What price would you put on our Great Lakes - the sand beaches and rocky shores; the salmon, perch and rainbow trout; the smell of a freshwater breeze? Should we give it all up so that international shippers can save about $55 million a year? What if we already have?

Toll of a Calamity

Lake Michigan's prey fish population has dropped 93% since invasive mussels were discovered

Recreational fishing in Michigan towns on Lake Huron has plummeted 77% since 2003

65% of new species invasions since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened have been traced to overseas ships

$300 MILLION: Estimated annual economic loss from the 57 exotic species known to have been delivered to the lake by overseas vessels.

$1.5 BILLION: Estimated cost to industry and government since 1988 to keep water intake pipes free of mussel and algae buildup.

SIX MONTHS: Average time between each discovery of a new invasive species in the Great Lakes.