Surfrider Chicago

Surfrider Chicago Protecting Oceans, Waves and Beaches since 1984 SURFRIDER acts to preserve this right of access.

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Represented by over 50,000 members and approximately 80 local chapters in the U.S., the Surfrider Foundation also has affiliations in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Europe, and Japan. The Surfrider Foundation has adopted the following principles to guide and govern the activities of the organization .

1. SURFRIDER recognizes the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the planet's coasts are necessary and irreplaceable. SURFRIDER is committed to preserving natural living and non-living diversity and ecological integrity of the coastal environment.

2. SURFRIDER promotes the right of low-impact, free and open access to the world's waves and beaches for all people. SURFRIDER is dedicated to enhancing wave-riding opportunities in ways which will not adversely impact nearshore ecosystems.

4. SURFRIDER believes environmental education is essential to the future health and well- being of the planet. SURFRIDER seeks to develop and utilize educational materials that are informative, factual, proactive, synergistic and fun.

5. SURFRIDER strives to be accurate and nonpartisan in its communications with its members and the general public. In addition, SURFRIDER will express the unique values inherent in wave-riding — individualism, camaraderie, non materialism, and an appreciation for human kind's historic relations with the Ocean.

6. SURFRIDER is a grassroots organization, effective through the participation of its members. SURFRIDER activities emphasize the value of an involved membership.

7. SURFRIDER encourages all commercial enterprises to adopt the Ceres Principles. Their determination to do so will favorably influence SURFRIDER's willingness to provide support. SURFRIDER will not permit sponsors to divert the Foundation from its mission or projects undertaken.

8. SURFRIDER does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, s*x, or national origin for any reason. SURFRIDER promotes the healthy enjoyment of the coastal environment for all people.

9. SURFRIDER and its representatives, affiliations and chapters agree to abide by these principles and all rules and regulations governing non-profit organizations.

10/09/2026

After some water concerns earlier this week, our amazing volunteer Samantha collected a sample from Montrose to test the water.

The results came out great, with low E. Coli levels of 6.3 MPN/100 ml.

Tap the link in bio to get involved with our Off Season Water Testing Program!

Enbridge polluting an aquifer?
10/06/2026

Enbridge polluting an aquifer?

Thank you to everyone who came out to our beach cleanup at Whihala Beach yesterday. We recovered 315 pounds of trash fro...
10/04/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to our beach cleanup at Whihala Beach yesterday. We recovered 315 pounds of trash from entering Lake Michigan 🤙

Visit the link in our bio to keep up to date on water testing. If you want to get involved with volunteering for our chapter, send us a DM!

Great news out of the U.S. Senate, the GLRI Act of 2025 was passed! The bill will move on to the House for consideration...
10/01/2026

Great news out of the U.S. Senate, the GLRI Act of 2025 was passed! The bill will move on to the House for consideration after elections.

“The GLRI has made massive improvements to the waters of the Great Lakes, from cleaning up toxic hotspots and restoring wetlands to combating invasive species and reducing harmful algal blooms.”

Thank you to all of our partners in the region who advocated for the GLRI's passage! And thank you to the members of the Great Lakes delegation who moved this important legislation through, including the leadership of Senator Gary Peters, Senator Bernie Moreno and Senator Jon Husted

https://www.healthylakes.org/latest-news/senate-advances-great-lakes-restoration-reauthorization

09/24/2026

Week 2 results are in! The water’s looking clean (16 MPN per ***100 ml, sorry about the mistake!) and the weather is beautiful! Huge thanks to our volunteer Lilly for collecting yesterday’s sample & bringing it over to UIC School of Public Health.

If you’d like to be involved with this program, visit the link in our bio to sign up to volunteer!

09/17/2026

Our first week of off-season water testing is in the books! Unfortunately, the E. coli levels at Montrose Beach are high.

The beach closure limit set by the Illinois Department of Public Health is 235 MPN/100 ml, and yesterday’s test indicates a high level of 365.4 MPN.

Since the forecast currently predicts heavy rains to continue throughout the week & weekend, the levels are likely to remain consistent or even increase before Monday’s waves roll through.

To view the results or volunteer for our Off Season Water Testing Program, visit the links below.

https://bwtf.surfrider.org/report/81?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyRR2zz_i0RGJs2opeyd5BZYHEm8rJx3ZiE057zawINGSRog/viewform

09/14/2026

We are super excited to announce our new Off-Season Water Testing Program in partnership with University of Illinois Chicago 🌊 For far too long, Chicago surfers have been getting mystery illnesses since there is no official water testing in the Fall, Winter & Spring months.

Every Wednesday, starting this week, volunteers will collect water samples from Montrose Beach and drop them off at UIC School of Public Health. Volunteers will also receive discounts with Stoke Riders & will be entered in a raffle to win a FREE e-foil lesson!

Sign up at the following link!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyRR2zz_i0RGJs2opeyd5BZYHEm8rJx3ZiE057zawINGSRog/viewform

09/10/2026
09/10/2026

Breaking News in Michigan – Victory for the Great Lakes! 🚨🌊

Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Director Phil Roos of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced the halting of construction on Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 oil tunnel project below the Straits of Mackinac as the state thoroughly scrutinizes the consequences and alternatives of the project.

In a letter to Enbridge’s President and CEO, Governor Whitmer called for the company to immediately seek alternative plans that would remove oil from the Straits of Mackinac for both the existing dual pipelines and the tunnel project.

In response, Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle stated, “For generations, we have warned about the danger Line 5 poses to the Straits of Mackinac and the catastrophic consequences a spill could have for our waters, our fisheries, and our way of life. Today’s action is an important step, and the right step by the State of Michigan, but Tribal Nations must be listened to. Our treaty rights are not an afterthought, and our voices should not only be heard when it is convenient. The Straits are our homeland, not a corridor for a foreign oil company.”

This victorious decision provides another critical opportunity for Tribal Nations and allies to defend Treaty rights, challenge the proposed Line 5 tunnel, and protect the Great Lakes — which hold 20% of the world’s surface fresh water. Spilled oil or drilling fluid in the Straits of Mackinac would catastrophically impact communities and local economies that rely on the Great Lakes ecosystem, a source of clean drinking water for 40+ million people.

Now, the state agency will conduct a deeper review of the tunnel project permits to ensure Michigan fully upholds its environmental responsibilities and obligations under the public trust doctrine when considering the proposed Line 5 tunnel.

WECAN celebrates this important step in the battle to get oil out of the Great Lakes and continues to stand in unwavering support and solidarity with Indigenous women leaders and frontline communities fighting to protect this essential ecosystem.

Learn more here 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/krfd3jhe

For all my fellow Great Lakers who want to brush up on the natural history of our magnificent waterways, particularly in...
09/03/2026

For all my fellow Great Lakers who want to brush up on the natural history of our magnificent waterways, particularly incredible events of the last 100 years ... this doc is mesmerizing. Watch it on Prime or YouTube. You'll learn about the vampire of the deep - the LAMPREY!

A gripping documentary tale of why the most prized fish in the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth nearly vanished

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2137 W Walnut St
Chicago, IL
60612

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