Chicago River

The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center, called the Chicago Loop. It is about 156 miles long and plays a big role in why Chicago is such an important place. The river is connected to a route called the Chicago Portage, which links the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River Basin and finally to the Gulf of Mexico.

In 1887, leaders in Illinois decided to change the direction the river flowed. They did this using big engineering projects, taking water from Lake Michigan and sending it toward the Mississippi River. This happened partly because of a severe weather event in 1885 that worried people about Chicago's water supply. Later, in 1889, they created a new group called the Chicago Sanitary District, now known as the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. They built a larger waterway called the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to help with sewage and ships. This work was finished by 1900 and changed how the river flowed. In 1999, this amazing engineering feat was named a "Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium" by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The Chicago River is even shown on the city's flag with two blue stripes. The three branches of the river inspired the city's official symbol, a three-branched, Y-shaped sign that you can see on many buildings in Chicago.

Course

The Chicago River is made up of three main parts: the North Branch, the South Branch, and the main stem. In the past, the North and South Branches would meet at Wolf Point and flow into Lake Michigan. Today, the river flows west from Lake Michigan to meet the North Branch at Wolf Point, then continues south into the South Branch before joining the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

Early settlers called the North Branch the Guarie River, after a trader. It starts in the northern suburbs and flows south through many areas, including parks and neighborhoods, before joining the main stem at Wolf Point. The main stem begins at Lake Michigan and flows west under many bridges in the city's center. Since the late 1800s, water from Lake Michigan has been used to fill the river. The South Branch starts where the North Branch meets the main stem and flows south past many important buildings and bridges, eventually joining the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

History

Name

The name Chicago comes from a French version of the Native American word for ramps, a type of wild leek that grew near the river.

Exploration and settlement

French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette were the first Europeans known to visit the Chicago River in 1673. They found the area very important because of the Chicago Portage, a link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.

Early modifications

In the early 1800s, soldiers built channels to help boats reach Fort Dearborn. Later, the Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the river to the Illinois River, creating a water route from New York City to New Orleans.

Reversing the flow

Originally, the Chicago River flowed into Lake Michigan, which caused pollution problems as the city grew. In 1900, engineers reversed the river's flow so that water from Lake Michigan would flow away from the city into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. This helped improve the city's water quality.

Bridges

The first bridge across the Chicago River was built in 1832. Today, there are 38 movable bridges spanning the river.

Pollution

The Chicago River has faced challenges because of factories and homes, which changed the water and riverbanks. Many types of fish live in the river, such as largemouth, smallmouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, and carp, along with many crayfish. One part of the river, called the South Fork, used to be very dirty from old meat packing areas and was nicknamed Bubbly Creek. Illinois has warned people about eating fish from the river because of pollution like PCB and mercury, especially for larger carp.

There are also worries that certain fish, silver carp and bighead carp, might travel from the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers to the Great Lakes through the Chicago River. Efforts are being made to help wildlife, such as adding floating plant islands near Goose Island. These projects are led by a group called Urban Rivers with help from the Shedd Aquarium. Since 1972, many steps have been taken to make the river’s water cleaner, following laws like the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Recreation

The Chicago River is a favorite spot for fishing, even though some people worry about pollution. In 2006, the Chicago Park District began the "Mayor Daley's Chicago River Fishing Festival," which has become more popular each year. Between 2013 and 2016, the district opened four boat houses—two on the south branch and two on the north branch—for people to enjoy the river.

Mouth of the river

The mouth of the Chicago River has changed over time. Pictures show how it looked in different years, from 1831 to the early 1900s. These images give us a glimpse of the river's history and how it has evolved.

Dyeing the river

Saint Patrick's Day

Every year, the Chicago River is dyed a special green color to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. This tradition has been going on for over sixty years. Many people gather to watch the river change color and then join parades in the city.

The green dyeing began by accident in 1961. Workers were using a special dye to find pollution in the river. They later suggested dyeing the river for the holiday, and the idea was accepted. Today, a safe vegetable dye is used instead of the original dye, which was harmful to the river. Some people think the dyeing isn't good for the river, but it remains a popular tradition.

Chicago Cubs rally

After the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016, the river was dyed blue to celebrate. Some experts worried that changing the river's color too often could harm the plants and animals that live there.

McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum

The southwest bridgehouse of the DuSable Bridge (Michigan Avenue) is a small museum about the Chicago River. It opened on June 10, 2006, and is named after Robert R. McCormick, a former owner of the Chicago Tribune. The museum is run by the Friends of the Chicago River, a group that cares for the river. Visitors can see the bridge's gears in action during certain times of the year. Because the museum is small, only 79 people can visit at the same time.

Monitoring the impact of extreme weather events on the Chicago District

The US Army Corps of Engineers has watched over harbors and water paths on the Great Lakes since the early 1800s. They started checking water conditions and lake levels in 1918. A report from December 26, 2012, showed that Hurricane Sandy affected Chicago's water systems, causing some areas to lose depth for ships. Projects along the Chicago shoreline helped reduce the storm's damage.

The same report pointed out that low water levels in the Great Lakes were caused by a very hot, dry summer and little snow in the winter of 2012. In December 2012, Lake Michigan-Huron was 28 inches below its usual level, close to the low points seen in 1964. From 1918 to 1998, 1964 had the lowest levels ever recorded. In 2012, Lake Michigan-Huron rose only about 4 inches for the season, much less than the usual 12 inches. Normally, the Chicago River’s water level is two feet lower than the lake, so it doesn’t flow back into the lake. If the lake gets too low, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago might need to keep locks closed longer, which could affect travel on the water. If the river flowed backward into Lake Michigan, it could hurt water travel and the quality of the lake’s water, which people use for drinking. Usually, Chicago’s wastewater goes up the river toward the Mississippi River, then south to the Gulf of Mexico. In January 2013, experts said the lake levels were getting close to a worrying point, but the District said the river couldn’t flow backward just because the lake was low.

In January 2013, the US Army Corps of Engineers measured Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and found they were at their lowest points since records began in 1918. The lakes were 29 inches below their usual level and had dropped 17 inches since January 2012.