Corps scrambling to turn up voltage on carp barrier

Corps scrambling to turn up voltage on carp barrier

By Dan Egan

Source: Journal Sentinel

11/8/2009

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scrambling to turn up the voltage on its new fish barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to try to keep advancing Asian carp from spilling into Lake Michigan.

The new barrier was turned on this year after nearly three years of safety tests. But the Army Corps operates it at only about a quarter of its capacity because of a fear that at full strength it could cause sparks - and perhaps explosions - on barges traveling the canal.

The problem is research shows the existing voltage at the barrier - 1 volt per inch - is not strong enough to turn back all sizes of Asian carp.

After last week's news that the monstrous jumping silver carp are likely within about seven miles of the fish-zapping contraption, the Army Corps said Tuesday that it is going to begin a new round of tests to determine whether it's safe to operate at double its current voltage.

The Army Corps says new research indicates that 2 volts per inch is strong enough to repel all sizes of Asian carp; the barrier was designed to operate as high as 4 volts per inch.

Lake Michigan

Carp, Grass

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