Whitmer partners with Army Corps, Illinois to keep invasive species out of Great Lakes • Michigan Advance

“The Great Lakes are the heart of Michigan’s economy, and Brandon Road will help us protect local communities and key industries like fishing and boat building that support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. I am grateful to Governor (JB) Pritzker of Illinois, the Army Corps of Engineers and our champions in Congress for their long-term partnership on this monumental task. Together, we will get the job done so we can protect our lakes and drive economic growth for generations to come,” she said.

The Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, serves as a critical chokepoint to prevent the spread of invasive carp into the Great Lakes. The Brandon Road Interbasin Project is implementing a series of complex measures to deter invasive carp and other harmful aquatic species.

Invasive carp—particularly bighead carp, silver carp, and black carp—could displace native fish species in the Great Lakes, leading to declines in fish such as whitefish, bass, and walleye. Rivers and lakes would also be at risk if invasive carp invaded the Great Lakes Basin.

Silver carp also leap into the air, which has resulted in injuries to boaters in the Illinois River and other areas where these fish are found. The proliferation of silver carp has resulted in fewer fishing opportunities and, in many cases, boaters no longer enjoying the waters in these areas.

“Today’s announcement represents an important milestone in protecting Michigan’s natural resources, in this case one of our most valuable natural resources, the Great Lakes,” said Scott Bowen, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in a statement. “I want to thank everyone involved in this effort at the state and national levels and congratulate them for the years of effort that made this day possible. Our children and grandchildren will thank them, too.”

Michigan has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other Great Lakes states since 2011. Michigan and Illinois have provided sufficient funds to meet non-federal financing needs to begin construction in 2023.

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) and Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) and U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) welcomed the agreement and both noted their efforts to secure funding for the project.

“The Brandon Road Interbasin Project is critical to preventing invasive carp from devastating our Great Lakes, and today we reach a major milestone – the start of construction. I have worked tirelessly over the years to bring this important project to this point, along with my partners in the U.S. Senate, Michigan, Illinois and the Army Corps of Engineers. This is a major achievement that will protect our Great Lakes for generations to come,” Stabenow said in a statement.