Metropolitan Planning Council newsletter writes about the challenges of planning for Chicago's water infrastructure in a world of erratic climate. The big storms of the past few days have alleviated the ongoing drought somewhat, but the wild swings between warmth and cold this winter require reinforcing the water system and planning for challenges ahead.
A Chicago Tribune news story reports that the recent rains have raised the level of the Mississippi River somewhat. The water level at St. Louis had been expected to reach the record low of 6.2 feet below normal set in 1940, but now it is on the rise again. The Army Corps of Engineers is blasting bedrock from the river near Grand Tower to dredge the river and allow towboat traffic through.