Internet Resources for Paddlers

Have You Registered Your Boat? / Renewed Your Boat Registration?

Illinois Dept of Natural Resources - Watercraft Division

LOCAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
John Nelson's  - Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Pages
You can spend a full day on this site and learn about area rivers, lakes, their history, check out old maps, where to rent boats, get paddling instruction, find locations of dams, and lots, lots more. 

Tom Lindblades's -  Haunted by Waters  - Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and International video paddling guides

Openlands  - Openlands, founded in 1963, is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing public open space in northeastern Illinois.

PaddleAway  - Another great Illinois paddling information site. Put-ins, Maps, and videos all paddling related!!!

Rivers-End Midwestern Paddlesports Message Board - Communicate with paddlers in your area

WATERSHED GROUPS AND RIVER ORGANIZATIONS
Friends of the Chicago River - provides information on water quality, watershed education and ecological restoration throughout the watershed in an effort to preserve and protect the Chicago River.
Friends of the Pecatonica River
Salt Creek Watershed Network

NATIONAL PADDLING / RIVER ORGANIZATIONS
American Canoe Association
American Whitewater Affiliation
United States Canoe Association
U.S. Canoe & Kayak Team

CONSERVATION GROUPS
Leave No Trace
National Park Service, Rivers and Trails Program
Prairie Rivers Network
Wooden Canoe Heritage Association

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PADDLERS
Gorp.com - not just information for paddling, but for every other outdoor adventure sport as well
Outdoorplay.com - internet gear shopping site
Mitchell Paddles - links to a sizing guide for kayak and canoe paddles.
Paddling.net - most comprehensive source for anything you ever wanted to know about paddling, how to, equipment, manufacturers, trip reports and more
Paddlingfitness.com Brian Staniszewski's great information about how to paddle, remain fit. and stay injury free.

STREAMFLOW INFORMATION
USGS gauges for most rivers in the U.S. - click on state
AmericanWhitewater National River Database

WEATHER INFORMATION
Accuweather
IntelliCast

FREE TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS, ARIAL PHOTOS
Google Earth
NASA Worldwind (similar to Google Earth).
Terraserver
Topozone



SAFETY
LifeSaving.com Organization dedicated to drowning and aquatic injury prevention and emergency management.