Chicago River

Chicago River is the only river in the world that flows backwards ... It's an ENGINEERING MARVEL ... [btw the colour of water is indeed green]

Before 1900, the river flowed into Lake Michigan ... but ... Since 1900, the flow of the river has been reversed and now ... Chicago River begins from Lake Michigan and empties into the Mississippi River System.

WHY??? This growth was of the city was accompanied by real costs in terms of pollution ... as large amounts of industrial wastes and domestic garbage was dumped into the river. It often resulted in deadly water-borne epidemics like cholera, typhoid and other diseases. In 1889, The "Sanitary District of Chicago" was created to find a solution to these problems. It planned to reverse the river's flow ... to change it from emptying into Lake Michigan to emptying into Mississippi River System. On Jan.16, 1900; the job was accomplished.

Now River Chicago is the only river in the world that flows backwards. This engineering feat has been compared to the building of Panama Canal. A 28 mile canal has been built from which more earth and rocks has been removed than from the Panama project. There are 52 movable bridges, one of the highest in the world!!!