railroad system to stop the spread of this species? Or would we look for another way to stop the spread, like introducing a predator species to help control it; 0r perhaps insecticides? I think we would do whatever it takes to keep interstate commerce from coming to a stand still. The very notion of shutting down the Illinois river and connecting tributaries is rediculous. Did we shut down the Chicago and O'Brian lock to stop the spread of the invasive zebra mussel? No. It can now be found as far South as New Orleans thanks to dirty ballast water from the salt water vessels deballasting into our Great Lakes. The closure of the Illinois and Cal/Sag rivers was obsurd. There was no closure of the main Chicago Sanitary Canal that leads to Chicago lock that locks directly into Lake Michigan. There was no closure of the Des Plaines river which connects to Lake Michigan. There was no closure of the old I&M canal. They closed the Illinois River from Joliet to Lemont and the Cal/Sag just below O'Brian lock to do this fish kill looking for the elusive asian carp. They never closed the main sanitary canal. I believe the total cost of the fish kill and study was in excess of 25 million dollars. Only one asain carp was found. The cost to the towboating and other affected industries was never added up. How do these law makers think that the coal that powers the power plants all along these waterways gets there? What about the salt that we use every winter to deice our roadways? The gas and oil that we use in our vehicles? The aggregates that we use to build our roads and make concrete with? The coke that powers the steel mill blast furnaces? And let me add this, Jennifer Grandholm is an idiot. She can not even manage the economy of her own state yet she wants to stick her nose into the business of the state of Illinois. I don't pretend to be an expert on the asian carp. But from what I have heard they do not like deep water. From what I have noticed they do not seem to like cold water. Most of the game fish species on the Great Lakes live in the deep cold waters. Yes they spawn in the shallow water tributaries. Seems to me asian carp minnows are just as good eating to a 50lb lake trout as a shiner minnow. And what of the Northern Pike and Musky? I don't think an asian carp stands a chance against a pike or a musky. Even if the carp are too big for them to eat they will still attack and kill any threat to their spawning beds. The perch fishery has been in the toilet since the days of over commercial fishing. Is the asian carp really going to affect it anymore than mankind already has? Jennifer Grandholm and other short sighted politicians are the first ones to cry foul when their states lose jobs. But to hell with all the jobs that would be lost if this injuction was actually granted. As long as I can't see it from my back yard, right? Yes, the asian carp is a major problem south of Chicagoland. But wouldn't common sense dictate that there is a reason that this stupid fish has not become a problem on the Great Lakes yet? Maybe the electric fish barrier is acutally working. And maybe the Great Lakes are not the best environment for the asian carp to live. One final question. I grew up in the country. I know of a few farmers that dug their own farm ponds but never stocked a single fish. Within five years these farm ponds had some of the best fishing around. How did this happen? Anyone with two licks of common sense knows that fish eggs get trapped in the feathers of waterfoul and are spread in this way. Does Grandhold recommend that we catch all of the ducks and geese in Illinois and clip their wings after we close the locks? Seems to me we need a few less Chiefs and a few more Indians calling the shots. Captian Mike Bolinger
	1/7/2010 5:19:08 PM

	Fred Stonehouse
	The value of the fishery and biological health of the entire Great Lakes system far exceeds the comparatively minor value of barging on the Chicago waterways. This is a fact. The entire Chicago waterway system was built essentially to allow the city to dump it's sewage downstream rather than into the lake where it was drawing it's water. It was in effect built as a large sewer. Every waterway needs to be permanently blocked...filled with dirt and rocks. Regardless of the morality of the issue the pure economic value of the lakes is far more important to this nation and indeed the world than the very minor (in comparison) barge traffic on the waterways....
	1/7/2010 11:22:30 PM

	Mike Bolinger
	You are obviously ill informed, sir. Although the initial construction of the sanitary canal may have been to provide Chicago with a sewer, things have come along way since the "sh.. ditch" was constructed. By the way you describe the issue there is no way you have seen the everyday transportation logistics in this area. Let's say we take your advice and close every waterway down. Will this stop the spread of the asian carp? NO. The eggs will still be spread by waterfoul. Is the health of the Great Lakes as good as you think it is? What of the zebra mussel and lampreys? What about the industrial waste that is dumped by the hundreds of tons everyday? What of the cities like Milwaulkie that still dump raw sewage into Lake Michigan? I can work on any boat anywhere in the world. I don't really care that much. Shut all the waterways down. It will still not stop the spread of the asian carp into the Great Lakes. And by closing these vital transportation waterways you will have increased the cost of everything from electricity to steel for the American consumer. The electrical fish barrier is working. But you wouldn't know this because you subscribe to the hysteria of fools. If the nation really cared about the health of the Great Lakes major steps would have been taken long ago to stop the pollution. But instead our government has established "acceptable levels" of pollutants to discharged everyday from Rochester to Chicago. Was it not so long ago that Lake Erie caught on fire? Is it really even safe to eat fish out of the Great Lakes? Not in my neck of the woods. You say close it all down without even considering other alternatives. Very narrow minded. I guess we should close down the St. Lawrence seaway also. Is that now how the invasive species that we have now got into the Lakes? I don't care if they are filtering their ballast water. We are talking about foreign flagged carriers. Do you think all of them change their ballast filters like they should? I highly doubt it. Most of them are still illegally dumping oil waste into the Lakes under cover of darkness. I guess we should shut down the Soo locks also. We don't want the lampreys to spread anymore than they already have just like the asian carp, right? I mean shutting down the seaway and the locks wouldn't really affect transportation costs that much would it? Give me a break
	1/8/2010 5:24:54 AM

