The Economic Times

In 1892, engineers began the Chicago Canal to divert sewage using 42 million cubic yards of earth; more than a century later, it may help Asian carp reach the Great Lakes

In 1885, Chicago undertook the monumental task of reversing its river flow to safeguard drinking water by rerouting sewage from Lake Michigan into the Mississippi Basin. While this engineering marvel successfully protected the city, it inadvertently opened a gateway for invasive Asian carp, threatening the Great Lakes' ecosystem. Currently, electric barriers serve as a temporary fix, but substantial investment in basin separation is needed for a lasting solution.