Chicago River --- The North Branch

(Our personal flood story, complete with pictures, starts at Albany Park floods-- Record-breaking rains. )

Most people think of the Chicago River as the large body of water that the city dyes green on St. Patrick's Day. The Chicago River runs through the heart of downtown and occasionally people are delayed as they have to wait for the bridges to open to allow tall boat traffic to pass along the river. People take Chicago River commuter boats from the train stations to work locations farther north near Michigan Boulevard.

There's been development along the river... walking paths have been built downtown and there has been recent house and condo construction on the near north side of the city.

As the river moves north, it becomes more pastoral, and boaters and kayakers are often seen on the Chicago River.

I always thought that the Chicago River continued north, through the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood, then following McCormick Boulevard, eventually winding up near the BaHai temple in Wilmette.

But only part of that stream is the Chicago River. The "real" Chicago River actually starts far north, in the Skokie lagoons, with various little branches that criss cross Glenview and other northern suburbs. There's a West Fork that bisects downtown Glenview. Sometimes it doesn't have any water in it. The creek that runs through the Wilmette golf course finds its way south to the Chicago River. These streams join and become the North Branch somewhere near the golf courses that border Golf Road in Glenview and Niles.

The river meanders south near Caldwell Avenue in Skokie, winding through... well, more golf courses. Someone with nothing better to do should count the number of golf courses that this river touches.

It finally crosses the Edens about 5600 north, and starts to head east. It crosses more parks, three cemeteries, our community (Albany Park/North Park), and North Park University before it waterfalls into the North Channel near Foster and Albany avenues. There's a park where the little North Branch meets the much larger North Channel, and it's a beautiful place for short hikes. Then the little branch heads south into the big Chicago River that is much better known.

When the Skokie lagoons and the various little streams in Glenview fill, the North Branch looks more like a stream than a creek. But that isn't too often and it still doesn't spill its banks.

But after the record-breaking rains of Friday night and Saturday morning, September 12 and 13, 2008, the various tributaries were full to capacity, sending torrents into the peaceful little stream and causing chaos in the city.

Next part of the story: River Watch Saturday Night