Four years ago, the Shedd Aquarium and a local nonprofit installed floating islands in the river’s North Branch, improving the well-being of local wildlife and Chicagoans alike. Now the organizations want to bring these same benefits to the South Side.
Elena Johannsen, of Shedd Aquarium, far left, uses a pole to guide a floating wetland into place as she and groups of community volunteers prepare floating wetlands along the South Branch of the Chicago River on Oct. 27, 2022. The goal of the floating wetlands is to diversify aquatic habitat along the South Branch.
The South Branch of the Chicago River has historically been developed for industrial needs, largely for moving goods and dumping. The floating islands will live near Bubbly Creek, which sits at the southern fork of the river. The name recalls a time when local slaughterhouses discarded animal carcasses in the water. The decaying remains would release bubbles that would rise to the water’s surface.The effects of an industrialized river run deep, according to Wegner.
These human-made platforms float on the surface of the water and interlock to form larger islands, anchoring to the banks of the river. “We’ve had so many community members come by to say, ‘What are you doing here? This seems really interesting. I want to learn more,’ ” Wegner said. “Some of them run home to grab gloves and come back to volunteer.”
“We’re going to be doing a bunch of community engagement and programming for people to connect, to explore and really be part of improving the health of the river,” Wegner said. “That’s important for wildlife and also important for all of us.”