"Court Turns Down Michigan Over Great Lakes Carp"

"The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a legal request by Michigan aimed at keeping voracious Asian carp out of the Great Lakes where they are considered a threat to fisheries.

Two species of Asian carp -- the Bighead and Silver carp, which can grow to five feet in length and weigh 100 pounds (45 kg) -- are seen as a danger to the lakes' $7 billion fisheries. ...

The action marked Michigan's third Supreme Court setback this year. In January and in March, the justices rejected separate state requests for an order to close two Chicago-area waterway locks and for other steps that would keep the carp out of the lakes. ...

In the latest request, Michigan had sought to reopen Supreme Court cases that dated back to the 1920s and involved the Chicago-area waterway system and how much water can be diverted from Lake Michigan.

Michigan had sought to reopen the litigation by arguing the Chicago-area waterways now serve as a conduit for the carp to pass into Lake Michigan, threatening ecological and economic havoc to the Great Lakes."

James Vicini reports for Reuters April 27, 2010.