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Wisconsin Among States To Join Battle To Protect Great Lakes From Asian Carp

Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, And Canadian Province Of Ontario Are Participating

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Asian carp, fishing net
M. Spencer Green/AP Photo

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says an interstate partnership is being established to help strengthen defenses against invasive Asian carp in a Chicago-area waterway.

The initiative would help pay costs of upgrading the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, a key choke point between the carp-infested Illinois River and Lake Michigan.

A plan drafted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would spend $275 million on measures to block the carps’ path, including an electric fish barrier, noisemakers and vessel cleansing devices.

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Snyder said the interstate partnership would temporarily cover most of the costs of operating and maintaining the system — about $8 million a year.

He said Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and the Canadian province of Ontario are taking part, while other Great Lakes states are invited to join.