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Water trails embody
the nexus between rivers and trails. They provide
recreational boating opportunities along a river,
lake, canal or coastline; most water trails are
managed in public-private partnership with the
philosophies of environmental stewardship, environmental
education, and accessibility for all users.
examples
resources
Examples:
Nine
Days-One Hundred Miles
on the Lakes-To-Locks Water Trail
Summer Event Makes Blueway Shine:
Seattle, WA (July 2002) - Washington Water Trails
Association (WWTA) hosted a 100-mile paddle trip
of the Lakes-To-Locks Water Trail in a series
of nine day trips that took participants across
Lake Sammamish, down the Sammamish River, around
Lake Washington, and through the Chittenden Locks
into Puget Sound. NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation
Assistance Program sponsored the event on behalf
of the trail's 16 partners as part of their 2002
NPS Partnership in Recreation Award. Sixty-eight
paddlers traveled the route, with at least 11
paddlers participating each day. Sixteen speakers,
including mayors, park directors, historians,
and naturalists greeted the group along the way.
Congressman Jim McDermott accompanied 40 paddlers
through the locks on the ninth day. On day four,
WWTA, NPS, and the City of Kirkland installed
the first official Lakes-To-Locks sign at Houghton
Beach Park. Partnership Award monies are providing
signs at all launch and landing sites along the
water trail. For more information, please contact
Sue Abbott, Seattle, WA, at sue_abbott@nps.gov
or 206-220-4116. To access the Nine Day--100-mile
Daily Web Journal, visit www.wwta.org/journal.html
Tennessee
River Blueway opens to much celebration
50 mile flatwater paddling opportunity
in Tennessee: Chattanooga, TN (May 11, 2002) -
This May National Park Service Director Fran Mainella,
Congressman Zach Wamp, and others marked the grand
opening of the Tennessee River Blueway. Stretching
from just upriver of Chattanooga to Marion County,
the Blueway provides a close-to-home outdoor experience
featuring designated and well-marked access locations,
campsites, and color brochure to serve as a guide.
Since spring of 2001, the Rivers,
Trails and Conservation Assistance program has
been working in close partnership with Tennessee
River Gorge Trust, which initiated the project,
and others to provide technical assistance in
the form of project organization, partnership
development, site selection, brochure development,
and trail implementation. It is envisioned that
a long-term, grassroots, self-sustaining organization
will be created to coordinate stewardship and
development of a broad network on Blueways within
the Tennessee River Watershed. For more information,
contact Jeff
Duncan at (423) 987-6127.
First
Two in a Series of Eastern Shore
Water Trail Maps Published
Guides provide information on
routes, paddling safety, resource interpretation
and other amenities: Worcester County, MD (June
2000)-The county and nearby Assateague Island
National Seashore (ASIS) have published the first
two in a series of water trail maps designed to
provide visitors with easy-to-use guides to canoeing
and kayaking the region's rivers and coastal bays.
The NPS-Rivers & Trails Program (RTCA) staff
researched, tested and wrote the guides, with
assistance from ASIS staff, and RTCA assisted
with design and printing. The two brochures are
"Exploring the Pocomoke River & Nassawango
Creek of Worcester County" and "Exploring
Coastal Bay & Salt Marsh Flats of Assateague
Island." Both are based on water trails that
can be navigated by relatively inexperienced paddlers.
They include maps with several route options;
basic paddling and water safety information; sources
of equipment outfitters; launching sites; locations
of parking, food, camping & toilet facilities;
any fees & reservations required; some interpretation
of the natural & cultural history of the area;
and rules for protecting fragile resources. The
water trail series is part of a regional ecotourism
partnership to promote the low impact use of Delmarva's
(the coastal peninsula consisting of parts of
Delaware, Maryland and Virginia) natural and cultural
resources to enhance local economies and to insure
the preservation of quality of life. Other goals
of the project include packaged multi-modal ecotours,
organized educational boat trips, and bike trails.
Other partners include The Nature Conservancy,
Assateague Coastal Trust, Furnace Town Foundation,
Bob O Dell Club, and Assateague State Park. For
more information, please contact: Sherry
Peck, Rivers & Trails Program, Philadelphia,
PA, 215-597-6478.
