Illinois is at the wrong end of the spectrum of all 50 states in terms of access for
canoers and kayakers. Less than 8% of Illinois' 33,000 miles of canoeable streams are
considered legally open to use by the public. Paddlers throughout the state have
encountered various problems finding safe access, parking, paddling past the property of
unfriendly landowners and in some cases, even where they've used a legal access site
upstream, paddlers have been ordered off the water by sheriffs (miles from the take-out & their vehicles) after they've crossed an unmarked, invisible line onto private
property downstream.
The Access Project of the Illinois Paddling Council (IPC) is trying to change this
situation by working to create safe, legal and adequate access throughout the state. This
is the mission statement:
The Access Project
* works with government agencies and public and private landowners to provide safe, legal
and adequate access for human powered watercraft to the waterways of Illinois,
* provides information to paddlers and the general public about access,
* advocates the creation of regional systems of watertrails throughout Illinois.
A Strategy for Development
Rather than working to develop single access sites, we suggest that paddlers work together
to develop a coordinated system of access on stretches of high quality recreational
streams in Illinois. Legal access sites tied together into a trail system by
point-of-access information can open the use of a waterway to local and other paddlers
from around the state and beyond. Water trails can produce benefits similar to land based
trails by providing increased recreational opportunities, enhancing stewardship of our
natural resources and creating economic benefits in the area the watertrail.
Some of the basic information and planning process has already been developed by various
state, county and local agencies and is documented in the Northeastern Illinois Regional
Water Trail Plan. Copies of the Plan are available from the Northeastern Illinois Planning
Commission at 312-454-0400.) However, the implementation of this, or any plan, requires
the input and advocacy of the current and potential users. In order to create a watertrail
that makes sense to and will be used by paddlers we suggest that local paddlers form a
watertrail group. This brochure suggests a strategy for paddlers working together to
create safe, legal and adequate access on their local waterways.
The creation of water trails on Illinois waterways will encounter a variety of obstacles
that call for different solutions. We as citizens and paddlers can make significant
contributions by:
* becoming local watertrail experts,
* through the creation of a coalition of users and supporters
* and we can increase public awareness of our waterways in general and watertrails in
particular.
Local Experts
Paddlers can become the local experts on each waterway. This means that someone who lives
near the water and/or paddle a particular stretch can regularly observe the amount and
manner of the actual current use. This also includes other uses, not just paddling or
boating. We need to evaluate the potentials and limitations of each stretch of river or
shoreline for power and sail boaters, fishermen, birders, swimmers and others in to
understand how and where paddlers will fit in now and in the future. Contact other
recreational user groups, ask for their input and invite them to join your watertrail
working group. Intelligently designed small boat launchsites can also serve as fishing
piers, bird observation sites and just nice places to sit, think and watch the water. We
will find it mutually beneficial to involve other users. Any proposed launchsite plan that
can be presented as having multiple uses will stand a better chance of being developed,
funded and built.
Safety, emergency access, impacts on existing wildlife and habitat, environmental problem
areas, the location and protection of unique natural resources, waterway hydrology and the
design and on-going maintenance of launchsites are just some of the other issues that must
be considered. All of these issues must also be understood in the context of time. You
need to know how each stretch of a waterway is, or can be, used throughout the year. So
this research effort must at least cover one full year.
Seek paddlers who could conduct some research, enlist the aid of experts, meet, write down
what is learned, communicate it to others and spend some time just dreaming about the
possibilities. At some point, if the watertrail group is successful, professional planners
and architects who, for the most part, will not be recreational users will be meeting to
design launchsites on your waterway. Actual users who have educated themselves on the
issues involved should be part of these discussions.
A long waterway can be divided into sections of reasonable length. The Lake Michigan
Watertrail Group has divided the 63 miles of Illinois shore into 5 stretches. Group
members have surveyed existing and potential sites and compiled a list of siteowners along
with site and lake trail issues that need to be addressed. Paddlers need to understand not
only the site and trail issues, but also the organization and "culture" of the
siteowning agency. Learning how and by whom decisions are made is critical to
understanding how to successfully work with a siteowner.
Building a Coalition
In the largest perspective, building a water trail is an exercise in applying and
enlarging the democratic process. What can we as paddlers, planners, recreational
providers and taxpayers, do together to make this a better world? Do you believe safe,
legal and adequate recreational access to our waterways would improve the quality of life
in Illinois? Unless you can just go out and buy some sites and pay for construction
yourself, the next step is convincing others of that.
