(Above) The north branch of the Chicago River on July 11. Montgomery Ward Building at right. (Click on image to view larger version.)

December 12, 2013 – More fish in the Chicago River could be the result of a $300,000 grant announced this week. The money will help Friends of the Chicago River build 400 habitat structures at six locations along the river, in spots where fish population is currently very low.

The organization, dedicated solely to the Chicago River, was one of four recipients of grants totaling $1 million from Chi-Cal Rivers Fund. The fund is trying to restore the “health, vitality, and accessibility” of waterways in Chicago as well as the Calumet Region in northwest Indiana.

“The structures will provide spawning cavities for channel catfish and cover for largemouth bass, sunfish, and other fish species,” announced Friends of the Chicago River on its website on Tuesday. “This project will make the river system more hospitable to many fish species and lead to improved angling opportunities for local communities.”

The Chicago-based group will also work with another group that received one of the other grants. It will help Friends of the Forest Preserves improve habitats and water quality along 112 acres of the Chicago River and the Little Calumet River.