THE GRE AT L AK E S COMMI S S ION AND THE
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative led a project
to develop and evaluate alternatives for physically separating
the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins in the
Chicago Area Waterway System to prevent the movement
of Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species (AIS). This
report summarizes the results of the project and shows
that separation can be achieved while also maintaining or
enhancing water quality, flood management, and transportation.
The engineering and economic analyses suggest
that separation is feasible and provide a solid foundation on
which further dialogue to advance a long-term solution to
the AIS threat can proceed. Separation is defined as stopping
the flow of water by placing physical