April 17, 2026
Funding awarded to Wisconsin company was announced just days after Gov. Evers sent a letter to President Trump urging the release of funding for the Brandon Road Invasive Carp Interbasin Project
MADISON, Wis. — Last week, Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging the release of already-approved federal funding for the Brandon Road Invasive Carp Interbasin Project, which would help combat invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes. The governor’s letter came as President Trump, in recent weeks, has boasted about his efforts to “save the Great Lakes,” despite his administration’s actions to simultaneously hold up critical funds for the project for months, stalling the project’s momentum and hindering work to protect the Great Lakes ecosystem in Wisconsin.
Following the governor’s advocacy, just days later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced the release of nearly $114 million to support the Brandon Road Invasive Carp Interbasin Project and help combat invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes. According to the USACE, which manages the Brandon Road project, the almost $114 million in funding was awarded to J.F. Brennan Company Inc., a La Crosse-based company, to move forward on construction efforts, including an automated barge clearing deterrent, bubble curtain deterrent, acoustic deterrent, leading-edge support facilities, and an upstream boat ramp.
“The release of this critical funding is a meaningful step forward in protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp and will help strengthen our ongoing efforts to safeguard some of our most valuable natural resources and support the ecosystems, communities, and economies that depend on them,” said Gov. Evers. “That said, any further obstruction or delays could hinder the work we have spent years on developing, so it is critical that the Trump Administration continue to uphold their end of the bargain and be a partner in seeing this project through to fruition, so we can continue to build on this momentum and ensure our waters remain free of invasive carp.”
More information on the governor’s efforts to support the Brandon Road project is available in this previous release issued by Gov. Evers.
Dear President Trump:
I write to urge you to release already-approved federal funding currently being held up by your administration to move the Brandon Road Invasive Carp Interbasin Project forward. Timely progress on this project is crucial to the health and economy of the Great Lakes and the states that border them. State leaders, myself included, have been leading the development and progress of this project for years, and the federal government must now step up and partner with us to ensure the Great Lakes are protected now and in the future.
As you know, Wisconsin is bordered by Great Lakes Michigan and Superior to the east and north, respectively, as well as the upper portions of the Mississippi River to the west. The vitality of these world-class, iconic waterbodies is central to our way of life, including keeping them healthy by combating invasive species, especially invasive carp. When invasive carp become abundant, native fisheries are destroyed. In the most infested areas, families are deprived of their favorite on-the-water pastimes, and popular sportfishing destinations no longer lure anglers from afar. Commercial industries and outdoor tourism businesses can lose their means of making a living.
Given the Great Lakes local, regional, and national significance, Wisconsin joined efforts to evaluate the risks and dangers invasive carp pose to these important waterbodies well over a decade ago. As the evidence of invasive carp moving up the Mississippi River drainage system increased, we took action to track fish movement up the river and to detect any possible presence of invasive carp establishment in the Great Lakes. As a result, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has collaborated with partners for years, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota DNR, to conduct targeted mass invasive carp removals on the Mississippi River to reduce fish numbers and mitigate further migration upstream towards the Great Lakes.
To further address the spread of invasive carp, Wisconsin has also been an active member of the Great Lakes-focused Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, the Great Lakes Commission (GLC), and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP), where the critical Brandon Road Interbasin Project has been central to planning for over a decade. In partnership with the eight Great Lakes states, GLC and GSGP have closely coordinated to raise awareness and grow support for the Brandon Road project, including providing letters of support to federal leaders for the project as far back as 2015. Additionally, Wisconsin has participated in GLC’s Brandon Road States and Provinces Forum (Forum) since 2019. The Forum has functioned as a venue for regional decision-makers to engage on the Brandon Road project, to discuss various options to prevent invasive carp from establishing in the Great Lakes basin, and to seek alignment among regional partners on this project of regional and national
significance.
The economic benefits of stopping invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes by completion of the Brandon Road project cannot be overstated, both nationally and in Wisconsin. The total GDP for the Great Lakes regional economy is $3.1 trillion, which is considerably larger than that of most countries throughout the world. Of that, anglers annually spend $4.9 billion on Great Lakes fishing, including $353 million in Wisconsin alone. Over 33,500 jobs are attributed to Great Lakes fishing as well, with 2,700 jobs in Wisconsin. Funding and completing the Brandon Road Interbasin project will protect these critical Great Lakes fisheries and the significant economies associated with them.
Wisconsin has and will continue to work with all partners, including the key partnerships we have with our fellow Great Lakes states and the federal government, on the Brandon Road project. The federal government plays a critical role in the Brandon Road project, with hundreds of millions of dollars having already been appropriated by Congress to work on the construction of the project. However, a significant amount of federal funding has been held up for months now with no clear reason, which risks significant delays in the project. I urge you to facilitate the release of the previously appropriated federal funds needed to move the Brandon Road project forward. Timing is critical as invasive carp continue to be detected just downstream of the Brandon Road lock and dam. Further, your release of the funds will be consistent with the White House Presidential Memoranda, “Protecting the Great Lakes from Invasive Carp” dated May 9, 2025, and will serve to protect the Great Lakes fisheries and recreational opportunities that are not only enjoyed by Wisconsinites but by all Americans who travel to enjoy these world-class resources.
Sincerely,
Tony Evers
Governor
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