How a $1.1 billion project aims to stop the invasive Asian carp

The invasive Asian carp are known for their jumping ability and can wreak havoc on aquatic ecosystems. The federal government is spending millions to keep the fish out of the Great Lakes.
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Environmental and conservation groups this week celebrated Illinois’ “historic” signing of an agreement to begin construction on a project to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.

The project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet will become what experts call a “fish gauntlet,” complete with bubble barrier, electrical barrier and underwater acoustics.

The front line of the Asian carp is said to be 10 miles downstream of the Brandon Road Lock; the last line of defense between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan is a barrier at Romeoville.

Governor JB Priztker signed the agreement along with the state of Michigan and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The $1.14 billion project will be funded by the federal government and the governments of Illinois and Michigan, with the federal government covering 90 percent of the cost.

Supporters, some of whom have been advocating for the project since the early 2000s, said the signing would help protect the region’s fisheries, economy and quality of life.

“We applaud Governor Pritzker and the State of Illinois for reaching this important agreement with the State of Michigan to protect our invaluable shared asset, Lake Michigan,” said Jack Darin, director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter, in a press release. “This agreement begins the work of comprehensive protection of Lake Michigan against invasive species, and we urge all parties to act as quickly as possible to protect our precious Great Lakes.”

Invasive carp entered the Mississippi River basin during floods in the 1970s and 1990s after being imported from Southeast Asia to help with wastewater treatment and aquaculture. Since then, the voracious eaters and breeders have migrated into the Illinois River, causing severe damage to native fish populations.

“If invasive carp become established in the Great Lakes, they could displace native species and cause major damage to ecosystems throughout the Great Lakes region and its more than $20 billion fishing and boating industries,” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement.

While existing strategies designed to keep fish from entering the Great Lakes, such as the Romeoville electric barrier, do provide protection, experts say they are not foolproof.

The Brandon Road Lock and Dam has been identified as a “critical bottleneck” where layered technologies could be deployed to prevent Asian carp – and other invasive species – from migrating upstream.

If the project moves forward, construction of the first phase of fish deterrents will take approximately three years, while construction of all deterrents is expected to take up to eight years.

· Jenny Whidden, [email protected], is a climate change and environmental writer who works with the Daily Herald through a partnership with Report For America, supported by The Nature Conservancy. To support her work with a tax-deductible donation, visit dailyherald.com/rfa.

Kirk Sunderman, project engineer for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Rock Island District, reviews plans for the lock and dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to extend the barrier walls and install deterrents to prevent invasive carp and other undesirable aquatic species from migrating upstream.
Gary Middendorf/[email protected], 2023

A barrier project is underway on Brandon Road near Joliet, where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to expand barrier walls and install deterrents to prevent invasive Asian carp and other undesirable aquatic species from migrating upstream.
Gary Middendorf/[email protected], 2023