Canoeists & Kayakers Sought to Paddle-A-Trail

June 16, 2010
Contact: Charles Mutscheller

CHICAGO, IL—In the spirit of Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet, local canoeists and kayakers are invited to continue the rich tradition of waterways exploration in our region by participating in Paddle-A-Trail. This popular annual event, which runs through Labor Day, helps compile up-to-date information about area waterways and encourages residents to use paddling trails for fitness, relaxation, and discovery.

“Paddle-A-Trail participants can enjoy countless crowd-less miles of rivers, streams, and lakes in the region,” explains Jerry Adelmann, president and CEO of Openlands, co-sponsor of the event with the Illinois Paddling Council and the Northeastern Illinois Water Trails Council. "It's a fun, healthy, and unique way to experience one of our region's most valuable natural resources: the water."

Since 2005 canoeists and kayakers have explored Lake Michigan and the Chicago, Des Plaines, and Little Calumet rivers, among many other local waterways, and submitted reports on the conditions and features encountered in an easy-to-complete online “WaterLog.” Information about log jams, water levels, new put ins, portages, and points of interest allow both local and visiting paddlers to adequately prepare for a safe and enjoyable trip.

The data will also inform future iterations of the Northeastern Illinois Water Trails Map, which accurately idenitifies more than 500 miles of paddling trails that criss-cross our region, from Nippersink creek, near Wisconsin, to the Little Calumet River, near Indiana.

“Individuals who want to get involved but don’t own a canoe or kayak can find nearby paddle-sport outfitters that rent equipment and provide shuttle services at the Illinois Paddling Council and the Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Guide Web sites,” says Laura Barghusen, Openlands’ associate greenways director. "Also, people who need ideas about where to paddle can find plenty of day trips for all ability levels at the Illinois Paddling Council Web site."

WaterLog reports help Openlands advocate for water trail improvements too. Openlands conducts research and advocates for safe, legal, and accessible non-motorized boating opportunities across the Chicagoland area. For example, we partnered with the Illinois Paddling Council and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission to co-author the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trail Plan, which creates an extensive system of navigable water corridors and encourages stewardship of local rivers and streams.

The Northeastern Illinois Water Trail system includes the Illinois shoreline of Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, Salt Creek, the Calumet and Little Calumet Rivers, parts of the Cal-Sag Channel and Thorn Creek, the DuPage River, the Kishwaukee River, Nippersink Creek, and sections of the Fox, Kankakee, and Des Plaines rivers.

Openlands is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the natural and open spaces of northeastern Illinois and the surrounding region to ensure cleaner air and water, protect natural habitats and wildlife, and help balance and enrich our lives. Founded in 1963, Openlands is one of the nation's oldest and most successful metropolitan conservation organizations, having helped secure and protect more than 55,000 acres of land for public parks, forest preserves, land and water greenway corridors, and urban gardens.