- Published: Friday, January 06, 2017 10:23 AM
Did you know? Illinois is home to the only river in the world that flows backwards.
The Chicago River, known mainly for the different colors it is dyed to celebrate different events and holidays, has been a hallmark of Chicago since the earliest days of the city. The first European to permanently settle in Chicago, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, built his farm on the north shore of the river’s mouth. Fort Dearborn, the first American settlement, was built right across the river at the south shore of the mouth.
Most people don’t know that the river flows backwards.
To combat the pollution of the river caused by the growing industrial city, the Sanitary District of Chicago made efforts to reverse the flow of the river. The greatest of these efforts began in 1900.
Building a system of locks and canals, the District reversed the flow from Lake Michigan, diverting the water into the newly constructed Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
In 1999, the American Society of Civil Engineers named the Chicago River flow reversal the “Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium”.
Today, the Chicago River system includes the North and South Branches along with the Main Stem of the Chicago River. Additionally, the North Shore Channel, the Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Calumet Sag Channel make up 52 miles of the river’s constructed waterways.
If you are interested in learning more about what the Chicago River has to offer, you can visit the website of Friends of the Chicago River.
