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.
