For the 2024 general election, Friends of the Chicago River solicited positions from the candidates running to fill three spots as MWRD Commissioners with six-year terms and one spot for a two-year term.

Friends was part of the event that convened 40 scholars, students, and community members, including artists, writers, activists, and designers, to engage in cross-disciplinary creative practice about the challenges facing urban watersheds.

You can take action to curb the use of rat poison by signing a petition calling on the city to reduce the rodenticide budget by 20% and redirect the funds to study alternative ways to reduce the rodent population.

The boat was held at an opportune time, as the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development will soon kick off a process to update the Calumet Area Land Use Plan and Calumet Design Guidelines.

Friends’ policy team played an active role in advocating for this project as part of our work with the city on the updated NPDES permit, which governs 184 city-owned outfalls that discharge into the reaches of the Chicago-Calumet River system and the Des Plaines River in Chicago.

Since the first awards in 2010, Friends has recognized a total of 91 projects that represent both large-scale initiatives and individual actions of property owners and elected officials to restore and protect the Chicago-Calumet River System.

The four remaining bridge lift viewing dates are on Saturday October 26 and November 2, and Wednesday October 23 and 30. Saturday lifts are typically around 10 a.m. and Wednesday lifts around 9:30 a.m.

Each of our 15 Litter Free Supply Stations provide all of the tools necessary to run safe and successful cleanups, including a copy of our easy-to-use Litter Free Toolkit in English and Spanish.

Thornwood High School, located in South Holland, is one of the two newest schools to join Friends’ Adopt A River Schools program, which is part of our Chicago River Schools Network.

Our runners are still fundraising until November 1. Please show your support for their amazing accomplishments.