How did the Chicago River change its course?
In 1887, the Illinois General Assembly decided to reverse the flow of the Chicago River through civil engineering by taking water from Lake Michigan and discharging it into the Mississippi River watershed, partly in response to concerns created by an extreme weather event in 1885 that threatened the city's water supply.
How many holes in the Chicago Golf Club?
Later in 1895, Chicago Golf Club members had become so taken with the sport that they decided to build a new eighteen-hole golf course on a larger property (two-hundred acres) located in Wheaton, Illinois. After the Chicago Golf Club members moved to Wheaton, the Downers Grove site reverted back to 9 holes.
What is Chicago in golf?
The object of Chicago is to have the highest overall score in your foursome or on your team. Scores are determined not by counting strokes but by assigning a specific point value to your outcome on a hole (bogeys are worth one point, pars are worth two, etc.). At the end of the round, the one with the highest point total wins.
Why is the Chicago River important to Chicago?
Though not especially long, the river is notable for being a reason why Chicago became an important location, with the related Chicago Portage being a link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley waterways and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.
Why was the Chicago River rerouted?
In a herculean effort to save the city from the ravages of typhoid, cholera, and other waterborne illnesses, engineer Sylvester Chesbrough suggested Chicago reverse the direction of its river away from the lake and toward the Mississippi River. It would cost millions of dollars and take years of hard work.
Why does the river in Chicago flow backwards?
Chicago River Mouth When raw sewage and other pollutants were dumped in the river, they flowed into Chicago's primary source of drinking water. As the city grew, fear of disease spread, and officials decided to permanently reverse the river's flow, sending its polluted water to the Mississippi River instead.
How deep is the Chicago River in the loop?
At its deepest point, the Chicago River is 21 feet deep. It runs 156 miles from start to finish, with three main branches — North, Main, and South — along the way. The river is 800 feet at its widest and ultimately helps connect the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River Basin, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico.
Did engineers reverse the flow of the Chicago River?
As Chicago grew into a major metropolis, its river became an open sewer that fed directly into the city's water supply. It took a crafty engineer named Ellis Chesbrough to come up with a startling plan: reverse the flow of the river to the Mississippi, toward the city's longtime rival, St. Louis.
Does the Chicago River ever flow into Lake Michigan today why or why not?
It used to run north into Lake Michigan, but a series of locks now ensures that it flows from Lake Michigan south into the Mississippi River watershed.
Why does Chicago dye the river green?
The tradition happened by chance after the Mayor of Chicago in 1955 decided he wanted to remove pollution from the city river. To identify the pollution in the water, plumbers used an orange solution, but when this mixed with the pollution, it turned green.
What is at the bottom of the Chicago River?
Now to get all literal, at the very bottom of the river is rock — Niagara limestone, to be exact. According to David M. Solzman's book The Chicago River, the ancient bedrock of the river was formed a few hundred million years ago when what's now Chicago was covered by a salty sea.
Is Chicago sinking?
Chicago and parts of southern Lake Michigan are sinking approximately four (10 cm) to eight (20 cm) inches each century. More than 20,000 years ago, much of the Earth — including what is now Chicago — was submerged under enormous sheets of glacial ice.
Why is Chicago water so blue?
The Chicago river has a distinctive color (and I don't mean St. Patrick's Day green) that is the result of the river's clay bottom, lake water, and algae: a lovely blue-green, best seen on warm weather days. (The lake water has only been part of the river's composition since the river was reversed in 1900.)
Are there fish in the Chicago River?
In addition to harbors and lagoons, many enjoy fishing along the Chicago River and from the many seawalls, piers and revetments along the lakefront. Perch (except May 1 - June 15), Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Salmon, Trout, Steelhead, Sheepshead, Carp, Catfish and Panfish can be caught year round.
Can you swim in Chicago River?
“In short, the CAWS [Chicago Area Waterways] is not designed for swimming.” Indeed, many portions of the waterways were built specifically to be used as shipping canals or dock slips.
How deep is the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal?
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, U.S. waterway linking the south branch of the Chicago River with the Des Plaines River at Lockport, Illinois. It has a length of 30 miles (48 km), a minimum width of 160 feet (50 metres), a minimum depth of 9 feet (2.7 metres), and 2 locks.
Where did the Chicago River converge?
Course. When it followed its natural course, the North and South Branches of the Chicago River converged at Wolf Point to form the main stem, which jogged southward from the present course of the river to avoid a baymouth bar, entering Lake Michigan at about the level of present-day Madison Street.
