Photograph taken by Jon Wood on the Redwood River.
Letter from John
The snow is
melting, so paddling season must be just around the bend! But first, let’s take a look back at some
highlights from 2015:
Natalie Warren, our 2014 Water Trails Tourism Summit keynote speaker, is the newest member of the Water
Trails Citizen Advisory Committee. Natalie also has a relatively new job as the
River Corridor Steward for the St. Croix River Association.
Unfortunately,
planning for the 2016 Water Trails Tourism Summit has been discontinued due to
a projected budget deficit in the Water Recreation Fund. Revenue in the fund
(boat, canoe, kayak license fees and a portion of the gas tax) has remained
somewhat stable over the years, but has not kept pace with inflationary costs.
A future Summit and Water Trail facility development and maintenance activities
will depend on whether a legislative fix can be found for the long-term
sustainability of the fund. I encourage you to contact your local legislators
to inform them of the need to fix the budget shortfall.
The new law that
required Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) trailer training was legislatively
repealed in 2015. Instead, boaters and nonresident anglers will now just need
to affirm that they have read and understand AIS laws when they purchase their
licenses. Keep an eye on the DNR’s AIS webpage
for more information in the coming weeks.
Stakeholders and DNR
staff began discussions about potential dam renovation or removal projects that
could benefit both aquatic habitat restoration and recreation
opportunities. Whitewater park
designers and fish passage experts met with interested parties in Granite Falls
(Minnesota River) and Fergus Falls (Otter Tail River). These talks are in the very early
stages. Any potential projects could
take years to implement, but are exciting possibilities for paddlers.
Governor Mark
Dayton's landmark buffer initiative was signed into law in 2015. The law
establishes new perennial vegetation buffers of up to 50 feet along rivers,
streams, and ditches.These buffers will
help filter out phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment; and will provide critical
wildlife habitat. The DNR's role in Minnesota's new buffer law is to produce maps of public waters
and public ditch systems that require permanent vegetation buffers.
The Shell Rock River
State Water Trail near Albert Lea, MN was legislatively designated in
2015. The map and website should be
available by the end of April.
Happy
paddling in 2016!
John
Helland, Water Trails Citizen Advisory Committee Chair
Paddleboarding at the Minnesota State Fair a success
Stand-up
paddleboarding (SUP) is the fastest growing sector of paddlesports, so the
DNR showcased it at the Minnesota State Fair. Over 2,100 people tried out the new
stand-up paddleboarding simulator during the 12-day event.
This free attraction was located near the DNR fish pond and was
staffed by Conservation Corps Minnesota members. Crew member Carly DeVries reflected
on the event, saying, “I thought that working at the simulator was fun when
people were genuinely interested in learning how to do it… A lot of people were
interested in the self-inflating life jackets and thought they were pretty
neat.”
The experience started out with a demonstration of life
jacket fitting and a safety message before boarding the simulator. The
simulation activity lasted about three minutes, and introduced participants to
proper paddleboarding techniques. Be sure to make it out the State Fair this
summer to see what else the DNR has to offer!
Visit mndnr.gov/sup
for more information about stand-up paddleboarding in Minnesota.
Conservation Corps
crews help maintain Minnesota's State Water Trails
In
2015, DNR Parks and Trails once again contracted with Conservation Corps
Minnesota (CCM) for maintenance services on Minnesota's State Water
Trails. This work is in addition to the work that DNR crews perform, and it is an effort to catch up on a lot of backlogged
maintenance needs statewide.
Nine young
adults made up two CCM crews that paddled and boated over 700 miles on
Minnesota's State Water Trails between late-April and mid-October. They went
through intensive training to safely use chainsaws both in and on water. Their
work included woody obstruction
removal, remote campsite maintenance, and documentation of conditions along the
Water Trails. Crew member Andy Nail had time to reflect on his
experience, saying: "The uniqueness of this experience is unmatched, and I
would highly recommend anyone who is interested to actually go out on these
rivers and see for yourself what they have to offer."
CCM offers a wide
range of opportunities for young adults and youth to get involved in their
community and learn more about environmental stewardship.
