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- Grand Island NRA Installs HWT Signage
- HWTA and Hiawatha National Forest Sign Cooperation Agreement
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Starts Installing HWT Signage
- HWTA Receives ACA CFS Grant
- HWTA and PRNL Sign Cooperation Agreement
- Access Points Brochure Enlarged
- DEQ Coastal Management Grant
- Chocolay Township Receives DNR Trust Fund Grant
- HWT Logo Designed
- HWTA Seats an Informal Board
- Paddlesports Locker Plans Finished
- Trail Map Designed
- Website Designed
- HWTA Receives Grant for Paddle Sports Locker
- HWTA Working With PRNL & HNFS
- Access Points Brochure Redesigned
Work on a watertrail campsite near Big Bay between Yellow Dog Point and Granite Point is nearing completion. Thanks to this site, paddling between Big Bay and Marquette can be done over two days instead of one long one. For minimum impact to the land, a composting toilet has been installed as well as two tent pads. The landowner, Gordon Niessen and his family, have granted permission for the water trail for the campsites and installed the composting toilet. Donations from the paddling public have purchased the lumber for the tentpads and volunteers from the HWTA have cleared the tent sites and built the platforms.
Work on a watertrail campsite on the Chocolay River was completed this spring. This site, located about a 2/3 mile from Lake Superior, allows watertrail users to camp in a very protected site. Funding is provided by the Chocolay Township and the Department of Natural Resources with volunteer labor provided by the HWTA. This site is also an Access Point and will have a kayak locker installed for paddlers to secure their gear while they travel to nearby restaurants, grocery stores, etc.
Donations
Long time supporter, Bill McKenney, donated a kayak to the HWTA to use as a fundraiser at the NTN’s Silent Auction held last fall. This just wasn’t any kayak though, Bill basically is an artist whose medium is wood and fiberglass. He can be seen at the right putting the last touches on his latest work of art. The lucky winner was Dr Matthew Songer of Marquette. Thanks to both of them for their support of the water trail.
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WT Signage Installed Around Marquette
By the beginning of July, HWT signage was installed denoting access points around the City of Marquette. This comes after Marquette’s Park and Recreation Committee recommended it to the City Commission who voted to approve it. The signs are in the following locations: South Beach, McCarty Cove, Presque Isle Marina and Middle Bay in Presque Isle.
Work continues to gain permission to add signs at other locations along the trail currently without signs.
Grand Island NRA Installs HWT Signage
Grand Island National Recreation Area (NRA) and Hiawatha National Forest has started to install Hiawatha Water Trail signs. This is a result of the cooperative agreement the National Forest Service (NFS) and the HWTA signed earlier this year. Plans are for the installation to be completed in 2005.
The HWTA, through the ACA Club Fostered Stewardship program funded by L. L. Bean, is providing water trail signage for Forest Service lands while the NFS is providing the posts.
HWTA and Hiawatha National Forest Sign Cooperation Agreement
The Hiawatha Water Trail Association (HWTA) and Hiawatha National Forest (HNF) signed a general agreement regarding the water trail. This agreement outlines the cooperative effort the two groups are doing regarding the water trail.
The agreement states the following:
This agreement is effective for five years.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Starts Installing HWT Signage
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (PRNL) has started to install Hiawatha Water Trail signs. This marks the first location on the water trail where its signs have been installed and is a result of the cooperative agreement the Lakeshore and the HWTA signed earlier this year. Plans are for the installation to be completed in 2005.
The HWTA, through the ACA Club Fostered Stewardship program funded by L. L. Bean, is providing water trail signage for PRNL lands while another entity is providing the posts.
The HWTA is providing volunteers to assist the Lakeshore with installing the signs.
The Hiawatha Water Trail Association has received $990 from the American Canoe Association’s (ACA) Club Fostered Stewardship (CFS) program funded by L. L. Bean. Funds are budgeted to go towards two areas. First is trail signage where we will use these monies to purchase signs, posts, nuts & bolts, etc. This significantly helps us to meet a critical need. Secondly, we are funding a trail promotion effort. This includes putting together a display booth for various public events so we can distribute water trail information as well as items such as bumper stickers, posters, etc.
HWTA and PRNL Sign Cooperation Agreement
The Hiawatha Water Trail Association and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore signed a general agreement regarding the water trail. This agreement outlines the cooperative effort the two groups are doing regarding the water trail.
The agreement states the following:
This agreement is effective for five years.
Access Points Brochure Enlarged
The Access Points brochure was enlarged enabling more information to be placed on it. Redesigned in 2003, the advertising space available was quickly filled and requests for larger ads as well as requests from new advertisers had to be turned down. Additionally, there was no more space for placing information users, the National Park Service and National Forest service requested.
Thanks to funding from the Michigan DEQ Coastal Management Program funded by NOAA, the water trail contracted with Aaron Peterson for the professional services. Starting for the 2005 paddling season, users will find the 17” X 22” half color, half black & white brochure has more information than the old 17” X 11” black and white brochure.
