Do you remember the mnemonic your grade school taught when trying to help the students remember the Great Lakes? HOMES for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. The Great Lakes are a national treasure, literally. The economic impact of fishing, boating and tourism from the Great Lakes is $20 billion annually.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Rock Island District, is leading the years-long Brandon Road Interbasin Project to ensure the aquatic life in the Great Lakes remains secure.

Background

The Brandon Road Lock and Dam (on the Des Planes River) is outside of Joliet, Ill. The river feeds into Lake Michigan.

USACE Rock Island District photo

The goal of the project is "to prevent upstream movement of invasive carp and other aquatic nuisance species into the Great Lakes from the Illinois Waterway," according to the USACE, Rock Island District.

The carp are invasive and "can grow up to 60 lbs., eating 40 percent of their body weight each day," according to a press release from the state of Michigan. "Each female can produce 1 million eggs. Given their high reproduction and consumption rates, it would take as few as ten female and ten male carp crossing into the Great Lakes to establish a population."

"If established," the press release concludes, "invasive carp could outcompete native species and greatly harm the ecology and economy of the entire Great Lakes region, including rivers and inland lakes."

Why focus on Brandon Road Lock and Dam? The dam was "identified as the critical pinch point where layered technologies could be used to prevent movement of invasive carp populations into the Great Lakes."

How Is This Determined?

"The United States Geological Survey [USGS] has been tracking the carp's progress, its impact on the river and have determined they've become grown in numbers," said Jason Smith, a senior project manager of the USACE.

Smith is responsible for the delivery of the project.

Long Term Project

The Brandon Road Interbasin Project will take years to complete. The early stages of the project — pre-construction engineering and design — began in December 2020.

USACE Rock Island District photo

Construction on the project began in the summer of 2024 when Illinois and Michigan officially partnered with the USACE Rock Island District.

Smith expects the project to take eight years to complete and that the work will be ongoing continuously. The team is nearing the completion of the first of the five to eight contracts, which has yet to be determined.

During the first contract, the team removed underwater rock to create space in the area. They're removing 30,000 cu. yds. of material.

The team also is installing a Live Imaging Sonar Surveillance Array. The system "uses advanced sonar technology to create real-time images of fish activity within the lock and its approach channel, even in zero visibility condition…. [it] will employ automated software and machine learning to identify, count and even characterize fish — including their size, speed and behavior."

They also note that the data "…will establish a baseline for future monitoring and will be used to refine models predicting the risk of invasive carp movement."

Combination of Deterrents

The USACE will install a multi-layered deterrent system to keep the carp out of the Great Lakes. The USACE has deployed the systems elements on past projects. But this project is different.

"The Corps has experience with some of these measures in combination," Smith said. "The unique element is the innovative in combination of features being used."

USACE Rock Island District photo

"The deterrents being installed were identified during the feasibility part of the project, which included research and development activities to identify features and their cost effectiveness," Smtih said.

The deterrent system includes:

• Bubble curtain — A continuous curtain of air bubbles that rise from the visual and tactile deterrent to all sizes of fish.

• Acoustic deterrent — A line of underwater speakers emitting specific sounds that have been found to deter invasive carp.

• Electric deterrent — An electric field that stretches across the channel to repel, stun and deter fish from advancing upstream.

• ABC deterrent — A linear wash station anchored to the riverbed that uses large air bubbles to clear aquatic nuisance species for barge hulls before entering the approach channel.

Challenges to Come

The project is in its early stages and has yet to experience meaningful challenges.

An issue that is of concern to the USACE is that some fish will be harmed.

"The project involves mitigation, as we'll be rearing and stocking native fish, to ensure their populations continue," Smith said. "A benefit of this project is that it will provide us better control of fish that live in the area."

USACE Rock Island District photo

A second challenge the USACE is focusing on is maintaining maximum navigation during the construction period. Smith said the team is coordinating with the barge industry to ensure barges can travel safely and freely in the area.

Another challenge that USACE anticipates is installing the electrified acoustic deterrent.

"We expect to float it on a steel barge in conjunction with the coast guard."

Costs, Benefits

The USACE projects that the project will cost approximately $1.15 billion. The Federal Government is paying 90 percent of the project costs, with Michigan and Illinois splitting the remainder.

In addition to the federal government, Illinois and Michigan, there are other stakeholders. USACE, according to Smith, has developed a governance structure for making decisions. They've also regularly communicated with stakeholders to keep them informed and answer questions.

Few, if any, people will notice a difference when this project is complete. It will function as intended, and the Great Lakes will continue as they have in the past. Barges will move seamlessly through the area, and aquatic life will thrive. CEG