You need to build a coalition of support for a water trail. To do this you need to
understand the potential uses and benefits of a watertrail and be able to communicate
them. The Access Project can help by sharing the experience of the existing
watertrail groups and efforts both in Illinois and around the country. We can also share
the tools developed over the past few years such as a short slide show, display and
various printed materials.
The next step is to share this information with other paddlers, friends and family in
order learn how to make it understandable to non-paddlers and to refine your delivery. You
can develop a short talk explaining what a watertrail is and what it could be on your
waterway. Perhaps you can practice by making a presentation to your paddling club. At the
point where you have a general or specific plan for your watertrail, contact the local and
county officials, business people, park councils, community leaders and citizen groups,
conservation and environmental groups, educators and local school councils, youth group
leaders and health care professionals along with the other recreational users along the
waterway. All of these groups could benefit from the development of a water trail through
or near their community. Ask if you could make a short presentation at their next meeting.
A presentation might consist of a short introduction to water-based trails, a slide show
and a question and answer session. Inform them of your goals and their benefits, elicit
their input, and invite them to be our partners in your project. Finally, ask if they
would sign a letter supporting the creation of a watertrail on your waterway. Later in
this process you will be able to use these letters of support in formal presentations to
site owners and funders.
It is really the building of a broadly based coalition of support that is the key to the
creation of the well designed, well built, well run, system of water trails that we're
interested in developing in Illinois. If you're interested in doing outreach and public
speaking, The Access Project can help develop a presentation, speakers team and
plan an outreach campaign.
Creating Public Awareness
We need to educate citizens, taxpayers and voters about these new recreational
opportunities on our waterways. While land based trails are easily understood, supported
and used by the public, many people have never even heard the word "watertrail".
Because the recreational uses of some waterways have long been overlooked, many potential
users and supporters only need to made aware of the possibilities. We suggest that each
watertrail group plan and conduct at least one public event on their waterway each year.
One of the best examples of such an event is the Des Plaines River Marathon. Each year it
attracts competitors, their family and friends, visitors from throughout the Midwest,
publicity and public attention. It provides an opportunity for the organizers to get to
know and work with a number of Lake County and Cook County agencies. It provides an
opportunity for the paddling community to paddle, party and grow together. The race also
has raised thousands of dollars that have been used to develop facilities along the river
such as the excellent canoe launchsites at Oak Spring Road in Libertyville and at Route 60
in Vernon Hills.
The event you plan on your waterway does not need to be a race. It might be nice if there
was a different type of event on each waterway. Think of something that perhaps involves
other recreational users. Make it easy and safe for the general public to be involved.
This is an opportunity to do something creative and fun that calls attention the waterway,
the idea of a watertrail, its benefits and the possibilities for its development.
There is a body of expertise in running public events within the paddling community. A
number of people in the IPC and other paddling clubs have experience with races, trips,
river cleanups and public events like Paddle in the Park and the Lake Michigan Watertrail
Day. The Access Project can put you in touch with these experts who can provide
advice on organizing your event.
Just Doing It
We suggest that the watertrail advocacy groups focus on the mission of developing
adequate, legal, non-motorized, small boat access on the major waterways of Illinois. The
fact that this is a project limited in time and scope is one of its strong points. Other,
more on-going riparian issues such as habitat conservation, streambank restoration, land
use and zoning may be better addressed by more permanent conservation organizations or a
Friends of the River group.
Northeastern Illinois is the first area in the country to develop multiple waterways into
a regional system of watertrails. The development of the proposed sites and watertrails
will take several years to implement, but significant progress has already been made with
the official adoption of the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Plan and the
creation of the first official watertrail on Lake Michigan by the Chicago Park District.
All this has been accomplished by local watertrail advocacy groups composed of dedicated
paddlers with effective leadership, a plan and, most importantly, the persistence to
remain together and active over the length of time it takes for government agencies to do
anything.
For more information please contact:
Gary Mechanic, Director
The Access Project of the Illinois Paddling Council
27947 N. Ash
Wauconda, Illinois 60084
e-mail: LStroker@msn.com
phone: 773-590-0710 (cell)
