For years, thousands of Great Lakers have written letters, made calls, and attended public meetings to urge our state and federal leaders to act to keep invasive Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes.
There’s been a major step forward in the fight to stop invasive Asian Carp.
Late last week, Illinois and Michigan took two big steps that bring us closer to installing new protections to stop invasive Asian Carp, which are only about 50 miles downstream from Chicago and Lake Michigan.
Illinois Governor Pritzker signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin the initial phases of an invasive Asian Carp prevention project at Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. This location is a critical chokepoint to stop these fish before they reach Lake Michigan.
Additionally, Michigan has agreed to pitch in $8 million to help Illinois pay for the non-federal cost of the project. This action, led by Michigan Governor Whitmer, is a model of partnership that we hope to see more of in the future as we work to protect our region’s greatest natural resource.