The stop order on the Brandon Road invasive carp barrier has been lifted by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the White House, according to a spokesperson for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, reports WTTW. The Army Corps of Engineers halted work on the project in late July, with the federal government providing no reason or advance notice to the government of Illinois or the public, sparking concern from politicians and advocacy groups.
The project is considered the best chance at keeping invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes ecosystem, as the fish have been steadily moving up the Mississippi River since escaping captivity in the late 1970s. If the invasive species were to enter the Great Lakes, it could have catastrophic repercussions on the fishing, boating and recreational industries on the Great Lakes.
Crews from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources discovered juvenile invasive silver carp further up the Illinois River than ever before in mid-August, creating a further sense of urgency, reports WTTW. The barrier project has been a discussion for over a decade, but faced delay due to disagreements over funding and other obstacles. In 2025 construction started after Illinois and Michigan agreed to share costs with the federal government. Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River is a critical pinch point for keeping carp out of the Great Lakes. According to project advocates, work stoppage resulted in a costly and unnecessary delay.
“Now that construction can resume, we will continue to make sure that it stays on track — at the construction site and in Washington, D.C.,” said Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, reports WTTW. “For the sake of the ecosystem and economy that our region depends on, we simply cannot afford any further disruption.”
PHOTO: USFWS
