This team convened stakeholders, recruited technical experts, and assembled a project team to evaluate different plans to physically separate the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River via the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS). This work is prompted by the history of invasive species moving between the watersheds, as well as the presence of two species of Asian carp in the upper reaches of the Illinois River and perhaps in the CAWS.

This was the first step in a larger collaborative effort to engage the entire region in developing solutions that promote economic development, recreational uses and the biological security of the Lakes. The Fund’s early support allowed the team to secure more than $1.7 million for the project’s second phase.