L.SUPERIOR: BLOCKING BAD STUFF

Like a lot of awful things that sneak into our lives, this one is known by its initials -- VHS.
It stands for viral hemorrhagic septicemia.
You may end up calling it viral hemo-whatsis. No matter. Whatever the name, this virus has proven it can cause catastrophic fish kills. And it has hit every one of the Great Lakes, except Superior.
Understandably, no one wants it there.
So this spring the National Park Service acted to protect this largest and purest of our Great Lakes by instituting some emergency restrictions. Some of them may affect your summer vacation.
Restrictions include no exchange of ballast waters in park jurisdictions, decontamination of boats that carry water -- such as live fish wells -- that are launching into park waters and restrictions against certain fishing baits that are known to carry VHS.
Officials see that very small craft -- such as canoes and kayaks -- present almost no problem.
The restrictions are for the waters of Isle Royale National Park, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, which contains the Grand Portage National Monument within its reservation boundaries.
Have no doubt. The situation is serious.
The virus already has caused massive fish kills of Muskellunge, freshwater drum, yellow perch, gizzard shad, white bass and round gobies. It also has caused deaths of rainbow trout and turbot.
VHS has been spotted in locations not only in the big lakes, but also in the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and several inland lakes.
Experts believe that the virus, which was first discovered in the lakes five years ago, either was carried into the Great Lakes in ship ballast water or by fish that swam upstream in the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Fish contaminate themselves by taking in the virus either through their gills or by eating prey that have the virus.
The park service also is seeking help to block and contain the virus from the Great Lakes states that can enact helpful legislation that would require chemical treatment of ballast water.
For details, check the National Park Service's Emergency Prevention and Response Plan for Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia.