Lake Michigan Water Trail Plan, Phase I: Inventory & Assessment
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LAKE MICHIGAN WATER TRAIL PLAN, PHASE I: Inventory and Analysis of Access Sites in Support of a Lake Michigan Water Trail Southwest Michigan, West Michigan, Northwest Michigan, and the Upper Peninsula July 2014 Prepared by the in partnership with: This project was funded, in part, by the Michigan Coastal Zone Management Program, Department of Environmental Quality Office of the Great Lakes and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. PROJECT TEAM from the: TABLE OF CONTENTS West Michigan Shoreline Regional Introduction and Background...................... 2 Development Commission Vision and Goals .......................................4 What is a Water Trail? ...........................4 Drawing the Larger Picture ....................4 Visions, Goals, and Objectives.................5 Erin Kuhn, Executive Director Inventory Process .....................................6 Kathy Evans, Program Manager Regional Water Trail Segments ...................7 Amy Haack, Program Manager Southwest Michigan Segment ................9 West Michigan Segment ......................10 Joshua Croff, Planner Northwest Michigan Segment ...............11 Upper Peninsula Segment ....................12 WMSRDC Officers Action Plan .............................................13 Enhancement Zones/Analysis .....................13 Joe Lenius, Chairperson Southwest Michigan ..........................14 Mason County Commissioner West Michigan ...................................16 Susie Hughes, Vice-Chairperson Northwest Michigan .......................... 19 Muskegon County Commissioner Upper Peninsula ............................... 24 Evelyn Kolbe, Secretary Michigan Great Lakes Water Trail Website Oceana County Commissioner Public Tool for Planning Paddling Trips..........27 Appendixes Project Partners Appendix A: Local Government Plan Model Language ..........................................28 • Southwest Michigan Council of Governments • West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Appendix B: Best Management Commission Practices ...........................................35 • Northwest Michigan Council of Governments • Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning & Development Commission • Land Information Access Association Introduction & Background Introduction The development of the Lake Michigan The Lake Michigan Water Water Trail is a natural extension of Trail is a historic effort to catalyze the various gov- on-going green infrastructure planning ernmental, economic and and implementation efforts being cultural institutions that benefit from our globally coordinated by the regional planning unique freshwater coast- organizations located along Michigan’s line. The development Lake Michigan shoreline. The RPOs of Michigan’s Lake Michi- gan Water Trail is oriented serve local communities and collaborate around increasing and im- on a variety of programs that cross proving public access to the Lake Michigan shore- jurisdictional boundaries. line and the coastal waters within the state of Michi- Background gan. In 2010, Michigan Sea Grant, in collaboration To date, 385 public access sites, 55 camp- with the Michigan Department of Environmen- grounds, and 255 other water trail assets in 21 tal Quality Office of the Great Lakes Coastal Michigan counties were inventoried through a Zone Management Program (OGL CZM), con- collaborative process. Public access site features vened a visionary group of volunteers from and associated amenities such as campgrounds all over the state — people who work with and other cultural assets were included in the coastal communities to develop water trails assessment. This information will be used to and love the Great Lakes – to create the Mich- assess the gaps and needs for the development igan Great Lakes Water Trails Advisory Coun- of the Lake Michigan Water Trail. In addition, cil. The voluntary group coalesced around the the information will be displayed on the new idea of a system of contiguous regional water website (www.michiganwatertrails.org) to begin trails along Michigan’s Great Lakes coasts and promoting the use of the Lake Michigan Water connecting waters. The Council’s ultimate am- Trail where public access is currently available. bition was to more effectively share informa- Photo by Ken Johnson Page 2 Lake Michigan Water Trail Introduction & Background Continued tion and coordinate marketing efforts for visitors ciation, a non-profit organization that promotes and residents interested in accessing Michigan’s the development and safe use of a continuous spectacular shoreline. The framework would water trail around the entire lake, also invited promote sustainability, tourism, recreation and summit participants to