In all our years of exploring the trails of the Chicagoland area, we had never thought to find out what was happening along the river system. As it turns out, the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development (along with many other groups including the Friends of the Chicago River) have produced a Chicago River Corridor development plan. Slowly but surely the plan is being implemented. Before long there will be extended sections for hiking and biking along the river.
The Chicago River system is divided into four sections. The first is the short section that runs from Lake Michigan just south of Navy Pier west to where Wacker Drive turns south and continues south in what is called the South Branch. At this junction the North Branch feeds into the South Branch. The North Branch flows south from near the Wisconsin border and consists of a West Fork, a Middle Fork, and the Skokie River, as well as the man-made North Shore Channel (which drains Lake Michigan water from the Wilmette Harbor). The South Branch joins the Calumet River and the man-made Cal-Sag Channel and eventually flows into the Des Plaines River, then into the Illinois River and west to the Mississippi River. It’s quite a system!
The master plan that was developed with the help of Friends is divided into nine reaches and extends from the city limits on the north near Devon and Milwaukee Avenues to the city limits on the south near 43rd Street and Cicero Avenue. As Friends executive director Laurene von Klan explained, there are at the present time only bits and pieces of the development plan completed in each of these nine reaches. Some sections of the river are bordered by industrial property, some by private property, and some by commercial property. In 1998 the city council amended the zoning ordinance to include a mandatory setback of thirty feet for all new construction along the river. However, many builders aren’t obeying the setback regulation. These realities make it almost impossible to establish an uninterrupted trail along the river.
What can you do to help with the development of this corridor? First, if you do not already belong to the Friends of the Chicago River, please join. As do all not-for-profit organizations, Friends relies heavily on its membership to contribute time and money. In addition to its efforts to establish a trail along the river, the organization works to keep the river system clean, and it hosts a variety of river events, races, and educational projects throughout the year. If you live near the river (and you concur with the plan to establish this corridor) be sure to talk to your alderman and encourage your neighbors to become active supporters, too.
You can reach Friends of the Chicago River at 312-939-0490, or e-mail friends@chicagoriver.org. Visit the Web site at www.chicagoriver.org.