Phasing out single-use polystyrene foam foodware is a giant step toward protecting the Chicago-Calumet River system and the Great Lakes from single-use plastic and foam pollution.

The 129-page framework plan will help guide the USACE in identifying potential sites and focus areas for further study and will provide a baseline for the next phase of river improvement projects within the City of Chicago.

Join Friends at our numerous paddles planned in September and October. No paddling experience necessary.

The art contest reflects Friends’ commitment to showcasing the beauty of the Chicago-Calumet River system, and to amplify creative and constructive community partnerships and toward building positive relationships between the people of the watershed and the river system.

To support beaver protection and encourage understanding and habitat restoration, Friends of the Chicago River has joined the Illinois Beaver Alliance as a co-host for the first Midwest Beaver Summit taking place virtually this September. It's free.

Our total Chicago Rivers Schools Network education outreach impacted more than 20,590 students over the course of the year.

Friends initiated Overflow Action Days in 2014, and have since collaborated with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) to expand the program’s public reach. 

The After Float Party was not only a success, but also a confirmation of the collective vitality and perseverance of water stewardship.

Our Executive Director Margaret Frisbie discusses how the Watershed Alliance works across jurisdictional boundaries to tackle intersecting environmental justice challenges, including pushing for substantial shifts in watershed governance and infrastructural development and maintenance.

Trump Tower Chicago has underreported the rate at which it withdraws water from the Chicago River resulting in an underreporting of its withdrawals by approximately 44%.