Politics & Government

Red Dye Will Temporarily Discolor Des Plaines River Near Lemont

U.S. Geological Survey will perform a dye test beginning Nov. 15 — more than three months after the original start date was delayed by high water levels.

A harmless red dye will temporarily discolor the Des Plaines River near next week, government officials announced Monday.

Beginning Tuesday, scientists from the United States Geological Survey will be performing a dye test on the Des Plaines River and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal between Route 83 and the Lemont/Lockport area, according to a news release.

As a result, the water will have a reddish tint until approximately Thursday, Nov. 17.

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The study will determine locations where water from the Des Plaines River may be moving into the canal, and is part of a larger study on the potential of Asian carp eggs and other invasive species to migrate to Lake Michigan, the release states.

"Experience with invasive species in the past has shown that their populations can expand rapidly at the expense of native species once they obtain access to a new, favorable habitat," USGS Director Marcia McNutt said in the release. "The Great Lakes fisheries are a $7 billion industry annually that is at risk."

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The study was in July, but forced the USGS to postpone.

USGS scientists will use low, non-hazardous concentrations of dye, which will identify exact areas, if any, where openings in the bedrock are large enough for invasive carp eggs to migrate through and enter the canal.

"Asian carp can be destructive to native ecosystems because they compete with native fish for food, and this study will inform strategies to prevent their migration into Lake Michigan," said Doug Yeskis, director of the USGS Illinois Water Science Center.

According to the release, USGS scientists will begin setting up the equipment Monday, and will inject the dye on Tuesday. The water will be observed Tuesday through Friday from boats that will traverse the area between Route 83 and the convergence of the Des Plaines River and the canal.

If the movement is not complete, the USGS will continue to monitor the area.

This dye injection study is part of the Interbasin Transfer Project funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, according to the release.

For more information about water resources in Illinois, visit the USGS Illinois Water Science Center website.


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