Financing finally in place for Asian carp measures

Financing finally in place for Asian carp measures

Financing is in place for a variety of measures to keep Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River system.

The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is a stretch of water that artificially joins Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River system. With invasive Asian carp plentiful in the Mississippi River system, the fear is the canal will be the gateway for the invasive fish into the Great Lakes.

The US Army Corps of Engineers completed a study in 2016, to identify measures to stop Asian carp from getting closer to Lake Michigan. These include sound barriers, bubble barriers, and an enhanced electric barrier. In 2020, the US Congress authorized the measures.

Of the $1.15 billion cost, $400 million has been approved. Washington is paying the largest share at $274 million, with $64 million from Michigan and $50 million from Illinois.

Eric Brown of the Great Lakes Commission said tendering will begin and construction could start in 2025. It’s expected to take six to eight years to complete the entire project.