Invasive Asian carp were introduced to southern U.S. breeding ponds in the 1970’s as filter feeders. The carp were released into the wild due to flooding and have been slowly making their way north to the doorstep of Lake Michigan. The concern is their introduction will outcompete native fish permanently impacting the region’s $7 billion annual fishing industry.
This week, the National Wildlife Federation, with the support of 40 conservation and environmental groups from across the country, sent a letter to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, urging him to sign the Project Partnership Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Brandon Road Lock & Dam project.
“It’s just outside of Joliet, Illinois, and it’s a really good choke point to put in some extra barriers that will help prevent carp.”
Marc Smith is Policy Director for the National Wildlife Federation.
“All that is needed right now to advance this project to construction at the end of this year is for Illinois to sign this construction agreement.”
Smith says Brandon Road is an existing lock and dam system that, once approved, would be outfitted with extra controls to keep Asian carp from migrating up the river and into Lake Michigan, but time is of the essence.
“By the end of June, if this agreement is not signed, that means the project cannot go to construction this year.”
90% of the project has been funded by the federal government in a bipartisan deal, leaving Illinois footing only 10% of the remaining costs.
“At this point we’re really not sure what the last remaining hurdle is for Illinois and so that’s what we’re trying to do is get the Governor to move forward and sign this.”
In a statement to WGVU, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications for the Illinois Governor's Office Jordan Abudayyeh said, "Illinois just received the documents to review for this partnership a few weeks ago and we continue to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to further this project. As a champion for the both the environment and fiscal responsibility, the Governor takes his responsibility to both protecting our waterways and the taxpayers very seriously. We remain hopeful a project partnership agreement that is beneficial for all Great Lakes states will be executed soon."
