Waterway to remain open as Asian carp work proceeds

The Army Corps of Engineers completed the first two phases of parasitic structure installation ahead of schedule, and the restrictions that were planned this week on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal will be unnecessary, the Great Lakes Boating Federation reports.

The waterway is open and is expected to remain so until the next planned operations, from Nov. 3-5, when traffic will be prohibited from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day to allow the installation of the third and final parasitic structure.

The Engineers, the Coast Guard and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have been involved in a joint effort to stop the progress of Asian carp into Lake Michigan. With the increased strength of the electricity in the second barrier and vigilant netting north of the barriers, no Asian carp have been discovered, the federation said.

"With all of the major work concluded and the restrictions lifted until Nov. 3, Chicago area boaters will be heading to their dry storage on the Chicago River, concluding their 2010 boating season without difficulty," federation chairman Ned Dikmen said in a statement.