Housatonic
Valley River Trail
Takes Shape in Western Connecticut
Hard work by volunteers pays
off: Housatonic Valley, CT (November 2001) - Volunteers
installed two key access points on the Housatonic
Valley River Trail in November 2001. An Eagle
Scout candidate, assisted by fellow Scouts, installed
log steps on November 12 and 13, 2001. The steps
stabilize the bank and provide paddlers with a
rest stop and means to enjoy the Still River Bird
Sanctuary. On Saturday, December 1st, 35 volunteers
installed the trailhead launching site next to
a Marriott Hotel in Danbury, Connecticut. The
put-in marks the beginning of the Housatonic Valley
River Trail, which will ultimately become a 38-mile
route to Long Island Sound.
Volunteers placed 246 of the
53-pound paving blocks (6 tons) to create an apron
for launching canoes and kayaks. Other contributions
(valued at $14,000) included heavy equipment and
engineering. During the work day, the newly-acquainted
volunteers suggested creating a canoe & kayak
club. Key partners are the Housatonic Valley Economic
Development Partnership and Housatonic Valley
Tourism District. More than 35 members of the
Advisory Group represent interests from paddlers
and youth to tourism and natural history. NPS
Rivers & Trails staff helped to convene the
Advisory Group and the strategy to engage volunteers.
For further information, contact John
Monroe, Director of Connecticut Program, Boston,
MA, 617 223 5049.
Trail Connects New York's Adirondacks
With Maine's Northern Border: Rangely, ME (July
8, 1999) - Over 40 people gathered in the rain
in Rangeley, Maine's town park to dedicate 50
miles of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
The dedication included a day paddle of Rangeley
Lake and a three-day paddle along the trail. The
Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a project of Native
Trails, a small nonprofit dedicated to the preservation
of pre-mechanized travel routes, stretches from
the Adirondacks of New York to northern Maine,
crossing every major watershed in the Northeast.
For the past year, the Rivers & Trails program
of the National Park Service, in partnership with
the Appalachian Mountain Club, guided an effort
in the Rangeley region to create the first Northern
Forest Canoe Trail guide and map, to identify
landowners and to sign all portages. Rangeley
Lakes Heritage Trust was the lead partner with
Maine Conservation Corps/AmeriCorps, several local
businesses, and Trails for Rangeley Area Coalition
also playing key roles. Sale of the Rangeley region
guide, published by the Rangeley Lakes Heritage
Trust, will provide funds for maintaining a portion
of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
Contact: Julie
Isbill, National Park Service/Appalachain
Mountain Club, Rivers & Trails Program, Brunswick,
Maine, (207) 725-5028
Lake
Superior Water Trail,
Bayfield Peninsula/Apostle Islands Section Opens
92 mile trail links new and existing
sites, including Apostle Island National Lakeshore:
Washburn, WI (June 15, 2000)-An open house marked
the debut of a 92-mile section of the Lake Superior
water trail that opened in time for the summer
2000 season. The water trail project includes
existing sites and new sites from Port Wing, WI
to Ashland, WI, including the Apostle Island National
Lakeshore, as well as a map and brochure. The
Rivers & Trails program (RTCA) provided overall
project coordination by establishing and chairing
the advisory committee and by providing technical
assistance on water trail development and management,
funding, and public involvement. Other project
partners include: the Apostle Islands National
Lakeshore, Inland Sea Society, Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin
(UW) Sea Grant, UW Extension, Red Cliff Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa, Northland College, Apostle
Islands Realty. Funding for the project was received
from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program,
the Northern Wisconsin History Center, local area
chambers of commerce, local economic development
council, and a local printer. For more information,
please contact: Angie
Tornes, Rivers & Trails Program, Milwaukee,
IL, 414-297-3605.
Resources:
NEW! Water Trails page on American Trails website
NEW! Blue Trails Guide by American Rivers
Water Trails Database on American Canoe Association website, Learn about and link to water trails in your state, or list your own water trail.
Sea Kayaker Magazine's Water Trail database
Logical
Lasting Launches,
This guide provides
design guidance for developing canoe and kayak
launches; case examples, designs, and photos are
included. Case
Studies of Water Trail Impacts on Rural Communities,A comparative analysis of rural communities with
calm water trails. Case studies illustrate impacts
of calm water trails and trends are drawn from
community ecomonic development associated with
water trails.
Websites:
Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network - an online toolbox for developing water trails
American Canoe Association
State Specific Resources:
Washington
Water Trails Association
Maine
Island Trail Association
North Carolina Paddle Trails - online series on how to build a paddle trail
Pennsylvania Water Trails - information on safety and Leave No Trace |
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Last Modified 11-4-09
