Friends of the Chicago River
Friends of the Chicago River - Fostering the Vitality of the Chicago River

Green FrogCurrent Highlights

Big Fish Ball

Despite the challenging economy, Friends’ fourth annual Big Fish Ball fundraising gala raised even more money than the 2008 event! Find out more about our success.

McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum

bridgehouse.jpg Make a big splash downtown during the summer season! Come visit Friends’ McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum and the nearby Fish Hotel. The museum is located along a beatiful stretch of the new downtown Riverwalk, complete with benches to relax, eat, and even wiggle your toes in the grass. Museum doors are open from now until October 31, 2009.

Clean Water and Healthy Fish

Right now the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) is reviewing improved water quality standards for the Chicago River and Calumet River systems and we need your help to make sure they approve them. A critical improvement over what we have now, these recommendations include disinfecting bacteria that pours into these waterways as a by product of sewage treatment and controlling other factors that can harm people and fish. Learn more about this critical water quality opportunity…

Action Plan for the Chicago River:

Getting Specific Strategies for a cleaner, more vibrant Chicago River

charrette-cover.gifThe report outlines the future needs of the Chicago River and offers recommendations for river improvement. It is the culmination of over 50 subject-area experts who participated in one of six charrettes and is now available here. (3MB PDF)

In addition, Friends’ Friends’ Chicago River Matrix, (88K PDF) which outlines public access, water quality, aquatic habitat, riverbank habitat, riverbank naturalization and land protection for each stretch of the river, is also available.

Chicago River Flatwater Classic

flatwater_home.jpg Join Friends for the Flatwater Classic on Sunday, October 4, 2009! Learn more about how you can get involved in this one-of-a-kind adventure!

Thanks… 17th Annual Chicago River Day

Friends of the Chicago River would like to thank everone who participated in this year’s Chicago River Day on Saturday, May 9, 2009. Our annual workday event brought 3,800 volunteers together from across the watershed to clean riverbanks, remove harmful invasive plants, repair nature trails, conduct water quality testing and so much more.

If you were at the 2009 Chicago River Day, please visit Survey Monkey and spend a minute or two to complete a short evaluation survey. Click here.

Friends’ newsletter: The River Reporter

cover%20river%20reporter.gifDownload the latest edition of our newsletter. Save on paper and read the electronic version, or print it out to read later.

Friends’ Offices

Friends’ address is:
28 East Jackson, Suite 1800
Chicago, IL 60604-2272
(312) 939-0490