Chicago Area Waterway System, River network in Chicago Metropolitan Area, US
The Chicago Area Waterway System is a network of rivers and canals in the Chicago metropolitan area that links Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. The waterways run at different elevations and are connected by locks that allow boats and barges to move between them.
Around 1900, engineers reversed the flow of the Chicago River by building the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, sending wastewater away from Lake Michigan and toward the Mississippi. The project was driven by public health concerns after the lake, used as a drinking water source, had become heavily polluted.
Fishing is common along many stretches of the waterway, and on warm days people line the banks with rods in hand. Some sections pass through neighborhoods where locals walk, run, or sit along the water as part of their daily routine.
The waterway has many access points along its banks, with paths, viewing spots, and boat launches spread across the metropolitan area. Spring and summer offer the most comfortable conditions for walking the banks or getting out on the water.
The reversal of the Chicago River is one of the very few cases in history where a natural waterway was permanently redirected to flow in the opposite direction. Water that once drained into Lake Michigan now flows toward the Gulf of Mexico instead.
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