Illinois to Begin ‘Zapping’ Invasive Carp to Save the Great Lakes

Mark Twain once said, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.” That quote immediately came to mind when I begin to research a new scientific approach to protecting our Great Lakes from an invasive and stubborn fishy invader, by, get this, zapping them with electricity and blasting them with acoustic waves & bubbles.

Twain of course was a huge fan of the Mississippi and now his favorite river has become a haven to some 'unsavory' types. These finned troublemakers have been wreaking havoc in and around the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers for years, and now they’re eyeing the Great Lakes as their next all-you-can-eat buffet. But not if the Illinois, Michigan, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have anything to say about it. They've teamed up for the ultimate aquatic showdown, armed with high-tech gadgets and a hefty $1.15 billion budget.

The Plan: Silver, Bighead, Black, & Grass a.k.a. Asian Carp vs. Technology

These fish are a nuisance across Iowa and Wisconsin as well, but the new battleground is The Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. This pinch point on the Illinois Waterway is where the carp meet their match. The weaponry? A futuristic array of deterrents designed to give these fish a run for their money (or their scales).

Here’s what’s on the menu for carp control:

• Bubble Barriers: Carp, meet the underwater jacuzzi of doom.
• Acoustic Deterrents: Think of it as a never-ending Justin Bieber concert—effective, if not exactly humane.
• Electric Barriers: Mild shocks will politely remind the carp to “stay in your lane.”

And that’s just the beginning. The project will also include flushing locks (to keep the invaders out), rock channel excavation, and even engineered channels that scream, “Humans only!”

Why All the Fuss About THESE Fish?

If you’ve never heard of invasive carp, congratulations on your peaceful ignorance. These fish are like the frat boys of the aquatic world: they eat all the food, ruin the party, and occasionally jump out of the water to smack unsuspecting boaters in the face. (Silver carp, we’re looking at you.)

The carp aren’t just a nuisance; they’re a full-blown ecological crisis waiting to happen. If they make it into the Great Lakes, they could outcompete native species, disrupt ecosystems, and threaten a $7 billion fishing industry. And don’t even get us started on the tourism impact. Who wants to dodge flying fish while enjoying a leisurely lake outing?

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The Cost of a Fishy Invader

The project has secured $274 million in federal funding, including $226 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, plus $114 million from Illinois and Michigan. That’s a lot of cash for what essentially boils down to an epic game of “fishy, fishy DON'T come over!”

Construction is happening in three phases because Rome—or a carp barrier—wasn’t built in a day.

• Increment I: Bubble and acoustic deterrents, plus prep work like excavating rock and building a boat launch.

• Increment II: Electric deterrents, a flushing lock, and a fancy control building.

• Increment III: The pièce de résistance: a fully engineered channel to keep carp out for good.

In addition to the fancy tech, the plan includes non-structural methods like public education, pest management, and research. Because sometimes, you just need to tell the people why the carp are bad news. Think of it as “Don’t Let Carp Happen to You” campaigns.

None of this would be possible without the relentless work of the Alliance for the Great Lakes and other advocacy groups. They’ve been pushing for this project since the early 2000s.

“The Army Corps of Engineers and the states of Illinois and Michigan clearly recognize the threat invasive carp pose to the Great Lakes.”

-Molly Flanagan, the Alliance’s Chief Operating Officer

Translation: We’re finally doing something about it, and it’s about time.

This isn’t just about fish. The Great Lakes are a critical ecosystem, home to countless species and a cornerstone of the region’s economy. They support industries from fishing to tourism to transportation. Losing them to invasive carp would be like inviting termites to your log cabin: catastrophic.

As construction kicks off, Illinois and Michigan are proving they’re ready to go all-in to save the Great Lakes. The Brandon Road Interbasin Project isn’t just a local win—it’s hopefully a national model for fighting invasive species moving forward. So, here’s to a future where invasive carp are kept where they belong, in dog and cat food, not the Great Lakes. If you really want to help, I guess even we can even make them tasty. Cheers to technology, teamwork, and a little bit of zapping!