Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails

Comprising hundreds of miles of rivers and creeks, as well as Lake Michigan, northeastern Illinois waterways offer an unparalleled experience of our region—from the Chicago River's skyscraper canyons to the quiet beauty of prairie streams along the DuPage River. Openlands works to ensure our waterways remain clean, safe, and accessible to the public through carefully conceived and managed water trails initiatives.

Northeastern Illinois Water Trail Map
Click here to access a printable PDF version of this map.

Water Trails and Their Benefits
Water trails consist of a series of access sites for non-motorized boating along a waterway, strung together by signage that guides paddlers along. The value of these aquatic arteries includes opportunities for fun, healthy outdoor exercise and a respite from workaday life, refreshing our spirits and inspiring our minds. Safe, legal, and coordinated access to the region's waterways can also encourage:

  • Education. Paddling provides opportunities to learn about the rich history of our region’s waterways, which spurred the growth of both the Chicagoland area and the nation. Many water trails display important ecological, geological, and archeological features—sure to intrigue adults and young people alike.
  • Stewardship. Expanding and improving water trails in northeastern Illinois and the surrounding region exposes paddlers to important functions of riverine systems, such as habitat and water quality enhancements and flood protection. Nothing inspires the responsible care of our waterways as much as seeing yourself as a vital part of them.
  • Tourism and Other Economic Benefits. Canoeing and kayaking continue to grow in popularity, increasing the market demand for water trails. This can translate into financial benefits for nearby communities, including increased spending in restaurants, hotels, and other local amenities. Also, studies indicate that property values of homes and businesses near trails, parks, and other outdoor recreational facilities generally go up.

The following pages detail Openlands' role in creating the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Plan (and the resulting water trails map), recommendations for its continued implementation, and information about the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Council. 


Recognizing the immense recreational, environmental, and educational value of our region’s waterways, Openlands first proposed water trails in the late 1980s, in the Northeastern Illinois Regional Greenways and Trails Plan. Co-authored and formally adopted by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) in 1992, the plan was revised in 1997 to identify 4,300 miles of greenways and almost 2,000 miles of land and water trails for the region.

In 1996, Openlands, NIPC, and the Illinois Paddling Council (IPC)—with a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)—addressed water trails head on, hosting a conference to determine the demand for and possible scope of a regional water trails plan. More than 200 people attended.

The following year, in collaboration with these same partners, we brought together fifty-four local governments and other interested parties for a series of workshops and focus groups. Openlands and IPC inventoried existing launch sites, planned new ones, and prepared a map delineating nearly 500 miles of potential water trails and 174 access sites, of which about two-thirds needed some type of construction or improvements.

In 1998, Openlands, NIPC, and IPC drafted the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Plan , which established a vision for developing infrastructure and providing access to local waterways for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike. The plan addressed issues such as signage, launch site design, risk management, and funding, among others. Following public hearings in the fall of 1999, the plan was formally adopted by NIPC, and implementation began.

Heralded as the "Best Idea" in the August 2000 issue of Chicago Magazine, the plan has resulted in roughly two dozen new launch sites and almost fifty miles of water trail improvements. Another outcome is the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Map. 


Northeastern Illinois Water Trails Map
Click here to access a printable PDF version of this map.



Today, Openlands, in conjunction with the Illinois Paddling Council (IPC) and other partner organizations, continues to advance the recommendations of Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Plan, many of which can be readily executed.

The plan categorizes stretches of waterways according to the difficulty (minor, moderate, or major) of implementation. For example, a “major” labeling may entail safety issues such as conflicts with motorized boaters or private landowner concerns. However, nearly 80% of the recommended trail mileage received a “minor” classification. This means that approximately 370 miles of waterways could easily be developed into safe, functioning water trails.

Also, of the 174 access and portage sites recommended in the plan, seventy-one percent are either already established or need only minor access or portage improvements, such as gravel screening for a path and coordinating signage.

Lastly, although the plan identifies thirty-nine site owners, eleven agencies control three-quarters of the parcels. Even modest coordination among these entities could have a wide-reaching impact on the plan’s realization.

Given the relative ease with which vast portions of the plan could be realized, we recommend the following actions:

  • The regional water trails system should be coordinated across jurisdictional boundaries-recreation providers, dam owners, water management agencies, and other entities along each recommended water trail should work together to develop and manage a coordinated trail system.
  • Municipalities, park districts, counties, and water management agencies should include water trails in comprehensive land-use plans and request that developers seeking approval for projects near water trail facilities follow suit.
  • Owners of established and potential access and portage sites should make the improvements necessary to stretches with minimal obstacles (first priority stretches) as safe, functioning water trails as soon as possible. Second and third priority stretches should be included in long-term plans and capital programs.
  • New water trails should offer a variety of paddling experiences, provide a level of connectivity that affords more options for more people, integrate with regional greenways plans, and present new opportunities for habitat continuity and other greenway benefits.
  • The Illinois Department of Natural Resources should revise the Boat Access Area Development Program to emphasize water trail development rather than site-specific boat access. (Examples of specific changes are included in the plan.

Established in 2001, the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Council:

  • Promotes water trails awareness;
  • Improves access to water trails;
  • Sustains funding for a regional water trails system;
  • Provides technical assistance;
  • Establishes system-wide standards;
  • Coordinates promotion and user information (signage and maps);
  • Supplies expert speakers for meetings, seminars, and workshops; and
  • Orchestrates public events and environmental education to inspire stewardship and appreciation of the waterways.

Membership is voluntary, and all interested stakeholders are invited to participate. Council members (listed below) meet six times a year.

Article Index
Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails
Plan
Map
Recommendations
Council
All Pages

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