The Michigan DEQ Coastal Management Program, funded through the National Oceanic
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce has awarded a $20,000 grant to the Hiawatha Water Trail. This grant is funding various projects including part or all of the following: trail map, access points brochure, website and trail promotion. This funding is enabling the Hiawatha Water Trail Association to provide important information to water trail users.
Chocolay Township Receives DNR Trust Fund Grant
Chocolay Township has received a DNR Trust Fund grant for developing a campsite and paddlesports locker at the Chocolay River boat launch. Development is expected to start in either 2005 or 2006. Paddlers using the campsite will find a protected site with options for paddling on the Chocolay River as well. Paddlers using the locker will find nearby businesses such as hotels, resturants, an ice cream shop and within a few miles, a grocery store. Chocolay Township is located just south of Marquette.
Water trail volunteer Kathy Jeske has completed the design of the water trail logo. The board unanimously accepted the design and is excited to start using it. This logo is expected to become the symbol that will identify the water trail and its products to paddlers and other members of the public.
The water trail seated an informal board as it expands its work and projects it has undertaken. This board will guide the water trail through its development for the next two years. Board members include: Bill Thompson, Sam Crowley, Nancy Cihak, Shaun Devlin, Robb Cookman, Sue Belanger, Nancy Uschold and Grant Petersen.
This board represents the next steps in the water trail’s development. Previously Bill Thompson and Sam Crowley were working on this project. As the number of projects increased, it became increasingly obvious that additional volunteers were needed. This board provides not only additional volunteers but a process for decisions regarding the trail to be made. Both are critical as the project continues to grow.
Paddlesports Locker Plans Finished
UP Engineers and Architects has completed the design of the Paddle Sports Lockers funded by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Community Assistance Program.
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get a meal, find a hotel room, see the town, etc.
Thanks to the US National Forest Service for their assistance in obtaining this grant.
GIS specialist and water trail volunteer Becky Cookman completed design of the water trail map. When this map is printed, it will offer paddlers the ability to navigate along the water trail. It features an overview of the entire trail as well as the trail broken down into eight detailed sections. Features include:
- water depth
- mileage scale
- navigational aids
- public & private lands marked
- access points & their amenities
- kayak accessible campsites
- nearby drive-in campsites
- significant rivers
- nearby inland lakes
- and much more!
Currently volunteer efforts are aimed at finding funding to print the map on waterproof paper, enabling paddlers to kept the map under their front deck bungies.
This map will be sold for around $10 with the proceeds supporting the HWTA and its mission.
Website Designed
Volunteer Sam Crowley donated his services and designed the first website for the Hiawatha Water Trail Association. Containing information to help paddlers, the website is the source for paddlers to find out more information about planning a trip on the water trail.
HWTA Receives Grant for Paddle Sports Locker
The HWTA has received a $8000 grant for the design of a paddle sports locker from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Community Assistance Program. The paddle sports lockers are an unique idea to the Hiawatha Water Trail and this grants provides the funds for design. These lockers allow paddlers to securely store their boat and gear before heading into a town to resupply, get a meal, find a hotel room, see the town, etc.
Thanks to the US National Forest Service for their assistance in obtaining this grant.
Dick Anderson of the Hiawatha National Forest Service and Karen Gustin of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore met with Sam Crowley of the Hiawatha Water Trail Association. Discussed were different ways these federal agencies and the HWTA could work together. Various issues including signage, maps and promoting the trail were discussed.
This helps the HWT a great deal. Both the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore as well as the Grand Island National Recreation Area are two of the premier paddling destinations in the upper midwest and the jewels of the water trail. The HWTA looks forward to working with these agencies in the future.
Access Points Brochure Redesigned
The Access Points brochure first published last year has been redesigned with financial help from Down Wind Sports. The redesign improved the layout and appearance of the brochure. Marquette based graphic artist Meredith Ollila provided the professional services
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Access Points Brochure Published
A listing showing the location of all the Hiawatha Water Trail access points has been published with support of a grant from Down Wind Sports and the support of advertisers. For the first time a publication lists all the public lands that offer paddlers the opportunity to enjoy the water trail. In addition, safety information based on recommendations from the American Canoe Association and the British Canoe Union is included. This brochure has been received well and is the only brochure currently available for paddlers in the area.
In 1995, DNR employee Dean Sundell, since retired, started the process of organizing a water trail between Big Bay and Grand Marais, MI. His efforts included local paddlers, Chambers of Commerce, businesses and an assortment of government agencies. Efforts at procuring grants were unsuccessful.
Bill Thompson, of Down Wind Sports, continued Dean’s efforts. Working with Marquette residents Chip Truscon and Sam Crowley, they selected the name Hiawatha Water Trail to honor the Native Americans who first paddled these waters and the belief that Hiawatha had once lived on what is now the Grand Island Recreation Area.
Formation of the Noquemanon Trail Network helped reenergize the trail work as well as spread the word of the trail. Soon, the water trail was working with the National Forest Service, the National Park Service as well as other local government agencies.
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© 2004