Chicago, September 30, 1999: The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) today adopted the first Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails Plan. The plan proposes a system of 480 miles of water trails for canoeing and kayaking on the region's waterways. The waterways in the proposed plan include Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, the Des Plaines River, Salt Creek, the DuPage River, the Fox River, Nippersink Creek, the Kishwaukee River, the Kankakee River, and the Calumet Area waterways.

"The region's waterways are one of our great recreational resources," said Herbert T. Schumann, Jr., NIPC's President. "This plan will enhance their use by canoers and kayakers by encouraging the development of additional access and portage sites, coordinated signage, and consistent information on local rules and conditions. The plan will also help make these assets better known to residents and visitors to northeastern Illinois." Schumann added, "The development of this plan was a model of cooperation among users, planners, recreation providers, and funding agencies." The plan was developed by NIPC in conjunction with Openlands Project and the Illinois Paddling Council. Funding was provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

Prior to acting on the plan, the Commission was addressed by Gary Mechanic, director of the Access Project for the Illinois Paddling Council. "The ten major waterways of northeastern Illinois encompass the best of several worlds of paddling," he said. "They are urban and rural, crowded and empty, easy and challenging. They present a spectrum of paddling experiences found in few places in the world in such close proximity."

One hundred and seventy-four established and proposed access and portage sites are recommended as part of the regional water trail system. The access sites, approximately 3 to 5 miles apart, are all on public land. The 174 sites in the proposed plan are owned by 56 different agencies including forest preserve and conservation districts, park districts, municipalities, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Most sites need only minimal improvements such as coordinating signage or minor access or portage improvements, such as gravel screening for a path.

NIPC, with Openlands Project and the Paddling Council, will launch implementation of the plan by forming committees for each of the waterways to address issues such as trail coordinating mechanisms. A regional council will also be convened to discuss broader issues such as consistent signage.

The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission is the comprehensive planning agency for the six-county metropolitan area. In addition to planning, the agency provides technical and research assistance and reviews state and federal grant requests for local governments.

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