PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
An agreement signed by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker joins the states in an effort to protect the Great Lakes from invasive Asian carp species that could have a detrimental effect on the region’s economy and boating, fishing and tourism industries.
The agreement allows Illinois to use up to $8 million in funds appropriated by the Michigan Legislature in 2018 to help fund the initial design stages of the Brandon Road Ecosystem Project.
The project, which Illinois will serve as the non-federal sponsor for through a separate agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will redesign and reengineer the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, with layered technologies to help prevent bighead, silver and black carp from entering the Great Lakes. The Brandon Road Lock and Dam serves as a critical point in prevention efforts.
“Michigan and Illinois agree on the importance of keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes, and natural resources staff from both states have been working together to support the Army Corps’ actions to deter and remove invasive carp in the waterway,” says MDNR Director Dan Eichinger. “This agreement is the natural progression of our existing partnership as we take steps toward a more permanent solution to prevent this serious threat to the economy and ecology of the Great Lakes.”
To learn more, visit mvr.usace.army.mil.
