The states of Michigan and Illinois and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have signed an agreement to begin construction of a defense against Asian carp and other invasive species at the Brandon Road chokepoint in the Illinois River system.
The long-delayed agreement, funded by the federal government and the two states, will support the implementation of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, a $1.15 billion series of measures that includes an electric barrier, a lock, a bubbler, and an acoustic system to turn back the carp.
The Illinois River system, which flows into the Mississippi River watershed, is linked to the Great Lakes through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. It has been feared as a potential invasion route for Asian carp, which could decimate Great Lakes sportfishing. According to the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, the Great Lakes commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries are collectively valued at more than $7 billion annually and support more than 75,000 jobs.
Michigan is contributing $64 million to the project, Illinois $50 million, and the federal government the balance.
“Today’s agreement will help us get shovels in the ground as soon as possible on the critical Brandon Road project,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “The Great Lakes are the beating heart of Michigan’s economy, and Brandon Road will help us protect local communities and key industries, including fishing and boating, that support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.”
Army Corps Rock Island District Commander, Col. Aaron Williams said, “We are excited to be entering this next phase of the project and are committed to preventing the upstream movement of invasive carp and other aquatic nuisance species into the Great Lakes.”
Although the other six Great Lakes states would benefit from control of Asian carp before they reach the Great Lakes, none of them is contributing to the project.
