Chicago River- How its health effects the ocean’s health

river between trees and city skyscrapers

Chicago River- How its health effects the ocean’s health

October 24, 2022

What is the Chicago River?

The Chicago River is a notable river flowing through the heart of the city of Chicago. It extends to the southwestern tip of Lake Michigan and stretches to connect with the Des Plaines River which eventually reaches the Mississippi River. The Chicago River serves as a link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River which flows all down the United States emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. Since the Chicago river connects such large bodies of water, its health is very important to monitor. (Images by David Wilson).

But was the Chicago River always there?

The Chicago River is natural, however, it was once a small and shallow stream that flowed among wetlands.(Yes Chicago was composed of wetlands and if you don’t believe me read this article!). With a city being built, these wetlands had to be drained so much of the water went into Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. The river has definitely changed dramatically from its original, natural state before the City of Chicago was built. And although the Chicago River is considered natural, many portions of the river are indeed man-made. So it is natural but very much altered by human intervention (we even changed the direction of the river’s flow!).

Reversing the Chicago River

The Chicago River didn’t always flow south. I know this seems bizarre but it’s true. Once Chicago became a booming city, many people lived in one confined area, and a sustainable sewage system was not yet established. In 1885 a large storm caused a large amount of sewage to enter Lake Michigan from the Chicago River. This was a HUGE problem because the whole population of Chicago got its drinking water from Lake Michigan. With contaminants now entering Lake Michigan through the Chicago River it posed a serious health risk for the city of Chicago so reversal of the Chicago River was planned and implemented through civil engineering methods. This reversal was completed in 1900 with water now flowing out of Lake Michigan down into southern rivers as talked about earlier. So did this solve our water contamination issues?

So did that solve the sewage problem?

The reversal of the Chicago River definitely did solve the pollution issue in Lake Michigan. With sewage water no longer flowing into the Lake, it became a much cleaner and safer lake to both swim in and use for the city’s drinking water. Although I would love for this to be a happy ending for all bodies of water, it is unfortunately not.

With the reversal of the Chicago River downstream into new rivers, sewage was now forced to travel downstream, further polluting the waters in St. Louis. This sewage water contains a lot of excess nutrients, which is perfect for algae excess growth. Now further downstream, excessive and uncontrolled algal blooms are occurring which ultimately strip the water of its oxygen causing a ‘hypoxic’ zone that most fish cannot live in. There is even a great dead zone (one of the world’s largest hypoxic zones of over 6000 square miles) in the Gulf of Mexico right where the Mississippi drains into the ocean. Since the Chicago river is connected to the Mississippi River, it contributes to this dead zone effect. Additionally the sewage water kills plants and aquatic life and can bring harmful bacteria to the area.

Restoration of the Chicago River

The present state of the Chicago River

With many local organizations such as the EPA and the friends of the Chicago River fighting to clean the river, the water is as clean as it has been in a while. However, despite stricter environmental laws and more awareness on the river’s pollution issues, the Chicago River still carries many pollutants and contaminants today. According to public health officials, the river is generally safe to swim in but can become potentially harmful to humans if bad rain storms come causing sewage to overflow into the river.

Restoration efforts

Urban Rivers and the Shedd Aquarium have come together to help clean the Chicago River with the creation of artificial floating wetlands. These wetlands host aquatic plants that take up excess nutrients in the water. The wetlands also have several mussels that help to filter the water.

Conclusion– What can you do to help?

The Chicago River, though tiny, effects a whole linkage of aquatic ecosystems. From the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, the Chicago River’s Health is an important playing in the greater health of North America’s aquatic ecosystems.

So what can you do the help these aquatic ecosystems or aquatic ecosystems in your area? One of the biggest things we can do to help aquatic ecosystems is to vote for people in office who support the preservation and conservation of rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. As civilians, yes we can pollute less and turn off the water when we brush our teeth, but the reality is that these changes are small. It not really us that is the problem, but large companies that pollute at much larger scales. Looking at the big picture of water pollution, voting for the protection of there aquatic ecosystems by our government is the best thing we can do. And it will have the greatest impact!