Good question. The $9 million electric barrier near Romeoville, Ill., is complete. But a series of technical glitches has delayed its use.
The first electric fish barrier was built at the site in 2002. It was supposed to keep round goby from migrating out of Lake Michigan and into the Mississippi River. Alas, the barrier wasn't finished until after the goby had left the proverbial barn.
Worse, the first barrier was built to last five years maximum. It is now in its sixth year and hanging on by a thread.
If the first system fails, the second barrier could be turned on. But there remain safety concerns and questions about the device's ability to function during the winter.
Until those problems are fixed, and the second barrier becomes operational, the Great Lakes are extremely vulnerable to Asian Carp sneaking in. How serious is the situation? The carp are are within about 50 miles of Lake Michigan.
Why should we care? Take a look at the following photographs, taken on the Illinois River. If Asian carp get into the Great Lakes, we can expect these beasts (including the jumping silver carp pictured here) to take up residence in areas where carp currently reside.
The warm, murky waters of the Grand River would be prime habitat for Asian carp. No one knows how much of the Great Lakes basin would be infested by Asian carp. But looking at these photos, it makes me wonder why the government isn't pulling out all the stops to get the new fish barrier into service ... NOW!