Des Plaines River Water Trail

Des Plaines River Water Trail
Name	Des Plaines River Water Trail
Location	Cook County, Illinois, Lake County, Illinois, Will County, Illinois
Length km	113
Length mi	70
Source	Will County, Illinois
Mouth	Illinois River

Des Plaines River Water Trail The Des Plaines River Water Trail is a designated paddling and boating corridor along the Des Plaines River in northeastern Illinois, linking urban and natural landscapes from the Kankakee River confluence area north toward the Chicago region. The trail connects municipal, county, and state facilities and intersects with multiple transportation, conservation, and recreation initiatives led by organizations such as Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Forest Preserve District of Cook County, and Lake County Forest Preserves. It serves canoeists, kayakers, anglers, and wildlife observers navigating a corridor shaped by historic settlement, industrial development, and contemporary restoration.

Overview

The water trail follows the Des Plaines River through jurisdictions including Will County, Illinois, Cook County, Illinois, and Lake County, Illinois, and provides access to regional nodes such as Joliet, Illinois, Des Plaines, Illinois, and the Chicago metropolitan area. Key institutional partners include the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and local park districts like the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and the Will County Forest Preserve District. The corridor intersects with infrastructure projects such as Interstate 80, Interstate 55, and the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor, and connects to recreational networks including the Great Rivers Greenway model and regional trail planning by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

History and Development

Indigenous presence along the river predates European contact, with historic ties to groups linked to sites like Cahokia Mounds and trade routes connecting to the Mississippi River watershed. European-American settlement intensified in the 19th century with towns like Joliet, Illinois and transport developments such as the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Industrialization, including steel and manufacturing in Joliet, altered the riparian corridor, while 20th-century flood control and navigation works by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and regional levee projects reshaped flow regimes. Contemporary designation as a water trail arose from collaboration among entities like Openlands, the Metropolitan Planning Council, and state parks agencies, influenced by conservation movements exemplified by organizations such as the Sierra Club and regional land trusts.

Route and Access Points

The trail is mapped with formal and informal put-ins and take-outs adjacent to municipal parks, forest preserves, and boat launches at locations including Midlothian Meadows, Romeoville, Will County, Riverside, Illinois, and near Chicago O'Hare International Airport approaches. Access nodes coordinate with park districts such as the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Lake County Forest Preserves, and municipal parks in Des Plaines, Illinois and River Grove, Illinois. River crossings and nearby corridors include Interstate 294, U.S. Route 20, and rail corridors of Metra and the BNSF Railway. The trail is often described in segments reflecting hydrology and land use transitions, connecting to larger river systems including the Illinois River and historic navigation infrastructure like the Calumet Sag Channel.

Ecology and Environmental Concerns

The riparian corridor supports habitats for species recorded by agencies such as the Illinois Natural History Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including migratory birds along the Great Lakes flyway, native mussels, and fish assemblages similar to those in the Kankakee River and Illinois River systems. Invasive species issues involve organisms comparable to Asian carp and invasive plants addressed by programs modeled after work by the Nature Conservancy and the Illinois Audubon Society. Water quality concerns stem from urban runoff from Chicago, industrial legacy pollution near Joliet, Illinois, and nutrient loading linked to agricultural areas in Will County, Illinois. Restoration initiatives reference best practices from projects like Buffalo Creek (Wyoming) restoration analogs and remediation frameworks used by the Environmental Protection Agency in watershed management.

Recreation and Usage

Users include paddlers from clubs associated with institutions such as Northwestern University, community groups coordinated through Openlands, anglers following species guides from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and birdwatchers referencing inventories by the Audubon Society. Events and programming are organized in partnership with entities like the Chicago Park District, local historical societies in Joliet, Illinois and Des Plaines, Illinois, and outdoor outfitters based in the Chicago metropolitan area. Recreational use varies seasonally, with spring flows influenced by snowmelt and runoff monitored using hydrologic data from the U.S. Geological Survey stream gage network.

Management and Conservation Efforts

Management is multi-jurisdictional, involving coordination among the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, county forest preserve districts, and non-governmental organizations such as Openlands and the Nature Conservancy. Conservation strategies include riparian buffer restoration modeled on projects by the Great Lakes Commission and invasive species control approaches similar to regional efforts led by the Illinois Invasive Species Council. Funding and policy instruments draw on state programs administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and federal grants comparable to those from the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for habitat restoration and public access improvements.

Safety and Regulations

Safety guidelines reference regulations enforced by agencies like the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and local sheriff's offices in Will County, Illinois and Cook County, Illinois, including vessel registration and lifejacket requirements paralleling statewide boating rules. Navigation hazards include low-head dams, obstructions near railroad bridges such as those of the BNSF Railway, and variable flow conditions influenced by upstream tributaries like the Kankakee River. Emergency response coordination often involves Illinois State Police waterways units and local fire protection districts, with public advisories issued through channels used by the National Weather Service and county emergency management agencies.

Category:Water trails in Illinois Category:Rivers of Illinois