Why is the Chicago River green?
As part of a more than fifty-year-old Chicago tradition, the Chicago River is dyed green in observance of St. Patrick's Day . The actual event does not necessarily occur on St. Patrick's Day and is scheduled for the Saturday before March 17, unless the 17th falls on a Saturday (when the event takes place on St. Patrick's Day).
How much water is removed from the Great Lakes?
The city of Chicago is allowed to remove 3,200 cubic feet per second (91 m 3 /s) of water from the Great Lakes system; about half of this, 1 billion US gallons per day (44 m 3 /s), is sent down the Chicago River, while the rest is used for drinking water.
What is the Chicago Riverwalk?
Since the early 2000s, the south shore of the main stem has been developed as the Chicago Riverwalk. It provides a linear, lushly landscaped park intended to offer a peaceful escape from the busy Loop and a tourist attraction. Different sections are named Market, Civic, Arcade, and Confluence. The plans reflect ideas first proposed by the Burnham Plan as early as 1909.
How is the Great Lakes system regulated?
All outflows from the Great Lakes Basin are regulated by the joint U.S.-Canadian Great Lakes Commission, and the outflow through the Chicago River is set under a U.S. Supreme Court decision (1967, modified 1980 and 1997). The city of Chicago is allowed to remove 3,200 cubic feet per second (91 m 3 /s) of water from the Great Lakes system; about half of this, 1 billion US gallons per day (44 m 3 /s), is sent down the Chicago River, while the rest is used for drinking water. In late 2005, the Chicago-based Alliance for the Great Lakes proposed re-separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to address such ecological concerns as the spread of invasive species.
What building is on the main stem of the River?
The main stem of the river, Wrigley Building, and Tribune Tower at night.
How much water does the Chicago River flow?
The United States Geological Survey monitors water flow at a number of sites in the Chicago River system. Discharge from the North Branch is measured at Grand Avenue; between 2004 and 2010 this averaged 582 cubic feet (16.5 m 3) per second. During the winter months as much as 75% of the flow in the North Branch is due to the discharge of treated sewage from the North Side Water Reclamation Plant into the North Shore Channel. Flow on the main stem is measured at Columbus Drive; between 2000 and 2006 this averaged 136 cubic feet (3.9 m 3) per second.
How far south of the old pilings is the new Chicago Tunnel?
The City of Chicago then gave permission to install the new pilings 3.5 feet (1.1 m) south of the old pilings. The crew members who began work at the site did not know that beneath the river was an abandoned Chicago Tunnel Company (CTC) tunnel that had been used in the early 20th century to transport coal and goods.
How much did the Chicago flood cost?
The remediation lasted for weeks, and cost about $2 billion in 1992 dollars, equivalent to $3.69 billion in 2020. The legal battles lasted for several years, and disagreement over who was at fault persists to this day.
What happened to the pilings in the old tunnel?
One of the pilings on the east bank was driven into the bottom of the river alongside the north wall of the old tunnel. The pilings did not punch through the tunnel wall, but clay soil displaced by the piling eventually breached the wall, allowing sediment and water to seep into the tunnel.
How did the concrete leak stop?
The leak was eventually stopped by placing a specialized concrete mixture supplied by Material Service Corporation (MSC) and placed by Kenny Construction. The concrete was designed by Brian Rice of MSC and was to set up so quickly that the concrete delivery trucks were provided police escorts.
Who sued the city of Chicago for the tunnels?
Eventually, the city assumed maintenance responsibility for the tunnels, and watertight hatches were installed at the river crossings. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. sued the City of Chicago arguing that the city had failed to tell it about the existence of the tunnels.
Was Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. liable for the flood?
Court cases. In the lawsuits that followed, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. was initially found liable but was later cleared after it was revealed that the city was aware the tunnel was leaking before the flood and the city had also not properly maintained the tunnel.
Where was the Chicago Golf Club located?
Later in 1895, Chicago Golf Club members had become so taken with the sport that they decided to build a new eighteen-hole golf course on a larger property (two-hundred acres) located in Wheaton, Illinois. After the Chicago Golf Club members moved to Wheaton, the Downers Grove site reverted back to 9 holes.
What is Chicago Golf Report?
Chicago Golf Report annually publishes a “Top-10” list whose topic is a specific golf characteristic. The topic selected for this year is “9-Hole Golf Courses”.
How many holes are there in Downers Grove?
