Report To List Options For Strengthening Asian Carp Defenses

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to release a draft report on possible measures at a crucial site in Illinois that could prevent invasive Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan. The report due out Monday is expected to list options for upgrading the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet. The complex is on the Des Plaines River a few miles downstream from electric barriers intended to prevent fish in the Mississippi River watershed from reaching the Great Lakes through Chicago-area waterways.

Brandon Road is considered a bottleneck where structures or technologies could be used to strengthen defenses against Asian carp, which have infested the Mississippi. Scientists say if they reach the Great Lakes, they could cripple a $ 7 billion fishing industry by crowding out native species.

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow last week blamed the delay of the report’s release on the Trump administration’s ties to the shipping industry. After a live Asian carp was found less than 10 miles from Lake Michigan in Illinois, the calls grew louder for the report to be released from lawmakers from both parties in Great Lakes states.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.