A stop-work order on a project designed to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes has been lifted, allowing construction to resume on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project near Joliet, Illinois. The move came hours after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke directly with President Donald Trump, according to officials in Whitmer's office.

Whitmer's spokesperson, Bobby Leddy, said in a statement that the governor asked the president to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to lift the order, underscoring the urgency of the moment by noting that invasive carp were recently found just 80 miles from Lake Michigan — farther up the Illinois River than ever recorded. Officials in Whitmer's office confirmed late Wednesday, Sept. 2, that they had received word from the White House and the corps that the order was lifted.

The project, estimated at $1.15 billion, is a planned multilayered defense system at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River, about 40 miles southwest of Lake Michigan. It will use electric, acoustic, and bubble barriers to deter bighead and silver carp and other invasive species that could harm the Great Lakes fishery, valued at more than $5.1 billion. The effort is a partnership among the federal government, Illinois, and Michigan.

The history of the project has been marked by interruptions. President Trump signed a memorandum on May 9, 2025, ordering his administration to "expeditiously implement the most effective mechanisms, barriers and other measures" to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, a commitment he had made to Whitmer a month earlier. Nearly $114 million in federal funding was subsequently awarded for initial construction components.

Work largely stopped in December 2025 as the administration ordered an administrative review. It resumed in April, when authority over the project was transferred from the corps' Rock Island, Illinois, District to the corps' Detroit District. But in late July, work was halted again. An Army Corps spokesperson described the stoppage as another "administrative review" without further explanation.

Illinois officials expressed frustration over the handling of the project. In a July 30 letter to Lt. Col. Donald Lew, commander of the corps' Detroit District, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Interim Director Renee Snow said state officials learned of the latest work stoppage on July 24 — not from federal partners, but from associates of a construction contractor. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, in a statement the same day, said, "It's time for the Trump Administration to uphold the federal government's obligations, stop playing political games, and move this project forward." Pritzker has been among the president's most outspoken critics among governors and is considering a bid for the 2028 Democratic nomination.

In a Sept. 2 letter to the White House, Pritzker again demanded that work resume, stating, "The Great Lakes should not become collateral damage in political games." His spokesperson, Matt Hill, said in a statement that despite the project being in Illinois, the state had received no new communication from the administration, adding, "You would expect if the administration really cared about protecting the Great Lakes they would notify Illinois."

The Threat From Invasive Carp

The urgency behind the project stems from the threat posed by invasive carp. Bighead, silver, grass, and black carp are native to Asia and were imported to the southern United States in the 1960s and 1970s to control algae blooms in aquaculture facilities, farm ponds, and sewage lagoons. Floods and human mismanagement helped the fish escape into the Mississippi River system, where their spread has exploded.

These carp grow fast, eat voraciously, and breed prolifically — a single female can produce a million eggs or more, and the fish can grow up to 100 pounds. Scientists believe the invaders would out-compete native species and Michigan's prized sports fish, creating ecological chaos in the Great Lakes.

In August, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, during routine monitoring, collected hundreds of small juvenile silver carp, 4 to 6 inches long, in the Marseilles Pool of the Illinois River, just 80 miles from Lake Michigan — the first time carp of that size had been found that far upstream since monitoring began in 2010.

Officials in Whitmer's office warned of the consequences if the species becomes established, stating, "If the species establishes in the lake, there is no getting it out." Whitmer emphasized that Brandon Road is the strongest available defense for the Great Lakes and the $8 trillion economy they support, and that continued delays also jeopardize jobs tied to the project.

Whitmer, who is term-limited and set to leave office in January, has developed an unusual relationship with the president, calling him directly to resolve the standstill. The episode highlights the role of personal diplomacy in the administration's decision-making, even as state officials in Illinois call for more systematic communication.