Tunnel and Reservoir Plan 3509794 221307229 2008-06-23T23:19:01Z 75.21.203.42 /* 1800s */ {{future infrastructure}} The '''Tunnel and Reservoir Plan''' (abbreviated '''TARP''' and more commonly known as the '''Deep Tunnel Project''' or the '''Chicago Deep Tunnel''') is a large [[civil engineering]] project that aims to reduce flooding in the metropolitan [[Chicago]] area, and to reduce the harmful effects of flushing raw [[sewage]] into [[Lake Michigan]] by diverting storm water and sewage into temporary holding [[Reservoir (water)|reservoir]]s. The [[megaproject]] is one of the largest [[civil engineering]] projects ever undertaken in terms of [[Scope (project management)|scope]], cost and timeframe. Commissioned in the mid-1970s, the project is managed by the [[Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago]]. Full completion of the system is not anticipated until 2019, but substantial portions of the system have already opened and are currently operational. Across 30 years of construction, over $3 billion has been spent on the project.<ref name=wgntv>{{cite web |url=http://wgntv.trb.com/wgntv-news-101005tunnel,1,1202440.story |title=WGN-TV CoverStories: Deep Tunnel |publisher=WGN-TV |date=2005-10-10 |accessdate=2005-12-23 |author=Sanders, Steve}}</ref> ==History== ===1800s=== The Deep Tunnel Project is the latest in a series of civil engineering projects dating back to 1834. Much of the problems experienced by the city of Chicago are directly related to its [[topography]] and the fact that city is largely built upon a [[marsh]]. The [[Chicago River]] was ineffective in carrying sewage away from the city; when it did, the earliest water pumps in Lake Michigan that provided drinking water to Chicagoans became clogged with sewage. These conditions led to frequent [[cholera]] epidemics in the 19th and early 20th centuries.<ref name=encyclopedia_chicago>{{cite web |author=Juhl, Arland R. |date=2004 |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/460.html |title=Flood Control and Drainage |publisher=Encyclopedia of Chicago |accessdate=2005-12-23}}</ref> Begun in 1836, and completed in 1848, the [[Illinois and Michigan Canal]] was built, diverting some sewage water from the Chicago River. In 1900, to improve general health standards, the flow of the main branch of the Chicago River was reversed to drain water from [[Lake Michigan]], as opposed to having the river flow into Lake Michigan. This further improved the sanitation of Lake Michigan, and helped to prevent further cholera epidemics. ===1900s=== The construction of the [[Sanitary and Ship Canal]] (1892–1900), enlargements to the [[North Shore Channel]] (1907–1910), the construction of the [[Cal-Sag Channel]] (1911–1922) and the construction of [[Canal locks|locks]] at the mouth of the Chicago River (1933–1938) brought further improvements to the sanitary issues of the time. These projects blocked further amounts of sewage from draining into Lake Michigan. The projects also brought fresh lake water to inland waterways to further dilute sewage that was already in the waterways. Surrounding farmland also engaged in flood control projects. The [[Illinois Farm Drainage Act of 1879]] established [[drainage districts]]. These districts were generally named for the basin they drained &mdash; for example, the [[Fox River (Illinois)|Fox River]] Drainage District. After [[World War II]], suburban communities began to realize the benefits of separating [[stormwater]] from sewage water and began to construct separate sewer and storm drainage lines. The primary benefit of wastestream separation is that storm water requires less treatment than sewage before being returned to the environment. Flood damage grew markedly after 1948, when surrounding drainage areas were lost to development and human activity. Serious flooding has occurred in the Chicago metropolitan area in the years 1849, 1855, 1885, 1938, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1973, 1979, 1986, 1987, and 1996 — but most record-setting [[crest (physics)|crest]]s have been set after 1948. In the 1960s, the concept of Deep Tunnel was studied and recommended as a solution to continuing flooding issues. The Deep Tunnel system would be built as a network of 109.4 miles (176 km) of tunnels of varying width. ==Current status== As of October 2005, substantial drilling and blasting for the underground tunnels was complete. Reservoirs are scheduled to become operational and hold and process sewage, notably in [[McCook, Illinois|McCook]] (2013 and 2019) and [[Thornton, Illinois|Thornton]] (2014). Currently, water travels to the [[Thornton Quarry|Thornton Transitional Reservoir]], which