Following Monday’s release of the Army Corps of Engineers invasive species report, state Rep. Dave Pagel, of Oronoko Township, urged the federal government to take action to prevent further invasion by Asian carp in the Great Lakes.

The long-awaited report assesses the viability of establishing various control mechanisms at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, to prevent the upstream transfer of aquatic nuisance species such as Asian carp from the Mississippi River Basin into the Great Lakes Basin.

“We’ve been urging the study to be released for months now,” said the southwestern Michigan legislator. “Asian carp are closer than ever – just 9 miles from our Lake Michigan.

“Our state and local economy rely heavily on the Great Lakes ecosystem and we can’t afford to lose it.”

The report, based on an $8 million study taken two years ago, lays out tentative measures that include placement of a new electric barrier and underwater speakers generating “complex noise” to deter Asian carp from traveling beyond the lock and dam at Brandon Road.

The Army Corps stated its next step will be to collect public comments for 45 days and then begin a feasibility study followed by reviews by federal and state agencies and a Chief of Engineers report, expected two years from now.

If authorized by Congress, the project could be expected to be completed around 2025.

“It is my hope that the release of this report will serve as momentum to speed up the process,” said Pagel, who lives just 10 miles from the Lake Michigan shore. “We’re running out of time and the carp are threatening our fishing industry, power generation, manufacturing, municipal drinking water systems and our booming tourism industry.”

The federal government is not the only interested party when it comes to preventing invasives. Earlier this year, Gov. Rick Snyder announced a cash prize eligible to those who submit an innovative solution to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. Pagel encourages local residents to participate if they have an idea for protecting Michigan’s waterways.