ROCK ISLAND, Illinois – A plan to prevent the spread of Asian carp into the Great lakes has been approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers top general. Commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, approved the recommended plan today by signing the Chief’s Report for The Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study – Brandon Road Final Integrated Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Statement. The Chief’s Report will be sent to Congress for authorization consideration.
The study and subsequent recommended plan at Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, were the result of findings from the more encompassing Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study. GLMRIS indicated Brandon Road Lock and Dam could be a potential one-way choke point in which to stop the spread of aquatic nuisances like Asian carp. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was tasked with evaluating potential alternatives at Brandon Road Lock and Dam, an effort led by the Rock Island District of the Corps.
The recommended plan presented within the Chief’s Report is a technology alternative that includes measures such as an engineered channel with an acoustic fish deterrent, air bubble curtain and electric barrier. Additionally the plan calls for a flushing lock, boat ramps and nonstructural efforts to prevent, to the maximum extent possible, Asian carp from moving from the Mississippi River basin to the Great Lakes basin through the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS).
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to work with state and federal agencies and the non-federal sponsor to provide an implementable and sustainable project. For more information on the Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) – Brandon Road Feasibility Study visit: https://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/GLMRIS-BR.
Release no. 19-020