Carp barriers

Researchers and planners are nearing a solution to the Asian carp problem.

Groups representing states and cities in the Great Lakes region have proposed three plans to separate the Mississippi River watershed from the lakes in the Chicago area.

All three plans will cost billions of dollars to separate the two drainage basins by 2029. The Mississippi and Lake Michigan are connected by a 28-mile-long canal dating back to the 1890s.

The study by the Great Lakes Commission and Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative shows ways to accomplish the task. The Army Corps of Engineers is working on a more comprehensive study that considers permanent separation of the two waterways.

Whatever project is agreed upon will be costly and time-consuming. It will be complex and require sacrifices, particularly in Chicago. All this will be worth it if the Asian carp are stopped from entering the lakes.