The South Branch of the Chicago River is emerging from its long history of industry and pollution. Find out more about it on tour with NBC5's Carol Marin and Friends' executive director, Margaret Frisbie.

Friends of the Chicago River  hosted its 8th Annual Big Fish Ball on Wednesday, June 5, 2013. This annual fundraising event was held along the river on the Merchandise Mart’s Riverside Drive between the Wells Street and Franklin Street bridges. Unique river-centric spectacles and surprises were a part of this one-of-a-kind gala benefitting the river. We want to share this great video that captured the spirit our our gala event. Thanks to all our guests and sponsors for supporting us this year and making it the most successful Big Fish Ball yet!

The Chicago River took center stage Sunday, June 9 during Shall We Gather at the River, the culmination of Chicago Symphony Orchestra's RIVERS Festival at Ping Tom Memorial Park in partnership with Friends and the Chicago Park District.

Watch some videos about the RIVERS fest here

Check out this video produced by the Chicago Park District for the River Fest, a musical celebration of one of Chicago's most important landmarks and treasures, the Chicago River. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Park District partnered with Friends of the Chicago River to spotlight our river and bring people down  to celebrate its renaissance and recovery.

On May 9, Friends, together with partner organization Openlands, released a report that proves what we knew all along, investing in the Chicago River is good for the river and good for the region.

Photo coverage of the April 18, 2013 flooding highlights the importance of understanding the link between stormwater management and runoff and our sensitive river system. That day, expressways were closed, basements filled with water...

Friends has been working on plans that prevent the spread of Asian carp and other aquatic nuisance species. Much ado has been made about eDNA for monitoring their presence in the Chicago River, and now studies show that we should focus our efforts down stream.

Statements in recent news stories call the Chicago River an open sewer and create a specter of raw sewage pouring into Lake Michigan if the river reverses. The fact is that statement is patently untrue.

After spending more than $13 million fighting efforts to clean up the Chicago River, the agency that handles Cook County's sewage and stormwater on Tuesday officially dropped its opposition.

On an 8-1 vote, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's elected board endorsed a new policy that backs more stringent water quality standards.

The Chicago Tribune story here.

The Illinois Pollution Control Board today took the first step toward designating stretches of the Chicago River, Cal-Sag Channel and Little Calumet River safe for “primary contact,” a legal term that includes activities such as kayaking, canoeing, boating, wading and swimming.

Read about the anouncement here