Illinois waterways support more than 1.7 million jobs and $102.5 billion in wages. That’s the core finding as the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Foundation released a report highlighting the importance of the Illinois River to the state’s economy. Total employment across the 22 counties that benefitted from the waterway in 2014 represents approximately 47 percent of all employment in the study. “Commercial navigation and our inland waterways are unsung assets of our transportation networks. This report identifies not only that they are a significant source of employment for Illinoisans across the state with over $102 billion in annual wages but that with additional investment, these benefits can grow,” said Benjamin Brockschmidt, executive director, Infrastructure Council of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. The findings are in the Final Report: An Economic Impact and Cluster Analysis of Illinois River Lock and Dam Facilities for Beneficial Users, prepared by the Economic Development Research Group, Inc., in association with the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee.