Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Navigation canal in Cook County, Illinois, US
The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal stretches 28 miles from the Chicago River to the Des Plaines River with a width of 160 feet.
The canal's construction in 1900 marked North America's largest earth-moving operation, providing training grounds for engineers who later built the Panama Canal.
The canal transformed Chicago's public health by reversing the Chicago River flow, preventing sewage from contaminating Lake Michigan's drinking water supply.
Modern electric barriers installed along the canal prevent Asian carp migration between the Mississippi River system and the Great Lakes.
The waterway serves as the sole navigable connection between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds through the Chicago area.
Location: Cook County
Location: DuPage County
Location: Will County
Inception: 1900
GPS coordinates: 41.70503,-87.93395
Latest update: June 16, 2025 04:45
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