This was scanned from the JOURNAL STAR, in PEORIA, ILL on Monday, July 9, 2001
Spawning postpones bridge project
GURNEE - A $2 million bridge project at Mill Creek has been postponed this
summer to give an endangered fish a quiet place to mate.
Engineers also are planning an elaborate system of dikes, dams and fencing to
ensure that widening the bridge at Mill Creek will not hurt the Iowa Darter,
a minnow-size member of the perch family that lives in the waters near Gurnee.
Helping the fish to spawn will cost an extra $100,000 and a one year delay In
completing the work.
Environmentalists say Lake County's decision to protect the darters' habitat
during the crucial summer mating season is about as rare as the fish.
"They're really going the extra mile, which the species appreciates and in
the long run Illinoisans should appreciate," said Keith Shank, chief of
impact analysis at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Division of
Resource and Review. "We like to maintain the biodiversity of our state, and
the Iowa darter is a big part of that. These little fish are an indication of
the high water quality in the area, which is a good thing."
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org