"That takes the pressure off the electric barrier and buys all of us some time in finding a long-term solution, " which could include some type of watershed separation, he said.

WSJ: Great Lakes governors seek agreement on invasives

Crisscrossing the country, responding to every type of disaster, Agoglia and his team understand the realities of separation all too well.

CNN: Floods: U.S. 'deserves this type of response'