CHICAGO RIVER — A sanctioned swim of Chicago’s recovering river is being planned for the first time in over 100 years.
The Chicago River Swim is inviting 500 swimmers to plunge into the Chicago River for an early morning charity event Sept. 22 that’ll start at Dearborn and Clark Street bridges and loop between State Street and Wolf Point. The proceeds will support ALS research at Northwestern University.
Organizers said they’ll “monitor water quality constantly” in the lead-up to the swim using real-time data from the city’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District; H2NOW, a water purity system created by a local nonprofit; and research from the Argonne National Laboratory, which analyzes microorganisms in the river. The event is also working closely with the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee and Friends of the Chicago River, a nonprofit that has advocated for a river renaissance.
Swimmers must be “qualified” to join the event, which will close the main stem of the river to all vessel traffic. There will be over 100 safety personal including lifeguards, kayakers and emergency responders monitoring the waters. Swimmers must wear swim caps, timing chips and inflatable buoys, according to a news release from organizers.
In the ’60s, there was sewage found in the river water an average of every three days. But through recovery efforts, over 75 species of fish, turtles, herons and beavers have now returned to the water system, according to Friends of the Chicago River. The steady improvements have led the group to recently call on the city to reconsider its tradition of dyeing the reviving river green for St. Patrick’s Day.
“The changes in the Chicago River over the past decades are nothing short of incredible,” Doug McConnell, founder of A Long Swim, the nonprofit running the event, said in a statement. “What was once unimaginable is now possible. We are committed to conducting a safe event, backed by the latest in water quality technology and a thorough safety plan.”
But the possibility of swimming in the river has remained a bit murky, with some raising concerns of bacteria, garbage and sewage creeping into the water, especially after rainy days when the city’s runoff flushes down through it.
Chris Anchor, a senior biologist with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, said the river quality has advanced significantly since the Clean Water Act in 1972, with the city now tracking and mitigating “the main pollution points.” Anchor supports the swim — as long as it’s not after a major storm event.
“The real problem now with the Chicago River is what’s at the bottom,” Anchor said. “If swimmers aren’t touching the bottom, I’d say the water is all right to swim in.”
In a recent “breakthrough” for the river’s recovery, Friends of the Chicago River have received permits to monitor what goes through the 11 outfalls that discharge into the river, according to a news release.
“This monumental open water swim event is emblematic of all the work so many good people have put into transforming this wonderful waterway,” Margaret Frisbie, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.
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