Today, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, along with more than 20 other Great Lakes organizations, thanked members of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force for their efforts to ensure construction on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project restarted earlier this month. The project, a critical set of barriers to stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, had been halted by the US Army Corps of Engineers earlier this summer without warning and with no reason given. The Alliance, along with other Great Lakes organizations and many others from across the basin, came together to call for construction to resume.
The full letter is below:
September 29, 2026
The Honorable Bernie Moreno
Co-Chair, Senate Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Gary Peters
Co-Chair, Senate Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Debbie Dingell
Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Bill Huizenga
Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable David Joyce
Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur
Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
Dear Chair Moreno, Chair Peters, Chair Dingell, Chair Huizenga, Chair Joyce, Chair Kaptur, and Members of the Great Lakes Task Force,
On behalf of Great Lakes organizations across the region, we are writing to sincerely thank you for your leadership, which was critical to securing the resumption of work at the Brandon Road Interbasin Project.
When construction was abruptly halted, states, organizations, anglers, boaters, skilled construction workers, and numerous fellow Great Lakers across the region came together to speak out and raise the alarm about the serious consequences of further delay. We are grateful for your leadership in urging the Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to resume work on this essential project.
The need for a suite of deterrents to stop the invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes has never been more urgent. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently announced that juvenile invasive carp were discovered a mere 80 miles from Lake Michigan, the farthest north since monitoring began in 2010. These findings indicate that a spawning event may have occurred even closer to Lake Michigan, heightening the risk of invasion. This invasive species time bomb is ticking faster, and we cannot be complacent.
The Brandon Road Project is a critical line of defense against invasive carp reaching the Great Lakes and an essential component of a comprehensive effort to protect the region’s $5.1 billion fishing and $16 billion recreational boating industries. Continued progress is vital to protecting the region’s economy, environment, and way of life.
Your engagement and advocacy helped demonstrate the overwhelming broad, bipartisan support for completing this project. We appreciate your leadership and commitment to ensuring the federal government continues to prioritize protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp.
Thank you again for lending your voice, your time, and your influence to this effort. The Brandon Road project will require ongoing communication, coordination, and transparency to stay on track. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure the project reaches completion without further delay, and the Great Lakes remain protected for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Alliance for the Great Lakes
American Sportfishing Association
Clean Wisconsin
Detroit Zoological Society
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Flow Water Advocates
Friends of the Chicago River
Friends of the Rouge
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
Great Lakes Great Responsibility
Illinois Environmental Council
Illinois Division of the Izaak Walton League of America
Indiana Division of the Izaak Walton League of America
Indiana Sportsman Roundtable
International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR)
Legacy Land Conservancy
Marc Gaden, Executive Secretary, Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Michigan Environmental Council
Michigan Lakes and Streams Association
Michigan League of Conservation Voters
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Muskegon River Watershed
National Museum of the Great Lakes
National Parks Conservation Association
National Wildlife Federation
Northeast-Midwest Institute
Religious Coalition for the Great Lakes
Save the Dunes
Save The River®, Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper
Shedd Aquarium
Talking Rivers
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited
Cc: Members of the House Great Lakes Task Force