Exploring and Understanding the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Today

In summer and fall of 2025, we were grateful to engage and connect with so many people about renaming the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Thank you to everyone who thoughtfully filled out the survey and gave us feedback on a new name along with immensely valuable information regarding their experiences and future visions for this waterway. Nearly 4,000 people participated in voting for a new name for the canal, and in November, it was announced that the name Illinois Prairie Canal was ranked highest among five new potential names. To read more on the vote outcome visit boldpastbrightfuture.org.

 It is important to note that name has not yet changed, but the application that is needed to move to the next phase of this process is forthcoming.

Using the public survey responses as a foundation, Friends’ planning team has launched a next phase of canal research and discovery. Our goal with this next phase is to build broader understanding of multi-layered physical, ecological, and cultural conditions of the canal, sparking a broader discussion about its needs for the future.

Through data exploration, on-the-ground site visits, and connecting with constituents along the canal, we aim to uplift the people, stories, and places that define this unique corridor. The findings of this discovery process will be shared with the public and to inform cross jurisdictional and implementable actions and investments to guide stewardship of the canal corridor for decades to come.

We are excited to embark on researching this regionally important 28-mile stretch of the Chicago-Calumet River system to create a shared understanding and collective vision. If you have data, resources, or connections along the Canal you want to recommend we explore, please reach out to us at CSSCredefine@chicagoriver.org