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In connecting the Great Lake Michigan to the Mighty Mississippi, Chicago left the back door open to some unwelcome visitors. Asian Carp are the latest threat and our last line of defense spans the Sanitary and Ship Canal, about 30 miles southwest of the city.

More than a century ago, Chicago used a combination of grit, muscle and money to turn around the Chicago River. That move forged an important connection between the Great Lake Michigan and the mighty Mississippi. But it also had some unintended consequences that are coming to a head only now.

The Chicago River is the back door of Lake Michigan – connecting Chicago to the Mississippi River and the rest of the world. But there's another water superhighway for big cargo ships. That’s the front door – otherwise known as The St. Lawrence Seaway.

 DAY 1: How it began Reversing the Chicago River Construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway DAY 2: Electric barriers and a kayaking trip in search of the wild

The Great Lakes shoreline is quite the site to see. In the summer, sailors, volleyball players and sun worshippers all flock to the beaches of Lake Michigan to shake off the Midwest winter.

 Twenty percent of the earth’s fresh surface water is contained in the five Great Lakes. From industry to recreation, the lakes affect life in the Great Lakes region.

 The Great Lakes hold 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water.  We share the stewardship of this precious resource with Canada and our joint responsibility is more vital today than ever before.  That’s because water is becoming increasingly scarce around the globe.  In the