(CHICAGO, IL) July 30, 2026 – The Alliance for the Great Lakes today urged the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to provide transparency and resume construction after a recent work stoppage on a critical set of barriers to prevent destructive invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes. As reported in the Detroit News, the agency has issued a stop work order halting construction on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project and it is now under administrative review. This follows a previous administrative review in place from December 2025 through April 2026 that already caused delays in the project. At this time, the Army Corps has not provided additional information about the reasons for the decision or how long the review may last.
Critically important construction work began earlier this year to protect our Great Lakes from the threat of invasive carp. Invasive carp are headed toward the Great Lakes, advancing up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers where they have already caused significant ecological and economic damage. The Brandon Road project – a series of underwater deterrents and barriers at an existing lock in Illinois – is the best chance to stop them before they threaten the region’s $5.1 billion fishing and $16 billion recreational boating industries.
“There has been over a decade of planning and collaboration to advance the project, Congress already appropriated funds for Phase I construction, and every funding commitment has been met by the states involved,” said Joel Brammeier, President and CEO of Alliance for the Great Lakes. “Time is of the essence. The problem with invasive species is that once they are established in the Great Lakes, it’s too late. The Brandon Road project is urgently needed to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes and causing irreversible harm.”
“The project has long received bipartisan support, and the President has directed federal agencies to implement the project with maximum speed and efficiency. We urge the Army Corps to provide transparency on the path forward and to allow the construction teams to get back to work as soon as possible protecting our Great Lakes,” said Brammeier.
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Contact: Don Carr, Media Director, Alliance for the Great Lakes dcarr@greatlakes.org