On March 9, 2017, Friends invited water quality experts, policy advocates, and urban swimming champions from around the country to discuss swimming in our river system. The sold-out Chicago River Summit, entitled "Swimming the Distance: How Do We Get from Here to There," encouraged attendees to understand how we can make swimming a reality.

Decades of water quality advancements have made swimming in the Chicago River a very real possibility. Learn more about our efforts to improve the river system as we prepare for the 11th Chicago River Summit, "Swimming the Distance"

The Chicago River system is much cleaner due to investment in clean water infrastructure and the Clean Water Act.  However, an overload of phosphorus and other nutrients from wastewater plants continues to pollute these waters. Today, Friends of the Chicago River and other partners reached a milestone collaborative resolution with the MWRD regarding phosphorus discharge from its water reclamation plants. 

Friends' public outreach activities in the Chicago River watershed recently earned an award from the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission.

Recently, several industry magazines highlighted the new partnership between the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and Sloan Valve Company.

The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum is much more than a historical landmark...it's also a unique space for pop-up shops like Give A Shirt, which recently raised $7,000 to benefit StreetWise vendors. 

This week the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and Sloan Valve Company launched a new pilot program that could save 585,000 gallons of water annually, through new hybrid urinals installed at MWRD's headquarters.  Mariyana Spyropoulos, MWRD president, challenged local governments to match the MWRD and install hybrid urinals of their own to further conserve water and reduce inputs to TARP and, ultimately, the river.

Next year, Chicago will get its chance to shine when the city hosts a global mayors’ forum on urban waterfront redevelopment.

Do you know where the Chicago River starts and ends?  The answers just might surprise you!

Our native seeding and habitat restoration efforts are making a difference. This recent feature in the Chicago Tribune explains how.