Chicago River

Friends of the Chicago River has been crowned the winner of the 2025 Thiess International River Prize at the 26th International River Symposium in Brisbane, earning global recognition for its transformative restoration of the Chicago River.

Once neglected and uninhabitable, the Chicago River has been transformed into a vibrant urban waterway. This is demonstrated through the recent community swim in the river, marking the first such event since 1927. When Friends of the Chicago River began in 1979, fewer than 10 fish species were identified; today, more than 75 thrive, including a vast number of native species.

Established in 1999, the Thiess International River Prize is the world’s most esteemed award for river restoration and management. The biennial prize serves not only as a financial award but as a globally uniting platform that amplifies winners’ work and supports their ongoing impact.

Through restoration, advocacy, and community mobilisation, Friends has restored thousands of acres of natural habitats and developed innovative projects such as the “Michigan Avenue Fish Hotel” to prove aquatic life could return downtown. Friends has led a growing movement for river protection and restoration, engaging more than 60,000 people every year. Their success, according to the International River Foundation’s Chair Michael Wright, “highlights a legacy of ecological renewal and civic pride that can inspire cities worldwide”.