help advance their ef- related economic development in coastal com- forts. As a result, four Regional Planning Orga- munities. nizations (RPOs) along Michigan’s Lake Michi- gan shoreline convened a Lake Michigan Water Stemming from this and from momentum cre- Trail Advisory Group (LMWTAG) to advance es- ated by local trail groups, Western Michigan Uni- tablishment of the Lake Michigan Water Trail in versity held a Lake Michigan Water Trail Summit Michigan. The development of the Lake Michi- in Saugatuck, Michigan in October 2012. The gan Water Trail also implements the Lake Michi- purpose of the Summit was to expand water gan Action and Management Plan (LAMP) and trail partnerships and advance the development advances the work of the Lake Michigan Water- of the Lake Michigan Water Trail. Also with CZM shed Academy, a collaborative group of RPOs support, Western Michigan University developed from the Lake Michigan Watershed States of a map atlas of Lake Michigan shoreline public ac- Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, who cess sites. The Lake Michigan Water Trail Asso- coordinate activities. Helpful Links: • Lake Michigan Management Plan (Lamp) - www.great-lakes.net/lakes/ref/lamps.html • Lake Michigan Watershed Academy - lakemichiganacademy.org • National Water Trails System - National Park Service - www.nps.gov/watertrails • Michigan Great Lakes Water Trail -www.michiganwatertrails.org/default.asp Page 3 Lake Michigan Water Trail Vision and Goals What is a Water Trail? Water trails are recreational routes on waterways with a network of public access points supported by broad-based community partnerships. Water trails provide both conservation and recreation opportuni- ties. They are marked routes along rivers, lakes and coastlines for boating, usually intended for quiet water recreation (kayaks, canoes and stand up paddle boards). The trails include: signs and route markers; maps and promotion of water routes; facilities for parking, boat put-in/take-out areas, and places to picnic and sometimes camp. Water trails can be used for both single day and multiple day trips. An established trail provides safe/legal access and information about waterways while providing connections to Michigan’s diverse history, ecology, geology, heritage and wildlife. Drawing the Larger Picture sites along the Lake Michigan shoreline and more than 215 within connecting harbors, lakes Lake Michigan Water Trail and rivers have been identified. For more infor- mation visit www.michiganwatertrails.org. The Lake Michigan Water Trail spans more than 760 miles of Michigan’s Lake Michigan shore- Michigan Great Lakes Water Trails line. Beginning in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and south to the Indiana State border, the trail The Michigan Great Lakes Water Trails website includes: had its genesis in a visionary group of volunteers from all over the state — people who work with • 287 public access sites available for pad- coastal communities and love the Great Lakes. dlers and 55 public campgrounds located at The goal is to promote coastal public access by shoreline access sites linking regional water trails to form a statewide • 32 major river systems that provide access water trail system along every mile of Great to an additional connecting water trails and Lakes shoreline. Some regional trails exist and public access sites some are still being mapped, but all will benefit When completed, the Lake Michigan Water from this site. Support has been provided by the Trail will offer safe, legal, and adequate access Michigan Department of Environmental Quality around the entire 1,600 mile long lakeshore of Coastal Zone Management Program, with con- America’s Greatest Lake, Lake Michigan. The tent provided by communities and volunteers all Lake Michigan Water Trail will be the longest over the state. continuous - loop water trail in the world. In 2011, the Lake Michigan Water Trail (75 miles Michigan Department of Natural Re- from Chicago to New Buffalo) was designated by sources (MDNR) State Trails Imple- the National Parks Service (NPS)as a a National mentation Plan Recreation Trail. Michigan, Indiana and Wiscon- sin completed detailed inventories for access to The MDNR completed a comprehensive trail im- Lake Michigan in support of trail development. plementation plan in May 2013. Water trails are Wisconsin has applied for a NPS Lake Michigan an important part of Michigan’s economic devel- National Water Trail designation. opment strategy and significant grant funding is now available to support them. For more in- Michigan’s Regional Planning Organizations formation, visit www.michigan.gov/documents/ completed inventories of access sites along the dnr/MI_Comprehensive_Trail_Plan_425377_7. Lake Michigan shoreline from Wisconsin to In- pdf diana from 2012-2014. As a result of this,