LETTER: Hope rises for barricade that will repel Asian carp invasion

To Ozaukee Press:
    Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirming his state’s intent to serve as the non-federal sponsor for a project to implement Asian carp prevention measures at the Brandon Road lock and dam located on the Illinois Waterway near Joliet, Ill. The facility, operated by the Corps, is a logical choke point in the waterways leading to Lake Michigan. The Corps has proposed a suite of structural measures at the lock to fortify efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.
    We applaud Gov. Pritzker for committing Illinois to moving forward with this project. This is an important step forward in efforts to keep Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan.
     In his letter, Gov. Pritzker expressed concerns over the current cost estimates for the project. And we share those concerns. However, we need to move quickly to the next step in this process—engineering and design—to gain clarity on cost.
    Asian carp pose a clear and present danger to the Great Lakes. Time is of the essence. The entire Great Lakes region will benefit from preventing Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan.
Molly Flanigan
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Chicago