Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails - Plan

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. 

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