We've reported to you for over a year developments with the Asian carp - how it is knocking at the door of the Great Lakes via the Illinois River, at Chicago.
 
These invasive, prolific and monstrous fish have of course been in the Mississippi River basin for decades.  Though only a very few have been spotted as far north as Wisconsin, it seems only a matter of time before they find their way to our beloved Lower Wisconsin River, and on upstream to Minnesota.
 
Mindful of that possibility, the Izzak Walton League of America recently urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to examine the permanent closure of the locks at two dams in the Twin Cities.  The dams would very effectively block the carp from moving up the Mississippi beyond the Twin Cities, but the locks would allow them fateful passage.  And as the "Ikes" say here, the rationale for keeping those locks operating is flimsy.

In our most recent issue of The FLOW, we explained how an aggressive grassroots movement led to a mining moratorium law in Wisconsin, prompted by the possibility of metallic mining in northern Wisconsin that would have likely destroyed the Wolf River.
 
That moratorium is still in place.  But Tamerlane Ventures Inc., is talking up the potential for opening a metallic mine in the Town of Lynne, in Oneida County, near the Willow Flowage.  A fairly large area in Northern Wisconsin is underlain with sulfide ore, which contains deposits of zinc, copper, and lead.  The sulfide ore under the Town of Lynne is the same geological feature previously mined near Ladysmith, and had been proposed for mining near Crandon and the Wolf.
 
The concern over a potential mine in the Town of Lynne is the same as it was at the Crandon mine: when exposed to the elements these mines produce acid drainage, making them a danger to nearby rivers, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater. 
 
Earlier this summer, Oneida County's Mining Oversight Committee held a public information meeting about a possible mine in that county.  The committee later decided to evaluate the mining issue further and is discussing more study of the potential impacts to local waters.
 
Because the proposal entails mining sulfide ore, it would be subject to Wisconsin's so-called Mining Moratorium Law.  This law, passed in 1998 by Governor Tommy Thompson, set a high standard for the issuance of permits for mining sulfide ores. 
 
We will keep you updated as this story progresses.

 

Read The FLOW article about the Crandon Mine victory >>