A fountain at the river, made up of raised levels of stone forms, periodically arcing water across the river, located on the north bank of the Chicago River at McClurg Court. During the spring/summer months from May 1 to September 30, the fountain runs every day from 10:00 a.m. until 12:10 a.m. The water arc shoots a stream of water across the river for 10 minutes every hour on the hour, beginning at 10:00 a.m., except the hours of 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.
As noted on the Public Art in Chicago site (
visit link)
"Every hour on the hour, from 10:00 to 14:00 and again from 17:00 to midnight, the esplanade's Centennial Fountain shoots a massive arc of water across the river for 10 minutes. The entire exercise is meant to commemorate the labor-intensive reversal of the Chicago River in 1900, which tidily began sending all of the city's wastes downriver rather than into the lake."
Of course I showed up just before the fountain's season began and it was still being refurbished, so this begs another visit to get action shots!
Inscription in the granite in front:
"The Centennial Fountain
dedicated by
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
30 June 1989
Land Donated by
The Chicago Dock and Canal Trust
Architect
Lohan Associates
Contractor
Blinderman Construction Company"
Excerpt from plaque on the rear of the column:
"Nicholas J Melas served as the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago 1962-1992"
From the Smithsonian database:
"There are 4 nearby plaques. One title reads: THE CENTENNIAL PLAZA & FOUNTAIN. A second title reads: METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT OF GREATER CHICAGO. A third plaque is titled: THE CENTENNIAL FOUNTAIN. The last plaque is titled: METROPOLITAN WATER/RECLAMATION DISTRICT/OF GREATER CHICAGO."
I only noticed 2 plaques.
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First plaque inscription
The Centennial Plaza and Fountain
1889 1989
Dedicated to the employees of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in celebration of their commitment to the protection of clean water in Lake Michigan and the River System.
30 June 1989
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Second plaque inscription
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
In the city's early history the Chicago river carried sewage into Lake Michigan, the source of the City's water supply. Contaminated drinking water caused epidemics, killing thousands.
To prevent pollution of the Lake, the Chicago Sanitary District was established in 1889. A system of canals was built to reverse the flow of the Chicago River away from the lake and protect the city.
Over the past century, the Metropolitan Sanitary District has maintained water quality, constructed wastewater treatment plants that set world standards, created flood control reservoirs and built the Deep Tunnel system, one of America's greatest engineering projects.
Clean water is the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's commitment to future generations.
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The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago collects and treats wastewater from more than five million citizens in Cook County and is the local sponsor of the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also known as the Deep Tunnel. The District web site is www.mwrd.org.