$1.2B Great Lakes Asian Carp Barrier Project Paused Amid Trump Administration Review | Columbus Ohio Dump Trucks

A $1.2 billion project intended to prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the Great Lakes is facing another setback. The project has been paused and is under review by the Trump administration, according to lawmakers from Michigan and Illinois.

Democratic senators from both states are urging the administration to lift the hold on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, planned near Joliet, Illinois, saying the delay threatens the Great Lakes ecosystem and regional economy. In a Jan. 15 letter to the White House budget director and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the senators called for an end to the review and the release of federal funds already approved by Congress.

“The current review is unnecessary and could cause delays that put the Great Lakes’ ecosystem and fishing industry at risk,” wrote Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.

The lawmakers warned that the delay could slow the awarding of construction contracts and increase project costs. “The current pause and review could increase the cost and slow the final completion date of the project, increasing the likelihood that invasive carp could enter the Great Lakes,” they wrote.

The pause contradicts a presidential memo signed by President Donald Trump in May 2025 directing federal agencies “to achieve maximum speed and efficiency” in preventing Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes. 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) met with Trump prior to the memo's release seeking support for the project, noting that the Great Lakes hold 20% of the world's surface fresh water. 

In August 2025, the Chicago Tribune reported that Trump threatened to withhold support for the project unless Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also asked for help. 

Asian carp — a group of invasive fish species including bighead and silver carp — are known for their rapid reproduction and aggressive feeding habits. If established in the Great Lakes, they could outcompete native fish for food, disrupt food webs and permanently alter aquatic ecosystems. The species also threaten recreational boating and fishing, and their spread could significantly harm the Great Lakes’ $7 billion fishing economy, the senators said. 

The senators note that the project, which has historically had bipartisan support, has already faced years of delays. The Corps completed studies and public outreach before finalizing the plan in 2019. Congress authorized the project in 2020, appropriated $225 million for construction in 2022 and provided an additional $47 million in 2023. Illinois and Michigan, the project’s non-federal sponsors, have invested more than $100 million.

Expressing concerns in March 2025 that federal funding was being withheld at that time, Illinois postponed closing on a property needed for the project, later acquiring the 50 acres that allowed the project to move forward. 

The project’s first phase includes site preparation and installation of layered technologies at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam. These include a bubble barrier designed to remove small fish trapped beneath barges or carried in their wake, along with an acoustic deterrent that emits painful sound waves to repel fish.

Future phases are expected to include an electric barrier, additional acoustic deterrents and a flushing lock intended to push any remaining larval fish and eggs back downstream.

The newest construction update from the Corps in April 2025 notes that site preparation started in January 2025 when Miami Marine Services and Michels Construction Inc. of Milwaukee, Wis. began tree removal and bedrock excavation. More than 85% of the 30,000 cu yd of material had been excavated by April 6 and columbus oh dump truck work was anticipated to be completed by the end of April.

A request for comment on the pause to the Corps in Rock Island, Ill. was referred to the Corps headquarters in Washington D.C., which did not reply. The White House also did not respond to requests for comment. 

Annemarie Mannion is editor of ENR Midwest, which covers 11 states. She joined ENR in 2022 and reports from Chicago.