Congress – on a bipartisan vote – passed legislation late last week that continues strong momentum to stop invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan.
Invasive carp pose serious economic and ecological threats to the Great Lakes. Silver and bighead carp have already wreaked havoc on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, out-competing native fish for food and injuring people who recreate on the rivers. We must stop these invasive fish from moving any closer to Lake Michigan.
Funding supports carp prevention project
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will soon start building a critical project to stop invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan. The Corps will install a series of barriers at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, a chokepoint in waterways leading to Lake Michigan.
In the bill just passed, Congress increased the federal cost-share – which is how much the federal government will chip in – to 90% for the project’s annual operations and maintenance. This commitment shows that Congress and the Administration recognize that the invasive carp pose a significant threat to the entire Great Lakes region.
By increasing the federal cost-share to 90%, Congress has helped ensure that we keep moving with urgency to protect the Great Lakes from invasive carp.
Construction of carp barriers set to begin
The Brandon Road project – a series of barriers on the Des Plaines River to stop silver and bighead carp from reaching the Great Lakes – is now set to begin construction. Site preparation and riverbed rock removal will begin at Brandon Road in January.
“Thank you to all the Great Lake advocates, members of Congress, and state and local officials who are working to keep invasive carp out of our lakes,” says Molly Flanagan, Chief Operating Officer, Alliance for the Great Lakes. “We look forward to seeing shovels in the ground at Brandon Road early next year.”