There is some light on the horizon in the battle against Asian carp.
Measures to deter Asian carp from traversing the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal into Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes, received $225.8 million from the US Congress in January. The money will fund the first phase of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, which will hopefully stop any Asian carp trying to reach the Great Lakes and send them swimming in the opposite direction. Measures in the area of the Brandon Road Lock, a pinch point in the waterway upstream of Lake Michigan, will be installed, including acoustic deterrents, bubble curtains, an additional electric barrier, and locks that don’t fully exchange the water so the fish can’t swim freely upstream.
“A carp swimming towards that zone will hit several deterrents that will deter them from passing,” said Marc Gaden of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
The first phase will include installation of the air curtain and acoustic deterrents. Planning and design will take until 2024 when the construction tenders will be issued. Estimated completion time is four to five years. It will take another five to seven years to complete the next two phases. The total project is estimated to cost $858 million.
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