After the Chicago Golf Club members moved to Wheaton, the Downers Grove site reverted back to 9 holes. From 1895 to 1968, the site of the Downers Grove Golf Club was owned by several different individuals and was operated under the names of The Illinois Golf Club and later the Belmont Country Club.
How many yards is the 4th hole in Lohmann?
Lohmann presents a serious mid-round challenge in the trio of holes 4 through 6. Hole #4 stretches 560 yards as a dogleg right with a wetland hazard on its right side. It is followed by the lengthy par-3 measuring 209 yards. And as if all that weren’t enough, there’s the 570 yard par-5, 7th hole. Whether they survive or perish on the mid-round trio, golfers will enjoy the beauty and respite of the short par-3, #8 hole.
What factors influence Chicago golf rankings?
Factors that were influential in our rankings were: course conditioning, playability, layout, historical significance, amenities, and importance to the surrounding locale.
How many holes are there in Willow Hill Golf Course?
Willow Hill Golf Course is a Scottish links style course, offering amazing views of Chicago’s skyline. The nine holes are set upon an 87-acre facility that includes an on-site pro shop and a 35-station all grass driving range. Rising up 100 feet above normal ground level, there is no need for binoculars or a telescope to experience the great views of the Chicago skyline which are visible from the clubhouse patio and many points on the course itself.
Where is the Downers Grove Golf Course?
One location, several name changes, and a gaggle of golf history. We’re referring to 2420 Haddow Avenue in Downers Grove, the current site of Downers Grove Golf Course. This location holds a significant place in American golf history as it was this site in 1892 that the original Chicago Golf Club chose to build their 9-hole golf course. Sixty acres of a farm owned by a Scottish immigrant was purchased for $300 and a 9-hole course was quickly constructed. Readied for play in the late spring of 1892, it became America’s first golf course west of the Allegheny mountain range.
What is the object of Chicago?
The object of Chicago is to have the highest overall score in your foursome or on your team. Scores are determined not by counting strokes but by assigning a specific point value to your outcome on a hole (bogeys are worth one point, pars are worth two, etc.). At the end of the round, the one with the highest point total wins.
How to keep score in golf?
4. Playing: Tee off and keep your score by writing your point value for the hole. At the end of the round, add together the point total with your pre-round score to get your overall point total. Combine your overall score with the other players in your foursome for your team score.
What is the score of a scratch golfer?
3. Handicapping: Golfers start their scores in the negatives. A scratch golfer or better begins their round with a score of -40, a 1-handicap, -39, and so forth. 35-handicaps or higher begin with a score of -5. Travel.
Is Chicago a good place to gamble?
Chicago is great for those still shaking the rust off after a long winter, or who just want to focus on the positives in their round (and forget the snowmen). If you’ve got enough players, it can also prove to be a lucrative format, regardless of your handicap. If you enjoy good golf (and detest blow-up holes), Chicago is the perfect gambling format for you.
How high is the Chicago Spire Hole?
Giant Chicago Spire Hole To Be Replaced By ‘Sister Towers’ Under Latest Plan. The towers at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive would rise 875 and 765 feet high. Plans also call for the completion of DuSable Park and the eastern edge of the Riverwalk. This article contains new, firsthand information uncovered by its reporter (s).
How deep is the Chicago sprite?
STREETERVILLE — The 76-foot-deep hole in the ground excavated for the 2,000-foot-tall Chicago Spire that never happened could begin to be filled by the end of the year.
What is the land where Dusable Park is to be built?
The land where DuSable Park is to be built would be used as a staging area for construction of the first tower. The park, which Related is contributing $10 million dollars to finance, would be completed as the first tower is finished.
Who built the Spire?
Related acquired the site in 2014 from Irish developer Garret Kelleher, whose plans for the Spire designed by famed architect Santiago Calatrava collapsed after the 2008 financial crisis.
Overview
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of 156 miles (251 km) that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). Though not especially long, the river is notable because it is one of the reasons for Chicago's geographic importance: the related Chicago Portage is a link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin, and ul…
Course
When it followed its natural course, the North and South Branches of the Chicago River converged at Wolf Point to form the main stem, which jogged southward from the present course of the river to avoid a baymouth bar, entering Lake Michigan at about the level of present-day Madison Street. Today, the main stem of the Chicago River flows west from Lake Michigan to Wolf Point, wher…
History
The name Chicago derives from 17th century French rendering of a Native American term for ramps (Allium tricoccum), a type of edible wild leek, which grew abundantly near the river. The river, and its region, were named after this plant.
Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, though probably not the first Europeans t…
Pollution and restoration
The Chicago River has been highly affected by industrial and residential development with attendant changes to the quality of the water and riverbanks. Several species of freshwater fish are known to inhabit the river, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, and carp. The river also has a large population of crayfish. The South Fork of the Main (South) Branch, which was the primary sewer for the Union Stock Yards and the meat packi…
Mouth of the river
• Near the mouth of the Chicago River 1831
• Near the mouth of the Chicago River 1838
• Near the mouth of the Chicago River 1893
• Near the mouth of the Chicago River c. late 1800s
Dyeing the river
As part of a more than fifty-year-old Chicago tradition, the Chicago River is dyed green in observance of St. Patrick's Day. The actual event occurs on the Saturday on or before March 17th.
The tradition of dyeing the river green arose by accident when plumbers used fluorescein dye to trace sources of illegal pollution discharges. The dyeing of t…
McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
The southwest bridgehouse of the DuSable Bridge (Michigan Avenue) serves as a museum on the river, its history, its challenges, and its renaissance. The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum is a 5-floor, 1,613-square-foot (149.9 m ) museum that opened on June 10, 2006; it is named for Robert R. McCormick, formerly owner of the Chicago Tribune and president of the Chicago Sanitary District. The Robert R. McCormick Foundation was the major donor that helpe…
Monitoring the impact of extreme weather events on the Chicago District
The US Army Corps of Engineers have monitored the development of harbors and channels for navigation on the Great Lakes since the early 1800s. They began monitoring hydrological conditions and lake levels in 1918. A December 26, 2012 report revealed that Chicago District navigation infrastructure did receive significant impacts from Hurricane Sandy with some areas experiencing severe shoaling. Chicago Shoreline Project mitigated the damage of the storm event.
Overview
The Chicago flood occurred on April 13, 1992, when repair work on a bridge spanning the Chicago River damaged the wall of an abandoned and disused utility tunnel beneath the river. The resulting breach flooded basements, facilities and the underground Chicago Pedway throughout the Chicago Loop with an estimated 250 million US gallons (1,000,000 m ) of water. The remediation lasted for weeks, and cost about $2 billion in 1992 dollars, equivalent to $3.86 billion in 2021. The legal bat…
Cause
Rehabilitation work on the Kinzie Street Bridge crossing the Chicago River required new pilings. However, when the City of Chicago specified that the old pilings be extracted and replaced by the new ones, the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company reported back that the old pilings were too close to the bridge tender's house, preventing proper removal without risking damaging or destro…
Discovery of the leak
A skilled telecommunications worker inspecting a cable running through the tunnel discovered the leak while it was still passing mud and forwarded a videotape to the city, which did not see anything serious and began a bid process to repair the tunnel. The CTC tunnels were never formally a public responsibility, as most of them had been dug clandestinely, many violated private property and the collapse of the operator had failed to resolve ownership and maintenan…
Effects
The water flooded into the basements of several Loop office buildings and retail stores and an underground shopping district. The Loop and financial district were evacuated, and electrical power and gas were interrupted in most of the area as a precaution. Trading at the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ended in mid-morning as water seeped into their basements. At its height, some buildings had 40 feet (12 m) of water in their lower levels. H…
Repair and cleanup
Workers attempted to plug the hole, by then about 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, with 65 truckloads of rocks, cement and old mattresses. In an attempt to slow the leak, the level of the Chicago River was lowered by opening the locks downstream of Chicago, and the freight tunnels were drained into the Chicago Deep Tunnel system. The leak was eventually stopped by placing a specialized concrete mixture supplied by Material Service Corporation (MSC) and placed by Kenny Construc…
Aftermath
It took three days before the flood was cleaned up enough to allow business to begin to resume and cost the city an estimated $1.95 billion (equivalent to $3.29 billion in 2020 ). Some buildings remained closed for a few weeks. Parking was banned downtown during the cleanup and some subway routes were temporarily closed or rerouted. Since it occurred near Tax Day, the IRS granted natural disaster extensions to those affected.
Court cases
In the lawsuits that followed, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. was initially found liable but was later cleared after it was revealed that the city was aware the tunnel was leaking before the flood and the city had also not properly maintained the tunnel.
In addition the case went to the United States Supreme Court in Jerome B. Grubart, Inc. v. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., 513 U.S. 527 (1995) which ruled that since the work was being done by …