July 31, 2026.
Joliet, Illinois - Construction has been halted on one of the nation's most important invasive species prevention projects, prompting concern from Great Lakes leaders who say delays could increase the risk of invasive carp reaching Lake Michigan.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a stop-work order for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam Inter-basin Project in Joliet, Illinois, a state-federal initiative designed to prevent invasive carp from migrating from the Mississippi River basin into the Great Lakes.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Army Corps Public Affairs Officer Gene Pawlik confirmed the work stoppage Wednesday.
"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the stop work order," Pawlik told the newspaper. "The project is under administration review."
Pawlik declined to explain why the order was issued, who is conducting the review or how long it is expected to last, according to the Free Press.
The Brandon Road project has long been viewed by federal and state officials as the most effective location to stop invasive carp before they reach Lake Michigan. The project includes multiple deterrent technologies, including electric barriers, underwater acoustic systems, bubble curtains, engineered flushing systems and other measures designed to prevent fish movement while allowing commercial navigation to continue.
The unexpected work stoppage has drawn criticism from Michigan leaders, including U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin.
"Protecting the Great Lakes means protecting Michigan's environment, economy, and way of life," Slotkin wrote in a social media statement. "The Brandon Road Lock and Dam project is a critical line of defense against invasive carp reaching the Great Lakes, and this stop work order should be lifted as soon as possible. This is existential for our Great Lakes. We need to keep this project moving and stop Asian carp."
Officials with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission also expressed concern over the project's suspension.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Greg Mc Clinchey, the commission's director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, said the organization had not been notified before the stop-work order was issued.
"If it's true, it's obviously disappointing," Mc Clinchey told the newspaper.
He added that the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project is "very important" to the commission because it represents the best opportunity to stop invasive carp before they enter the Great Lakes.
Scientists have warned for decades that invasive silver and bighead carp could significantly disrupt the Great Lakes ecosystem if they become established. The fish consume vast quantities of plankton, competing directly with native species for food and threatening recreational and commercial fisheries valued at billions of dollars annually.
The Great Lakes supply drinking water to more than 40 million people in the United States and Canada while supporting major commercial fishing, tourism and boating industries. Federal officials have consistently maintained that preventing invasive carp from entering the lakes is far less costly and more effective than attempting to control established populations.
Construction on the Brandon Road project had recently entered a major new phase following the award of additional federal contracts and continued investment in the approximately $1.15 billion project. The administrative review has now placed that work on hold, although the Army Corps has not indicated when construction might resume.
For conservation groups, fisheries managers and many elected officials throughout the Great Lakes region, the Brandon Road project remains the cornerstone of efforts to keep invasive carp out of the world's largest freshwater ecosystem.
