Today the Supreme Court denied a preliminary injunction to close Chicago’s locks to Lake Michigan. The closing of the locks would be a stop-gap to prevent the invasive Asian Carp from entering Lake Michigan.
Michigan attorney general Mike Cox sued Illinois with the backing of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, New York, and the province of Ontario,Canada to have the locks closed. The Obama administration sided with Chicago to keep the locks open with U.S Solicitor General Elena Kagan urging the justices to reject Michigan’s motion.
The Asian Carp can grow to 100+ pounds and have the habit of leaping in the air when boats approach, making it a serious risk of people being struck navigating the waterways. It is a voracious feeder disrupting the ecosystem to which it is introduced putting at risk a 7 billion dollar industry for the Great Lakes.

"If the Asian carp enter the Great Lakes system, the damage to the environment and economies of the Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces will be staggering with no practical end in sight,"

Michigan Solicitor General B. Eric Restuccia said in a brief filed with the Court late last year.