Congratulations to our 2024 Award Winners!

We celebrate that our Chicago River Blue Award winners are making intentional choices to drive innovation for the continued protection and restoration of the Chicago-Calumet River system and surrounding watersheds.

View a complete list of past winners.

BLUE RIBBON AWARD

The Blue Ribbon Award winner represents creative and river-sensitive development, design, planning and leadership throughout the watershed. Only one Blue Ribbon is awarded annually. Past winners include the Horner Park Ecosystem Restoration, the Chicago Riverwalk, the Eleanor Street Boathouse, former Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel, and RainReady, The Forge: Lemont Quarries, and the Ford Calumet Environmental Center.

2024 BLUE RIBBON AWARD WINNER

Image courtesy of Friends of the Forest Preserves

Pictured: Arnold Randall, Eileen Figel, Openlands, Friends of the Forest Preserves, Friends' Board President, Sally Fletcher, and Friends' Executive Director, Margaret Frisbie. Image courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti. 

Vote Yes for Clean Air, Clean Water, and Wildlife Habitat

The Vote Yes Steering Committee: Friends of the Forest Preserves, Trust for Public Land, Brookfield Zoo, Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois Environmental Council, The Nature Conservancy, Openlands, Henrietta Saunders

This year we recognize the victorious Vote Yes for Clean Air, Clean Water, and Wildlife Habitat campaign for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. An incredibly hard working and dedicated team of creative partners led this effort to secure new funding for the Forest Preserves to protect clean water sources, air quality, and wildlife for people to enjoy for generations to come. This dedicated funding will also help invest in the Next Century Conservation Plan of the forest preserves, which includes expanding the forest preserves and doubling the acreage currently restored to reach 30,000 acres in good or excellent ecological health.

SILVER RIBBON AWARDS

The Silver Ribbon is awarded to projects that exhibit an exceptional level of sustainable practices and design excellence on multiple levels.

2024 SILVER RIBBON AWARD WINNER

Pictured: City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Friends' Board President, Sally Fletcher, and Friends' Executive Director, Margaret Frisbie. Image courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti. Image courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti. 

Chicago Waterways Restoration Framework Plan

United States Army Corps of Engineers, City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Chicago Park District, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Forest Preserves of Cook County

The Chicago Waterways Restoration Framework Plan is a strategic river-edge opportunity site identifying plan, conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with their local agency partners. Through the process to create this plan, the Army Corps of Engineers leveraged the broad river expertise of the City of Chicago’s River Ecology and Governance Task Force members and agency partners to collect ideas, opportunities, and potential locations for the next phase of river restoration. The site-based recommendations include ideas for future enhanced habitats, stormwater management, and recreational improvements.

GREEN RIBBON AWARDS

The Green Ribbon Award recognizes projects that demonstrate a high level of river-sensitive design and consideration.

2024 GREEN RIBBON AWARD WINNERS

Pictured: Skokie Consolidated Drainage District, V3 Companies, Friends' Board President, Sally Fletcher, and Friends' Executive Director, Margaret Frisbie. Image courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti.

Skokie River Streambank Stabilization Project

Skokie Consolidated Drainage District, V3 Companies, Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

This riverbank restoration project is located along the Skokie River, a key upstream reach of the Chicago-Calumet River system. The project made substantial investments in improving one mile of severely eroded streambanks. This project has resulted in expanded and protected riparian habitats, reduced water pollution, protected the riverbanks from erosion, and increased biodiversity.

Pictured: The Village of Glenview, Friends' Board President, Sally Fletcher, and Friends' Executive Director, Margaret Frisbie. Image courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti. 

Pine Street Streambank and Open Space Project

Village of Glenview, ENCAP, Inc., Baxter & Woodman, Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

This is another impressive streambank restoration project along the West Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River. With about 760 feet of restored riverbanks, this project removes invasive species, uses bioswales to stabilize the riverbank, enhances water quality, and improves wildlife habitat.

Image courtesy of Sterling Bay

Pictured: Sterling Bay, site design group, V3 Companies, Friends' Board President, Sally Fletcher, and Friends' Executive Director, Margaret Frisbie. Image courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti. 

