Chicago-area project to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes moving ahead with construction
A major tactical effort to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes will soon enter a new phase.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reached an agreement last week with the states of Illinois and Michigan that will allow construction to begin on the $1.15 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project on the Des Plaines River west of Chicago.
The Project Partnership Agreement unlocks federal funding to start building a series of deterrents at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam that are designed to keep invasive carp from swimming upstream in the Des Plaines River and making their way into Lake Michigan.
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It’s hoped that work can be begin in January of 2025 and run through mid-March to coincide when traffic on the river will be interrupted by the closure of another lock upstream, Heilig said.
The series of deterrents will include an electric barrier, a bubble curtain and a sound system to annoy the fish. Also in the plans is an “automated barge clearing” system that will clear fish from around barges as they move through the dock, Heilig said.
She did not have an estimate for when the entire project is expected to be completed.
The agreement between the corps and the states allows the corps to start using $274 million in federal funds allocated so far to the project. Illinois has kicked in $50 million and Michigan another $64 million.
The silver, bighead, black and grass carp are the four primary species of carp that threaten the Great Lakes. The silver and bighead would be especially harmful to Lake Erie because they eat plankton and would be a competitive threat to walleye and perch.
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