Tag Archive for Chicago River

September 15th, 2016

Want to learn about future swimming plans for the Chicago River?

Real-time water quality information by 2020. Continuous riverfront trails by 2030. Thriving ecosystems by 2040. And yes, swimming.

The first ever unified vision of the Chicago, Des Plaines and Calumet Rivers has recently been released in a publication entitled “Our Great Rivers.”

Learn more about this vision at a roundtable hosted by the Metropolitan Planning Council on Thursday, September 29th, 2016 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm at 140 S. Dearborn St, Suite 1400, Chicago.

Speakers include:

Josh Ellis, Director, Metropolitan Planning Council, and the project lead for Great Rivers Chicago
Kim Wasserman Nieto, Executive Director, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
John Quail, Director of Watershed Planning, Friends of the Chicago River
Arnold Randall (tentative), Superintendent, Forest Preserve of Cook County
Commissioner David Reifman, City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development

Learn more and register online at www.metroplanning.org/events/roundtable/detail/378

Tags: Chicago River
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May 11th, 2016

Chicago River Day is this Saturday, May 14th

Help clean up the Chicago river system this Saturday, May 14, 2016 during the annual Chicago River Day event. This metro-wide volunteer day spans the river’s 156-mile system and runs from 9 a.m. – 12:00 noon.

Volunteers will work along the river banks and help to remove tons of litter and sort out recyclables, but can also support construction of river trails, remove invasive vegetation, and plant native plants.

At most sites, the minimum age for volunteers is eight years old.

Chicago River Day will proceed rain or shine.

For locations and registration information, visit the Friends of the Chicago River website.

Tags: Chicago River, water quality
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April 27th, 2016

Upcoming Great Rivers Chicago meetings

Great Rivers Chicago, an initiative to create a long-term vision for Chicago’s three rivers—Calumet, Chicago and Des Plaines—is gearing up for a release of the vision in early summer 2016.

Learn about the draft vision and provide feedback at these upcoming meetings:

May 4th – North Side Spring Public Meeting – Horner Park Fieldhouse
May 11th – Des Plaines Spring Public Meeting – Dunning Library
May 24th – Far South Spring Public Meeting – Rowan Park Fieldhouse

All meetings will be held 6:00 – 7:30, with the main presentation at 6:15 and time for feedback to follow.

Note: Registration is free and, because of space constraints, is advised.

For more information and to register, visit the Great Rivers Chicago event page: http://greatriverschicago.com/Calendar/index.html

Tags: Chicago River
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May 1st, 2015

Celebrate Chicago River Day on May 9th

Chicago River Day is next Saturday, May 9th. Not only will Chicagoans have the opportunity to help clean up various locations along the Chicago River and Little Calumet River, but Friends of the Chicago River & Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) are also hosting a big celebration to promote its Great Rivers Chicago initiative.

Volunteering: Dozens of locations along the Chicago River are hosting volunteers from 9am – 12:00 noon. Volunteer activities vary from site to site. Volunteer projects on Chicago River Day include trash collection, sorting trash for recycling, removing invasive vegetation, sprucing up river-edge trails, planting native seedlings and more.

Most volunteer sites are suited for ages 8 and above, though a few family-friendly sites are available.

Registrations and information about the available sites can be found on the Chicago River Day website.

Celebrating: From 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, volunteers and other supporters of the Chicago River can enjoy a free party on the Cherry Avenue Railroad Bridge (connecting North Avenue and Goose Island). The event is open to the public and will feature music by Windy City Soul Club, family-friendly activities including fishing lessons from the Chicago Park District, free demos from Kayak Chicago, beer from our friends at Goose Island Beer Company, and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks from Chicago food trucks.

MPC and Friends of the Chicago River staff will be on hand to share information about Great Rivers Chicago, their citywide effort to shape a vision for Chicago’s rivers.

Don’t forget to participate in the Great Rivers Chicago survey!

Great Rivers Chicago is still seeking feedback about the current and future state of the Chicago River watershed. This survey will stay open until June 1, 2015.

Tags: Chicago River, water quality
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April 22nd, 2015

Have opinions about Chicago’s rivers? Great Rivers Chicago wants to know!

Great Rivers Chicago is seeking feedback about the current and future state of the Chicago, Calumet, and Des Plaines rivers. Metropolitan Planning Council, Friends of the Chicago River and the City of Chicago have joined forces as “Great Rivers Chicago” to create a coordinated long-term vision and plan for economic and community development along Chicago’s riverfronts.

Their survey is available in both English and Spanish. It asks respondents to focus on particular areas of the river when giving feedback on its current uses, quality, and access as well as its ideal future.

“Much like Lake Michigan is Chicago’s front yard, the Chicago River is our backyard, and should be an asset that people across the city enjoy,” said Mayor Emanuel. “With the excitement seen around the Chicago Riverwalk expansion, now is the right time to ask residents how they want to interact with their rivers in all of Chicago’s neighborhoods and today’s partnership is the first of many steps that will lead to greater use of the river ways by Chicagoans.”

The survey is available at greatriverschicago.com and takes about 10 minutes to complete.