1229 W Concord

Sterling Bay, site design group, J.P. Morgan, Harrison Street, Bank OZK, Gensler, Power Construction, V3 Companies

1229 West Concord, is a new riverfront development located along the North Branch of the Chicago River. The river-friendly landscape practices implemented through this project include providing a native-plant landscape buffer along the river’s edge, reducing the height of the seawall, building nature-based stormwater management, and providing new public access.

 

Pictured: Antero Group, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Friends' Board President, Sally Fletcher, and Friends' Executive Director, Margaret Frisbie. Image courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti.

Winchester Avenue Green Infrastructure & Flood Reduction Project, Calumet Park

Antero Group, Village of Calumet Park, Robinson Engineering, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Cook County, Greenprint Partners, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

The Winchester Avenue Green Infrastructure and Flood Reduction Project is located in Calumet Park, which is located in a sub-watershed of the Little Calumet River. It represents the first implementation element in a larger effort to resolve decades of stormwater flooding that dates back thousands of years. Winchester Avenue is effectively the foot of the Blue Island Spit, an island that once stood above the glacial Lake Chicago several thousand years ago. This climate resilient project which will provide nearly 200,000 gallons of stormwater storage each year.

Image courtesy of ANF Chicago

Pictured: Delilah D. Salgado, The Freshwater Lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Friends' Board President, Sally Fletcher, and Friends' Executive Director, Margaret Frisbie. Image courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti.

Rio de Bienvenida / River of Welcome

Artists: Delilah Salgado and Cynthia Weiss, Citlalli Trujillo and Dr. Rachel Havrelock from the UIC Freshwater Lab, Chicago Public Art Group, E(art)H Chicago, Builders Initiative, Illinois Arts Council, and University of Illinois System Presidential Initiative for the Arts & Humanities

The Rio de Bienvenida “River of Welcome” project is located in the Canalport Riverwalk Park, on the South Branch of the Chicago River. The installation elevates the South Branch communities’ vision for a future with clean air, clean water, and a restored and more accessible Chicago River. The project is a beautiful symbol of the importance of the river to South Branch community health and resiliency.

Image courtesy of Jacob Campbell, Field Museum

Pictured: The Field Museum, Imani Village, Forest Preserves of Cook County, Friends' Board President, Sally Fletcher, and Friends' Executive Director, Margaret Frisbie. Image courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti. 

The Prairie Boat Gathering Space

Prairie Boat Community Curatorial Committee: Luis Cabrales, Deloris Lucas, Juliette J. Tyson, Onome Omovie, Lillian Dawson, Juarez Hawkins, Frankye Payne, Patrice Black Lead Artist: Christine Perri, Imani Village, Chicago Park District, Forest Preserves of Cook County, Field Museum, Openlands, Illinois Department of Natural Resources: Coastal Management Program, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Walder Foundation

The Prairie Boat Gathering Space is located in the Beaubian Woods Forest Preserve, along the Little Calumet River. This project highlights local African American and Native American history, connects people to local waterways, and brings attention to the importance of Beaubian Woods to the surrounding communities. The project is an excellent example of how to celebrate natural spaces that have rich cultural and historical importance.

Why We Care

Flowing and meandering through urban and suburban communities, forest preserves and parks, industrial and commercial districts, as well as the heart of downtown, the 156-mile long Chicago-Calumet River system connects millions of people to nature. It provides wildlife a place to live, considerable recreational opportunity, and an ever-increasing diversity of economic benefits derived from the waterfront.

As a result, the Chicago-Calumet River system is one of the best opportunities for improving quality of life for people who live and work in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. However, the pressure to develop the river’s edge creates potential to destroy the magic the river provides. It is critical to continue focusing on and emphasizing river friendly actions to protect the river system and its health.

Friends of the Chicago River developed Chicago River Blue awards campaign to educate, encourage, and reward creative projects that are closely aligned with our vision. More information about our priority best practices for river edge projects can be viewed in our Developer Resource Guide document.