CHICAGO – Several Illinois nonprofit groups have formed a coalition aimed at stopping the spread of invasive species such as the Asian carp from the Mississippi River basin into the Great Lakes.

The Healthy Water Solutions coalition was announced Wednesday. Leaders said they hope to complement the work of federal and state agencies. They say one of their main issues will be advocating for reinvestment in the Chicago River system.

Asian carp were imported decades ago to the U.S. They migrated up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and are poised to invade the Great Lakes, where scientists say they could out-compete native fish for food. Asian carp are one of more than three dozen species the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said could cause damage to the Great Lakes.