Well - The Chicago River does run backwards, that was kinda a big deal from a public health perspective. I think the difference in altitude is a whole 6 feet.
All this talk about ‘moving water around’ is ridiculous. One does not just, ‘move water around’. It is neither physically nor politically possible. Distances are to large, differences in altitude are to great, the required volume to make it worthwhile is enormous, and absolutely no one is willing to let go of ‘their’ water. At least 2 million acre feet is needed to begin to make it worthwhile. Here’s a good example of moving water around for relatively small distances. Colorado–Big Thompson Project - Wikipedia
Draining the Owens Valley is another one.
My vote - take all the new fallow farmland due to lack of water, put in solar cells, and use that energy to desalinate the pacific.