Organizers of Chicago River open swim event appeal city's permit denial

Swimmers hoping to brave the Chicago River in its first open swim event in more than a century may still have a chance to take a dip.

The organizers of the event, which benefits ALS research and swimming lessons for Chicago kids, filed an appeal on July 17 with the city after its permit application was denied by the Department of Transportation for safety concerns.

The transportation department offered an alternate route from Ohio Street Beach to Oak Street, but organizers with A Long Swim are hoping their original plan can come to fruition. Their desired route is in the Main Stem of the Chicago River, essentially along the Riverwalk from Wabash to Lake Street.

"While the City of Chicago recognizes the positive nature of the ‘A Long Swim’ open water swimming event in the Chicago River, the proposed route and concentration of swimmers raised significant safety concerns for participants, first responders, and the general public,” the city said in a statement earlier this month through transportation department spokesperson Erica Schroeder.

A Long Swim "meticulously benchmarked its safety statistics" and compared them to other open swim events around the world, before deciding to file the appeal, according to spokesperson Beth Heller.

The event is meant to not only benefit its causes, but mark a significant shift in the overall health of the river. Water quality, pollution and wildlife have improved thanks to conservation efforts and city planning, Heller said.

Swimmers who are concerned about the event being canceled or not happening as expected have the option to defer their registration until next year or drop out altogether. Their registration fees won't be refunded and will go toward ALS research and swimming lessons.

"During the application process, it was made clear that the event could be canceled for various reasons and swimmers would not be refunded — applicants accepted this risk," Heller said in an email.

More than 1,200 people applied and 500 were accepted for the swim. Of those 500, fewer than a dozen chose to withdraw or defer, Heller said, opening up room for swimmers on the wait list.

The appeal process is ongoing, and an official decision hasn't been made yet. Alternate routes and dates will likely be discussed with the city throughout the appeal process, but the goal is to swim in the river on the proposed date Sept. 22.

"All of us who train, swim and compete in Lake Michigan are grateful for such a tremendous resource," founder Doug McConnell said. "Ironically, we are often reminded of a time when even the Lake was unswimmable because of fouled water. Happily, those days are long gone, as are the days when the Chicago River was unswimmable. No alternative is out of the question, but our goal is to host a safe Chicago River Swim in the Chicago River."

Schroeder didn't respond to questions about the appeal and more recent developments after the city's denial.