Statement Regarding the Dyeing of the Chicago River

Over the last several decades, the Chicago-Calumet River system has undergone an extraordinary environmental renaissance. Through sustained public investment, strong environmental policy, and the work of countless advocates and partners, the river today supports almost 80 species of fish, thriving wildlife, and growing recreational use, from paddling and fishing to the return of open-water swimming. These gains reflect a broader shift in how Chicagoans see the river: not as a novelty or backdrop, but as a living natural wonder that deserves respect and stewardship.

Friends of the Chicago River recognizes how beloved the dyeing tradition is, but dyeing the river green, even temporarily, undercuts the river’s environmental progress by treating it as a prop rather than a living ecosystem. At a time when Chicago is emerging as a global leader in the movement for swimmable and ecologically healthy urban waterways, we believe the focus should be on celebrating the river in a manner that recognizes it as a natural body of water, and the remarkable environmental recovery it represents.

Last year, Friends of the Chicago River asked the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate its long-standing decision not to require a permit for dyeing the Chicago River for St. Patrick’s Day, which has become a greater concern because the discoloration lasts for days. It used to be an afternoon.

Federal law requires permits for any discharge into a waterway, including when that discharge visibly changes the color of the water. State law requires it too.

When the tradition began in 1962, a small amount of dye was poured by hand from a single boat, and the green color faded within hours. Today, the event has grown into a large-scale operation using water cannons to release significantly more dye. The result is green water that can linger for up to 10 days, without public knowledge of what that volume of dye means for the river’s ecosystem.

Friends of the Chicago River encourages people to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in ways that honor both Chicago’s cultural traditions and the health of the river itself. The Chicago River is no longer a river to be dyed green, it is a river to be protected, restored, and enjoyed in its natural state by all.