Chicago River Electric Barrier
The Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) is the only known continuous connection between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins and poses the greatest potential risk for the transfer of aquatic nuisance species.
The Electric Barriers are located near Romeoville, Ill., in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) within the CAWS. The CSSC is a man-made hydrologic connection between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins that was completed in the early 20th century to address sanitation and flooding. Construction of the CSSC allowed the reversal of the flow direction in the Chicago River and accommodated increased shipping.
The Electric Barriers are operated to deter the inter-basin establishment of Asian carp and other fish via the CSSC by maintaining an electric field in the water. The barriers are one control technology in a broad interagency Asian carp prevention effort. They are formed of steel electrodes that are secured to the bottom of the CSSC. The electrodes are connected to a raceway, consisting of electrical connections to a control building. Equipment in the control building generates direct current (DC) pulses through the electrodes, creating an electric field in the water that discourages fish from crossing. Laboratory and tagged-fish study results show that the electric barriers are an effective fish deterrent.