	Fred Stonehouse
	Actually the cost benefit analysis supports closing down the St. Lawrence....it costs more to operate (including damage recovery from invasive species) than it's economic benefit to the nations.....(US and Canada). We certainly have many pollution issues on the lakes need to deal with and we are making good progress. Saying we can accept the Asian Carp because we have environmental problems elsewhere is self defeating.... But we can control the Asian Carp by simply closing the Chicago waterways. From an economic basis it is truly a no brainer... But certainly with Obama in the White House and of course a product of the Chicago political machine....no effective action will be taken so the Chicago waterways will remain open regardless of the horrendous consequences...
	1/8/2010 1:47:33 PM

	Mike Bolinger
	You still have not answered the question of waterfoul propogation. You seem hell bent on closing these waterways when in escence it will not do any good. Where do your political alliances lay? Fish eggs in feathers. How do you stop this? And I would like to see this cost benefit analysis that you refer to. What is a no brainer to everyone in marine transportation is that marine transportation is far more cost efficient than any other form. How will we ship our products over seas when we close the seaway? Truck and rail to the Mississippi and then ship out of New Orleans? Obsurd. The US is having a hard enough time competing on a global scale with China. Add in the extra transportation costs and countries will go to Russia or China for their goods. What you propose has more far reaching effects than you realize or care to realize. I think the US economy is deep enough in the toilet as it is. Do we really need to drastically reduce exports because some tree hugger did a "cost benefit analysis"? Should we stop exporting grain to starving countries like Africa? Do we shut down the already ailing steel industries? All for a fish that you can not stop from spreading if it has a mind to. This fish has been a problem for several years now. Why has it not become a problem on the Great Lakes yet? Again I say hysteria and propaganda. Just like the zebra mussel was predicted to do far worse damage than it has actually done. A problem yes. Insurmountable...no.
	1/8/2010 6:46:54 PM

	Fred Stonehouse
	Fact - Trade in the Seaway is minimal...less than .05% of the world fleet can fit through it! Modernizing it is estimated at $8 BILLION. The value of the current trade is less than the cost of maintenance and fighting the damage of invasive species by a factor of 5! Fact - We ship our Great Lakes products (which are very few) overseas by transhipment in the still salt water tidal area seaward of the Seaway locks.....as is done in numerous ports worldwide. Fact - The governments of Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Wisconsin and Ontario have all joined Michigan in asking the Supreme Court to intervene and close the Chicago waterways. All all these states crazy? Fact - the value of all the commercial and recreational traffic in the Chicago waterways is a lousy $30 million a year! Fact - the Great Lakes tourism and fishing industries are valued at $7 BILLION a year! Conclusion - Closing the waterways makes very good economic and environmental sense. Comment - Your comment "Do we really need to drastically reduce exports because some tree hugger did a "cost benefit analysis" destroys your own argument to keep the waterways open. Regardless of who did the cost-benefit analysis, the numbers don't lie! If it costs you more to do it than you get in return then why do it? Comment - Closing the waterways will not affect the steel industries no impact our shipment of grain to Africa.....most goes down the Mississippi anyway..... Closing Point - This should not be an issue of emotion but rather cold hard economic facts....
	1/10/2010 5:39:41 PM

	Fred Stonehouse
	CORRECTION TO STATEMENT - "Fact - We COULD ship our Great Lakes products (which are very few) overseas by transhipment in the still salt water tidal area seaward of the Seaway locks.....as is done in numerous ports worldwide."
	1/10/2010 7:03:39 PM

