Choosing to reduce lockages?

In-order to restrict Asian Carp passages upstream, the Carp Coalition is asking folks to quit using the locks if it can be avoided. At first this seemed a little silly to me, since the barges and Cruisers aren’t likely to stop. However in thinking about it, if I take this whole issue down to personal responsibility I can see it. Rather then blame the Corp, shipping, the government and putting all back on them, maybe I should consider doing this. I’m reminded about of the Hummingbird story: one day, a fire raged and raged in the deep, green forest. And all the animals gave chase or took flight to try and save themselves from the inferno. While running away they felt huge despair at the thought of what they were leaving behind… their only home.

When they reached a safe distance some of the animals stopped to look at the raging fire, and noticed a small spot of red in the blue sky, circling back and forth, from a clear, cool lake to the blazing, burning forest… What was it? It was the red-throated hummingbird. And in her beak she ferried a few small drops of water to try to stop the fire. She flew back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth again.

The animals below looked up in amazement. The lion looked up, the elephant, the badger and the bear. They all looked up at the red-throated hummingbird in disbelief.

And the lion roared: “Red-throated hummingbird, what do you think YOU are doing up there with your one drop of water?”

Undeterred by the impossibility of it all, the little hummingbird said: “I am doing what I can.”

Well then, we would all be trailering our boats up and down the river spreading zeebs and weeds. We’re all screwed!

-J.

Although it’s a nice thought and a heart warming story Buzz, it would be impractical for many.

But besides the tows and the pleasure craft, there are a number of ways around lock where Mr. Bad Carp could go with out having to wait for the locks green light.

Not to mention the rollers will be raised on #3 any day turning the ol’ ‘sippi back to a wild river.

Fishing boat lockings are such a small percentage of ways a fish can go around a dam, really…it’s not worth mentioning.

PS the hummingbird died from exhaustion and all the animals that were looking at it in amazement died because the fire caught up to them and consumed them when they should have been paying attention to the important things. …and that’s the rest of the story.

So that’s what the alternative ending to Bambi was, been wondering about that.

Good thought….
If only we lived in a perfect world
Like my Dad used to say…
“Engage brain before engaging mouth when speaking”

(pop)!

Talk about a post with no meaning? Not really sure what you are getting at with this post.

Buzz and I disagree on many things in the anti AIS world.

The point of his post was two fold.

1) Personal Responsibility. Although locking through less, at least at L&D #3 won’t make a difference in my mind, the thought of bringing it (and other problems) to a personal level is not bad at all.

Buzz volunteers so much time to stay on top of Habitat in rivers and lakes that a person could say it’s his second job, except he doesn’t get paid for it (as far as I know).

Each of us doing what we can (as little as it may be) to >slow< the spread of AIS is the goal. Hopefully there would be a little science behind it as well.

2) He was trying to draw attention to his post in this forum to find out if the white bass are bitting yet.

What I am getting at: The idea that my not using the locks as much; to hinder the passage of Asian Carp seems like a tall order. How legitimate is a request like this, especially when there seems to be little action by the Corps, MN or WI and the shipping industry? Seems futile, but if I view it as doing 0.0001% it could be a tiny, tiny step toward a solution. Not sure I even agree that it would make any difference to anything except my own values (and even then it seems an impossible action).

I grew up in the generation that was going to change the world, save the planet and start caring for all the folks in the world as if they were my brothers and sisters. Has this done anything? Not sure it has, yet some small signs of hope are out there.

Locks are open down here so here come the invasive. Not much one can do with mother nature .

I’m also a realistic person.