John Olinger,
Lindstrom City Administrator attended the 2014 Minnesota Water Trails
Tourism Summit. This event contributed to his concept of developing a Local
Water Trail. John has been working with surrounding communities to promote water
recreation. The proposed Chisago Lakes Water
Trail will consist of interconnected lakes that offer a wealth of water
recreation tourism opportunities, and the convenience of suburban amenities.
The Local Water Trail will include 13 miles of paddling on a total of 10 lakes.
John was delighted to share the
development story of this Water Trail. “We knew there was great potential for a
Water Trail in our communities because of the quantity and distribution of
picturesque lakes. Mother Nature has already
provided the Water Trail; we just need to provide maps and formal definition of
public infrastructure. I like to describe this Water Trail as ‘Boundary Waters
Lite,’ and it’s only a half hour drive from the Twin Cities.” he said.
The Chisago Lakes Area is
positioning itself to become one of the first highly successful Local Water
Trails in Minnesota. The area has also been recognized as the only Minnesota
candidate in the America’s Best
Communities competition. The Chisago
Lakes Area has moved on to the semi-finals of the competition, with only 15
communities remaining. In April, eight finalists will be selected to receive a
community revitalization award of $100,000 each. The grand prize winner will be
awarded $3 million! Good luck Chisago
Lakes Water Trail!
Kayaking skills added to the DNR’s I Can Paddle! Program
The DNR’sI Can Paddle!program offers first time paddlers the opportunity to develop skills
necessary to enjoy a lifetime of paddling. The program is made available
through Legacy Amendment funds,
and expanded in 2015 to include kayaking programs on lakes and rivers.
The
2015 I Can Paddle! season was a huge success with well over 600 people
participating in canoeing, kayaking, sea kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding
programs at State Parks and on State Water Trails.
Registration
is not yet available for 2016 I Can! programs, but keep an eye on ourwebsitefor registration information on all of the following programs:
Prepare to Launch! is an in-depth
guide that can assist Water Trail planners and project leaders in creating carry-in
access sites that are tailored to the needs of specific watercraft users. The
guide addresses planning
launch locations, user
accessibility, launch
design, funding
resources and more.
To learn more about River
Management Society Water Trail Management resources, click here.
Water Trails Photo
Uploader
Did you take an awesome photograph during your last outing
and want to share it with more than just family? Reach a wider audience by
submitting your photo to the DNR's photo uploader. The photo uploader tool can
be found on the introductory page of each Water Trail, or you can visit the photo
uploader directly. After reviewing the Community Guidelines, fill out the
required boxes, including the Water Trail you were on, when you took the
photograph, and a caption.
Help us update our outfitters and organizations lists
If you know of any outfitters that
provide shuttle services or canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard rental for
use on State Water Trails, please make sure they are listed on our Outfitters
page.
Water Recreation
Cooperative Acquisition and Development Program
This program provides financial and technical assistance to local governments for public boat accesses, campsites, rest areas and portages on the State's rivers and lakes. Eligible projects include acquisition, development and improvement of public boat accesses, parking lots, docks, boat launching ramps, campsites, rest areas and portages. Engineering and design assistance is available. For more information, click here.
Outdoor Recreation Grant Program
The goal of the Outdoor Recreation Grant program is to
increase and enhance outdoor recreation facilities in local and community parks
throughout the state. Eligible projects include Park acquisition and/or
development/redevelopment including, internal park trails, picnic shelters,
playgrounds, athletic facilities, boat accesses, fishing piers, swimming
beaches and campgrounds. All park projects must meet requirements for perpetual
outdoor recreation use. Click here
for more information.
Have State Water Trails questions or comments? Let us know about
any channel obstructions, report facility conditions, or make map or river gauge
corrections by filling out our conditions reporting form.
For any other issues or inquiries, please contact Erik Wrede, DNR Water
Trails Coordinator (651-259-5624, Erik.Wrede@state.mn.us).
The Minnesota State Water Trails newsletter is published
by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the State Water Trails
program in the Division of Parks and Trails.
Erika Rivers, Director of the Division of Parks and Trails
Phil Leversedge, Deputy Director of the Division of Parks
and Trails
Erik Wrede, Water Trails Coordinator
Nathan Schilling, Editor, CCM Mapping and Outreach Specialist