Last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a draft plan to prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes. So far, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Ontario have joined the Great Lakes Basin Partnership to Block Asian Carp, in order to help cover the costs of the proposed plan.
The Brandon Road Plan got its name from the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, a key choke point between the carp-infested Mississippi and Lake Michigan. The plan calls for an electric barrier, noisemakers, water jets and other devices to block the carps’ path. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2022 and be completed three years later.
Some states are calling for construction to start sooner, as an adult silver carp was found in Chicago’s Little Calumet River, about 14 miles from Lake Michigan. Other states, such as Illinois, are hesitant to sign on. Illinois fears the project would disrupt a key area for freight shipping. Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Quebec and Pennsylvania have also not yet joined the coalition. Under the partnership, each state would contribute funds depending on how much of the Great Lakes they contain.
For more information, visit blockasiancarp.org.
