Great Lakes senators urge end to invasive carp barrier delays

Democratic senators from Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin are urging the Trump administration to prevent further delays to the $1.15 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project. The project aims to install a multilayered underwater defense system at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam to prevent invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan.

Lawmakers, including Senators Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, Elissa Slotkin, Gary Peters, and Tammy Baldwin, expressed concern that repeated administrative pauses could jeopardize the regional economy and increase the project's total cost. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the administration previously placed the project under administrative review, halting work for the second time in less than a year.

The proposed defense system is designed to include sonic blasts, bubble walls, an electric barrier, and an updated flushing mechanism. Legislators are calling for a meeting to discuss the project's timeline and requesting more transparent communication with non-federal sponsors, such as Illinois and Michigan, which are contributing $50 million and $64 million respectively.