	Mike Bolinger
	"Closing the waterways will not effect our steel industries." Dead wrong. Again you are ill informed. How does the coke and coal get to the blast furnaces in South Chicago, Gary, and the port of Indiana, sir? How do the coils get down river to the port of New Orleans? The hot loads go by truck yes. The bulk loads go via the Illinois river. If every coil has to go via truck or even rail, what will this do to the cost of this steel? How will this effect traffic congestion on our roadways? How will these heavy loads affect our already neglected and failing national interstate system? I'll be the first to admit that the seaway is not my area of knowledge. But I do have first hand knowledge of shipping in the Chicagoland area. By your previous statements, you obviously do not. $30 million may seem like a measly sum to you. But I can tell you it is not to us. And I think that $30 million is off. Maybe this is the revenue generated by the pleasure craft in this area. But that sounds way off when it comes to commercial shipping tonnage being locked through O'brian lock. $30 million; no way. 10 times that or more maybe. You need to seperate recreational traffic from commercial shipping. I could care less about the pleasure craft. They are a thorn in my side anyway. Have you done a cost anlysis of the value of the tonnages being locked through the O'brian lock? Surely not. Not if your figure is $30 million. Not even close. Even as a layman I could look on the Corps website and come up with a rough figure far in excess of this amount. The economy is in the toilet right now. There are no other jobs out there for the American merchant seaman because of loopholes being exploited in the Jones Act. I have a family to feed, sir. If the supreme court rules against us, how will I feed my family? I will be another statistic on the unemployment roles. All because of overkill. Although the asian carp may affect the fishing industry of the Great Lakes, will it really affect the tourism industry? People do not vacation on the lakes for the soul purpose of fishing. They come up here to escape the summer heat of the South. The water will remain clear and pristine even with carp in it. I think the revenues generated by the fishing industry and the tourism industry should be seperated. People are still going to vacation in Mackinac and sail the Great Lakes in their pleasure crafts no matter what the carp sporting fu man chu's do. There is no way the fishing industries on the lakes generate 7 billion per year. Tourism that is believable. You distort the facts to further your agenda. How will the fat cats that take their vessels South for the winter get them into the lakes for this tourism industry that you are so concerned about? A great deal of pleasure craft that sail the lakes in the tourist season gain access to the lakes via O'brian lock. These vessels are too large to be shipped via road. You obviously don't care about our jobs or livelyhoods. Can't see it from your back yard, right? So therefore I do not care about your neck of the wooods either. It is a dog eat dog world isn't it. Do you have other jobs for all of these people in the Chicagoland area lined up? You could care less, right? WE CARE SIR. What will you have accomplished by destroying the shipping industries in this area when the asian carp bypass the locks by WATERFOUL PROPAGATION. As in the last 3 comments I ask you, what is your solution to this. IT WILL HAPPEN. It is already happening I tell you. By the time you and the other staunch oppositionists realize this it will be too late. You will have destroyed the economy and industries in this area. WATERFOUL PROPAGATION. You seem to be avoiding this issue. If all it takes is one female and one male asian carp to start this "epidemic" it is already too late. Asian carp DNA has already been found in the Great Lakes. What good will closing the waterways do now? The real question now is not how do we prevent, but rather how do we control? Do we kill every fish in the Great Lakes and start over? That is what they did when they shut us down for over a week here last year. They spent $25 million in tax dollars to conduct this fish kill and only one asian carp was found. That does not account for what it cost commercial industries in this area. This $25 million dollar carp was found South of the electrical fish barrier. This leads me to believe that any asian carp DNA discovered North of this barrier must have been PROPAGATED VIA WATERFOUL. Have you transited the electrical fish barrier? I do on a regular basis. And I can tell you that no fish can transit this without being killed. The fish sense the current in the water and avoid this area giving it a wide birth. If a human being falls in or makes contact with this area of water it is all over. The current is so high that sparks fly from our ground wires everytime we transit it. The sampling that took place North of this barrier did not find even one asian carp. This samping took place from O'brian lock extending approx. 6 miles South. NOT ONE NON NATIVE CARP WAS FOUND. The asian carp have not affected anything in the Lake Michigan. They have yet to even find one. The counter measures are working as well as closing shipping would. Why must we stop shipping if this is the case? You need to spend a little less time pleading your case on the net and a little more time actually visiting this area that you seem to know so little about. You base your opinions on second hand knowledge. You may be able to out gun me with statistics and general knowledge of the greater lakes area, but you obviously have no local knowledge. I guess we will know more this Friday. It is out of our hands now.
	1/14/2010 3:08:55 AM

	Mike Bolinger
	The case that was brought before the Illinois Supreme Court was dismissed. The judge ruled that the suit should have been filed against the Army Corps of Engineers. There is suposed to be a white house summit on the issue with all the concerned parities present. I am waiting to hear if this summit has been held yet and what the outcome was.
	2/8/2010 4:50:03 AM

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