1

THE CHICAGO RIVER...ONE OF CHICAGO’S GREAT

ARCHITECTS?ARCHITECTS?

What did theChicago

Riverlook

like

400400YEARS

AGO?

Courtesy of Chicago History Museum

1790Jean Baptiste Point DuSable

builds his cabin

Population GROWS in Chicago!

1830 150 permanent settlers

1832 350 permanent settlers

Blackhawk War concluded, more settlers arrive…

1836 I&M Canal Construction…

People come for the employment!

Mar. 4, 1837 Chicago is incorporated as a city

1840 4,470 people living in Chicago

2

Courtesy of Chicago History Museum

1850

Population of Chicagogrows to 30,000grows to 30,000

Courtesy of MetropolitanWater Reclamation District

80Chicago Death Rate (per 1000 people)

20

30

40

50

60

70Chicago Death Rate (per 1000 people)

Sewers constructed S&S Canal constructed

CS Channel constructed

0

10

1845

1850

1855

1860

1865

1870

1875

1880

1885

1890

1895

1900

1905

1910

1915

1920

1925

1930

Courtesy of MetropolitanWater Reclamation District

Jan. 2, 1900

1922

1922Courtesy of MetropolitanWater Reclamation District Chicago’s

Population

1890 1,000,0001907 2,000,000, ,1926 3,000,000

6.2 Billion Gallonsof “Water” per Day

3

CS

O

ombinedewerverflow

Non-Point Source Pollution

Loss of biodiversity• Species affected by pollution• Species affected by non-native species• Species lose their homes/habitat• Species move away or become extinctSpecies move away or become extinct

Purpleloosetrife

Rustycrayfish

Europeanstarling

Asian carp

Zebra mussel

70

BIODIVERSITY INDEX OF FISH SPECIES IN CHICAGO ANDCALUMET RIVER SYSTEMS BETWEEN 1974 AND 2005

Increase in Biodiversity

30

40

50

60

70

umbe

r of F

ish

Spec

ies

Cessation of WRP Effluent Chlorination

TARPOperational

SEPA Operational

0

10

20

1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Nu