Few People Know Illinois Is Home To The Only River In The World That Flows Backward
By Megan Todaro|Published April 05, 2024
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Megan Todaro
Author
Megan Todaro was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and still calls The Sunshine State home today. While saving lives and putting out fires during the day, Megan is also passionate about writing and travel, especially when it comes to sharing her knowledge of her home state. A few of Megan's favorites include: favorite Florida vacation destination - New Smyrna Beach. Favorite Florida restaurant - Eastside Pizza in Miami. Favorite Florida hidden gem - Shibuya Sushi Art. Favorite Florida OnlyInYourState article: Take A Terrifying Florida Road Trip That Will Surely Haunt Your Dreams.
If there is one thing I’ll never say no to, it’s playing trivia. Whether a rousing game of pub trivia or just sitting down to watch Jeopardy, I love shouting out answers to fun, random facts and testing my personal knowledge. For example, did you know Illinois is home to the only river in the world that flows backward? This type of fun state fact will gain you some serious bar trivia points! But before we start claiming trophies, let’s dive into the history of this river and what the heck it all means.
The reversal of the Chicago River is a unique engineering feat born out of necessity and innovative problem-solving.
Unlike other rivers that naturally flow in a particular direction due to geographical factors, the Chicago River was intentionally reversed by human intervention to address pressing sanitation concerns in the late 19th-century.
Originally, the river flowed into Lake Michigan, which served as Chicago's primary source of drinking water.
However, the city's rapid population growth during this time led to increased pollution, as sewage and industrial waste were discharged directly into the river, contaminating the lake and posing serious public health risks.
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Enter engineer Ellis S. Chesbrough, the mastermind behind the city's sewer infrastructure.
Chesbrough proposed an initial solution involving a 2-mile-long tunnel positioned 60 feet beneath Lake Michigan's surface to access cleaner water further offshore. Unfortunately, this strategy proved ineffective as heavy rainfall quickly polluted this distant water source as well.
Back at the drawing board, Chesbrough explored an alternative approach: rerouting the city's namesake river away from Lake Michigan, directing its flow towards the water systems leading to the Mississippi River.
The geological subcontinental divide situated just west of Chicago naturally caused the river to empty into the lake. By excavating a lower ditch through this divide, gravity would facilitate the rest of the redirection process.
In 1892, labor began on this massive task - reversing the flow of the Chicago River. And after eight years of taxing excavation, which primarily took place at night to avoid legal challenges, the final dam was demolished.
Unfortunately, Chesbrough passed before the project was finished, but his legacy lived on. The innovative plan rescued the city from a water crisis, but also secured the river as the world’s only backward flowing.
Did you already know that Illinois was home to the only river in the world that flows backward? Sound off in the comments section! Or, if you have any other fun Illinois facts you want to share, we’re all ears!