will be abandoned in 2014. Water is also stored and held in the tunnels themselves while sewage treatment plants release treated water into the [[Calumet River|Calumet]] and [[Des Plaines River|Des Plaines]] Rivers. Mining work was completed on the Little Calumet leg of the Deep Tunnel System, and final connections were scheduled for completion on [[March 1]] [[2006]]. The Little Calumet leg is {{convert|7.9|mi|km|1}} in length. Operation of the Little Calumet leg will mark the total completion of all {{convert|109.4|mi|km|1}} of tunnel included under Phase I of the TARP project, and the culmination of 30 years of tunnel construction. ==Effects== Severe weather events as recent as the early 1990s have forced water management agencies to pump excess wastewater into the lake and river in order to prevent flooding. These incidents have been reduced as more of the Deep Tunnel system has become operational. Long considered an open sewer, the Chicago River now hosts more than 50 species of fish and increased wildlife along its shores. Riverfront property has begun to be classified more as an asset than a liability, and substantial development is occurring along many portions. Canoeing is once again allowed on the waterway, but swimming is still prohibited due to high pollution levels. On [[October 3]],&nbsp;[[1986]], a heavy thunderstorm drenched the southern portion of the Deep Tunnel area with several inches of rain in short period of time. While the Deep Tunnel system performed satisfactorily by absorbing excess water, water within the system itself rushed north to [[North Chicago, Illinois|North Chicago]] and near the [[Bahá'í House of Worship|Bahá'í Temple]] in [[Wilmette, Illinois|Wilmette]]. [[Geyser]]s of over {{convert|65|ft|m|0}} were reported in both locations for up to an hour as the water was redistributed more evenly through the system. A {{convert|30|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} geyser erupted downtown at the corner of Jackson and Monroe.<ref name=karwath_19861017>{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0FF67A2AADCDD877&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title=Tunnel's Geyser Effect Still Puzzling |date=1986-10-17 |accessdate=2008-04-23 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |author=Karwath, Rob}}</ref> A system of watertight bulkheads has since been installed to prevent the event from occurring again. During the [[Chicago Flood]] of 1992, the water from the [[Chicago River]] that leaked into the then-forgotten [[Chicago Tunnel Company|underground freight tunnel system]] was eventually drained into the Deep Tunnel network, which itself was still under construction. ==See also== * [[Megaproject]] *[[Megaprojects and risk]] * [[Megastructure]] ==Sources== * Horan, D. (2005). [http://www.thelaborers.net/LOCALS/LU2/deep_tunnel/deep_tunnel_deep_ties.htm Deep Tunnel, Deep Ties]. ''Chicago Tribune'', March 14, 2005 via [http://www.thelaborers.net The Laborers Network]. Retrieved December 23, 2005. * [http://www.auca.org/month/project0999.html American Underground Association's Featured Project]. ''American Underground Construction Association'', August 1999. Retrieved December 23, 2005. * [http://www.southholland.org/Resources/Tunnel.htm Deep Tunnel Project]. ''City of South Holland Website''. Retrieved December 23, 2005. * Schmidt, E. (2004). [http://midwest.construction.com/features/archive/0408_feature4.asp Chicago's Tunnel, Reservoir Plan]. ''McGraw-Hill Construction'', August 2004. Retrieved December 23, 2005. * [http://www.mwrdgc.dst.il.us/plants/tarp.htm Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP)]. ''The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago'', August 6, 1999. Retrieved December 23, 2005. * Jones, S. and Waller, J. (2004). [http://www.chipublib.org/digital/sewers/history5.html Chicago Public Library - Down the Drain]. ''Chicago Public Library website'', August 2004. Retrieved December 23, 2005. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.mwrdgc.dst.il.us/ Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago] * [http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cvl9jIhMk-w Video of TARP on YouTube] * [http://youtube.com/watch?v=7IGadcUWa24 Video of TARP on YouTube] * [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/367.html Article and Map in the Encyclopedia of Chicago] {{-}} {{Chicago}} [[Category:Government of Chicago]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Chicago, Illinois]] [[Category:Flood control projects]] [[Category:Waste processing sites]] [[Category:Water tunnels]] [[Category:Development projects]] [[Category:Engineering projects]]