Watershed Alliance Partners Celebrate Progress, Strengthen Connections

Numerous partners of the Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance gathered this week at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum to connect, celebrate our shared accomplishments, and reaffirm our collective commitment to building a healthier and more resilient Chicago-Calumet River watershed by driving the use of natural solutions.

The evening provided an opportunity for partners to strengthen relationships, exchange ideas, and discuss collaborative approaches to addressing some of the region's most pressing environmental challenges, including community flooding, water quality, habitat restoration, and equitable access to nature.

The Great Chicago Watershed Alliance is a coalition of partner organizations led by Friends of the Chicago River that works to accelerate the use of nature-based solutions across the watershed. By connecting government agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, businesses, and community groups, the Watershed Alliance promotes policies, planning, and projects that improve water quality, reduce flooding, restore habitat, and build climate resilience throughout the watershed.

“The challenges facing our watershed are too complex for any one organization to solve alone,” said Adam Flickinger, planning director at Friends of the Chicago River. “The Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance brings together partners with different expertise and perspectives so we can learn from one another, develop innovative watershed infrastructure solutions.”

Since its formation by Friends of the Chicago River in 2020, the Watershed Alliance has grown into a network of 55 organizations committed to sharing knowledge, advancing best practices, and demonstrating how natural infrastructure can improve communities throughout the Chicago region. Through regular meetings, technical collaboration, educational programs, and shared resources, Watershed Alliance partners continue to advance projects that benefit people, water, and wildlife while helping communities adapt to a changing climate.

Discover more about the Watershed Alliance here.