2.4.3 Feasibility Assessment of Inter-Basin Transfer of Aquatic Invasive Species between the Des Plaines River and the

1. 2.4.3 Feasibility Assessment of Inter-Basin Transfer of Aquatic Invasive Species between the Des Plaines River and the Chicago Area Waterway System Robert T. Kay U.S. Geological Survey

2. Introduction • Potential exists for invasive species to circumvent the electronic barrier via the migration of eggs and fry through fractures in the rock between the Des Plaines River or I&M canal and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal • Once in the CSSC they can enter Lake Michigan • eDNA migration via this pathway also a possibility

5. Objectives • Determine the potential for migration of invasive species from the Des Plaines River and/or the I&M Canal to the CSSC via groundwater flow through the fractured bedrock that is present between these surface water bodies.

6. To meet these objectives we’ve done an assessment of the hydrogeology and water quality of the area • Streambed lithology • Surface geophysics • Bathymetry • Side-scan sonar • Profiles of temperature and conductivity • Well drilling • Aquifer testing • Geophysical logging

7. Current Knowledge • There are areas where the bed of the DPR consists of fractured bedrock (no sediment filter) • There is a network of vertical and horizontal fractures between the DPR and CSSC in the area where there is no sediment on the DPR • Water from the DPR enters the CSSC in parts of this area

11. Continuous monitoring of water levels and water quality in the DPR, CSSC, and wells How do water and particulates migrate? How long does it take? Tracer Tests—dye and spheres Can eggs and fry actually migrate? Transport time Biologic Assessment (BRD) Will fry move into fractures? What hydraulics are needed to force them to move? Can they survive the trip? How can we stop subsurface movement? Future Plans

12. Technological or Other Hurdles • Where to place the tracers • Funding

13. Data Gaps • More information on the relation between the vertical and horizontal fractures • More information on the size of the fractures between the DPR and the CSSC

14. Objectives and Work Completed Dye Tracing in Support of Rotenone Treatments • Support USEPA and IDNR during rotenone applications in the Chicago Area Waterway System by tracking the rotenone advection and dispersion using Rhodamine WT dye • (Nov. 2009) Performed a dye study on the CSSC below the fish barrier prior to rotenone application to simulate rotenone dispersion and identify leakage to the Des Plaines, I & M canal, and local groundwater • (Dec. 2009) Performed real-time tracking of rotenone using dye during large-scale application in CSSC to aide IDNR and USEPA in timing of booster applications and detox

15. Work Completed (continued) Dye Tracing in Support of Rotenone Treatments • (May 2010) Performed real-time tracking of rotenone using dye during application on the Little Calumet River • All treatments included discharge monitoring and velocity mapping in addition to dye tracing • Future Plans • Support future rotenone treatments if needed • Write report documenting 2009 and 2010 studies