The Sanitary and Ship Canal: Reversal of the Chicago River
"We're a new city now."
-John Holabird
-John Holabird
Benefits of the Sanitary and Ship Canal
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Relation to the I&M Canal's Obsolescence
"...The [Illinois and Michigan] canal was simply too small, and the opening of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in 1900 led to a dramatic decrease in use of the I&M Canal. Despite a brief resurgence during World War I, the canal was limited to mostly recreational boats before finally closing in 1933, with the opening of the Illinois Waterway."
-Along the I&M Canal "Canal traffic declined and by 1900, two other canals, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Illinois Waterway, were at the forefront. Thus began the deterioration and decline of the I and M Canal as businesses chose other routes to ship their goods."
-Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
The Sanitary and Ship Canal succeeded in reversing the Chicago River by connecting the Great Lakes Watershed with the Mississippi Lakes Watershed. Because this new canal was newer and connected the same watersheds as the I&M Canal, the demand for the Illinois and Michigan Canal decreased dramatically.