What is the river called that runs through Chicago?

What is the river called that runs through Chicago?

Chicago River
The Chicago River runs through the city of Chicago, starting 40 miles north of the downtown loop area and flowing south to the Calumet river system. This expansive waterway connects to Lake Michigan and offers several sightseeing opportunities from unique vantage points.

Where does the Chicago River flow into?

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
Chicago River/Mouths

Is the Chicago River important?

The river was crucial in Chicago’s development as a major center of the lumber and meatpacking industries during the nineteenth century. Locks located near Lake Michigan and at Lockport diverted the flow of the North Branch, South Branch, and Main Stem into the canal and to the Des Plaines River.

Why did they reverse the Chicago River?

When raw sewage and other pollutants were dumped in the river, they flowed into Chicago’s primary source of drinking water. As the city grew, fear of disease spread, and officials decided to permanently reverse the river’s flow, sending its polluted water to the Mississippi River instead.

What’s at the bottom of the Chicago River?

Now to get all literal, at the very bottom of the river is rock — Niagara limestone, to be exact. Despite the fact that much of the Chicago River system is man-made, both the natural bottom and the man-made, dynamite-carved bottom are formed out of this rocky substrate.

Is the Chicago River still polluted?

Although the river still struggles with pollution, especially during and after storms, it has become significantly cleaner in recent decades. Now, the Chicago nonprofit Current wants to give you real-time updates on the river’s water quality with just a few taps on your phone, much like checking the weather.

Can you eat fish from the Chicago River?

Most of the fish in the Chicago River and its connected channels are safe to eat, though the state advises people to limit consumption of certain species to avoid highly toxic chemicals known as PCBs, another legacy from a century of industrial pollution.