Project Update — Water Trail Update from Sheboygan River Basin Partnership

Like many navigable rivers in our region, the Sheboygan River has seen a lot of changes over the decades. One of the more noticeable and positive changes, along with gradual improvements to water quality and riparian habitats, has to do with more and more canoers, kayakers and paddlers now using the river as a source of recreation, inspiration and exercise. Whereas the rivers were important conduits for trade, food acquisition, communication and culture for the First Nations of American Indians and early European settlers – characteristics that remain important today – the revitalization of our rivers has become a bell weather for environmental health writ large.

We are happy to announce that work is almost complete on a new Water Trail on the Sheboygan River. This trail, with both an interactive, downloadable website and interpretive signage at put-in and take-out sites, will welcome those who want to experience the river and its wildlife up close. Water trails like this are fast becoming popular where the demand for nature-based experiences drives the community response to create environmental education opportunities. The Sheboygan River Basin Partnership has created an amazing opportunity with the help from LNRP. Kudos to Jon Gumtow and Sarah DeZwarte for their leadership on this important and high-profile project that will benefit paddlers for years to come.

This new water trail has also benefited from the direct support and encouragement of staff at Sheboygan County and the City of Sheboygan, who lent their expertise to the interactive website and interpretive signage, respectively. Thanks go to Tyler Betry, Deputy Director and County Conservationist for Sheboygan County’s Planning & Conservation Department, and to Tyson Pitsch, Mike Willmas, and Director Dave Biebel of the City of Sheboygan’s Department of Public Works and Joe Kerlin, Superintendent of Parks and Forestry for the City.

Funding was supplied in part by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources River Planning Grant Program and the Kohler Foundation. Thanks to the Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed and the leadership team of Kim Kettner and Wendy Lutzke. Thanks to Tina Prigge from Vagabond Creative Studio for the interpretive signage graphic designs.

A similar effort for the Manitowoc River also reached an important milestone with the completion and publication of the Manitowoc River Water Trail plan. With funding from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and NOAA, and with technical assistance from the Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission in partnership with the City of Manitowoc and Manitowoc County, this parallel effort only 20 miles north of Sheboygan will create yet another fantastic opportunity for paddlers to explore a Lake Michigan waterway with a rich history and ecological value. More on this water trail will be shared in upcoming newsletters.

 
Newsletter, ProjectLakeshore Natural Resource PartnershipSheboygan River Water Trail, Sheboygan River Basin Partnership, Sheboygan, SRBP, Winter Newsletter 2022