▁and ▁Sh ip ▁Canal , ▁Chicago ' s ▁se w age ▁was ▁pushed ▁down ▁the ▁river ▁rather ▁than ▁into ▁Lake ▁Michigan . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁canal ▁decl ined ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s , ▁it ▁was ▁eventually ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁Illinois ▁Water way ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁still ▁in ▁use ▁today . ▁ ▁Inter pret ation ▁The ▁Pe oria ▁River front ▁Museum ▁contains ▁a ▁gallery , ▁" Ill inois ▁River ▁Enc ounter ," ▁that ▁attempts ▁to ▁interpret ▁the ▁museum ▁through ▁an ▁aqu arium ▁tank ▁and ▁displays ▁of ▁the ▁river ' s ▁ge ology , ▁e col ogy , ▁social ▁history , ▁engineering , ▁and ▁commercial ▁use . ▁The ▁Star ved ▁Rock ▁Lock ▁and ▁Dam ▁Vis itor ▁Center ▁features ▁exhib its ▁on ▁the ▁Illinois ▁River ▁with ▁a ▁view ing ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁working ▁lock ▁in ▁a ▁site ▁frequ ented ▁by ▁bald ▁e ag les . ▁ ▁Modern ▁use ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁more ▁fresh water ▁fish ▁were ▁har v ested ▁from ▁the ▁Illinois ▁River ▁than ▁from ▁any ▁other ▁river ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River . ▁The ▁Illinois ▁River ▁was ▁once ▁a ▁major ▁source ▁of ▁muss els ▁for ▁the ▁shell ▁button ▁industry . ▁Over f ishing , ▁habitat ▁loss ▁from ▁heavy ▁s ilt ation , ▁and ▁water ▁poll ution ▁have ▁elimin ated ▁most ▁commercial ▁fish ing ▁except ▁for ▁a ▁small ▁muss el ▁har vest ▁to ▁provide ▁shell s ▁to ▁seed ▁p ear l ▁o