Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance

The goal of the Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance is to advance climate resilience by coordinating stormwater management across sectors and jurisdictions of the Chicago-Calumet River watershed.

In 2020, Friends of the Chicago River initiated the Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance (originally known as the Chicago-Calumet River Watershed Council) to establish a forum for harnessing the power of nature for watershed-based stormwater management.

The 55-member Watershed Alliance coordinates work among public agencies, conservation groups, nonprofit organizations, research institutions and other practitioners to build collective efforts in advancing policies, projects, and programs that advance multi-benefit nature-based solutions for a more resilient Chicago region. Our mission is to strengthen cross-jurisdictional collaboration on comprehensive stormwater management, with an emphasis on nature-based solutions and green infrastructure to complement gray infrastructure for maximized social, environmental, and economic benefits for the 156-mile Chicago-Calumet River system.

Since its formation, the Watershed Alliance has leveraged $8.5 million in grant funding for the watershed through the shared expertise, coordination, and project prioritization analysis from the Natural Solutions Tool.

Our main objectives are to:

  • Capture stormwater, improve water quality, and mitigate flooding
  • Drive sustained investments in green infrastructure
  • Support environmental justice and community health
  • Protect, expand, and restore natural areas
  • Enhance and protect biodiversity
  • Increase climate resiliency
  • Expand inclusive opportunities for recreation and respite

Watershed Alliance projects include: 

Planning and Project Development

Policy and Implementation Support

  • Collaborative input and stakeholder engagement for Chicago’s Green Infrastructure Strategy
  • Coordinated recommendations for amendments to MWRD’s Watershed Management Ordinance 
  • Regional stormwater policy analysis to inform a regional stormwater funding assessment being led by Watershed Alliance partners
  • Coordinated input and tracking for CDBG-Disaster Resilience Action Plans for the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the Town of Cicero

Collaboration and Capacity Building

  • Integration of the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative into the Watershed Alliance network
  • Peer-learning events, site visits, and knowledge-sharing opportunities among members
  • Joint funding exploration and project pipeline development
  • Administration of a new community-led nature-based solutions grant program funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and U.S. EPA

Together the Watershed Alliance continues to identify projects and work with each other to build healthy, equitable, biodiverse, protected and connected landscapes and communities.

Get Involved

The Watershed Alliance meets regularly in general meetings and working groups to co-develop projects to realize the vision of the Watershed Alliance. Currently active committees are the Executive Committee, Calumet Stormwater Collaborative, Policy Working Group, and Natural Solutions Tool Technical Advisory Team. To learn more about membership, refer to the Watershed Alliance Processes and Procedures document. If interested in joining the Watershed Alliance, please email tmurray@chicagoriver.org. 

Watershed Alliance Executive Committee Member Organizations:

Alliance for the Great Lakes

Center for Neighborhood Technology

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

Chicago Park District

City of Chicago

Cook County

Forest Preserve District of Cook County

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program

Lake County Stormwater Management Commission

Metropolitan Planning Council

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Openlands

Trust for Public Land

Past Meeting Materials:

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

For more information, please email tmurray@chicagoriver.org.