LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan says it remains willing to contribute $8 million toward initial stages of a project to prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes.
Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichinger affirmed the commitment Tuesday in a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The funding would pay for preconstruction, engineering and design of a planned barrier system at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois.
The location is a choke point where bighead, silver and black carp could be blocked from migrating to Lake Michigan through Chicago-area waterways.
Congress has been asked to cover most of the project’s $778 million cost.
Officials say the urgency was underscored by a recent announcement that 76 water samples taken beyond Brandon Road had tested positive for Asian carp DNA.
Featured image: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chicago District Brandon Road Lock Briefing, Photo by Patrick Bray, U.S.A.C.E. via flickr.com cc 1.0
