National Politics

Protecting Wisconsin’s Waterways From U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothmann

By RVL / December 1, 2018
Protecting Wisconsin’s Waterways

 

This week, I introduced a bipartisan bill along with Representative Mark Pocan (D-Madison) that will help keep Wisconsin’s waterways healthy by restricting the access of invasive species of fish. The bill, H.R. 7170, would amend the Federal Power Act to ensure that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be required to consider the threats posed to Wisconsin’s waterways by invasive species of fish prior to authorizing the construction of a new fishway.

Wisconsin’s Sixth District is home to a significant amount of lakes and waterways that should be protected from invasive species of fish in order to conserve their natural habitats. Fishways help enhance and preserve the populations of native fish by providing them with a passageway through dams. However, invasive species, such as Asian Carp, use the same fishways to invade rivers and lakes and devastate native species and their habitats.

Wisconsin experiences this problem firsthand with Asian Carp, a well known invasive species that can grow up to three feet in length. Recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ordered the installation of a fishway at the Prarie du Sac dam, a site where Asian Carp populations have been spotted. Installing a fishway in this location would allow the Asian Carp to migrate upstream to the Wisconsin River, Lake Wisconsin and eventually the Great Lakes. This would wreak havoc on native species and threaten the Great Lakes $7 billion fishing industry. Federal decision makers need to consider all possible consequences before ordering the installation of new fishways. I am proud to promote legislation that brings awareness to this issue and helps protect Wisconsin’s native fish species and waterways.

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