This week the US House and US Senate are authorizing money for the spending bills for Agriculture and the US Army Corps both of which have Great Lakes program lines in their budgets.
A $400,000 Great Lakes Basin Soil Erosion Program is part of the Agriculture Department’s Budget that Congress is currently finishing up work upon. And both chambers should complete work on the Army Corps authorization this week. That bill has several million in it for different Great Lakes programs, such as: $3.4 million for the Great Lakes RAP program, $1.14 million for a Sediment Transport Modeling program, $2.5 million for the Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration program and $5.8 million for the Asian Carp Barrier.
After fears were raised about the Des Plaines River flooding over its banks setting loose the dreaded Asian Carp, the US Army Corps has set aside money to build a barrier to try and prevent any overflow.
“The biggest risk right now is the Des Plaines River, and if we get a big rain like we did last year, they could very well go over the wall,” said Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Phil Moy.
Related posts:
- Groups call for emergency action to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes
- HOW coalition urges Congress, federal agencies to step up efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes
- Russian Roulette with a Carp
- Congress Takes Steps To Obtain Funds To Fight Asian Carp
- Congressman Kirk Goes to Bat for Great Lakes Funding