Lake St. Clair water trail gets grant funding

Thursday, November 11, 2010 | Source: Metromode

Paddlers and others who enjoy Lake St. Clair will benefit from a grant to develop a coastal water trail.

The $10,000 grant will give a boost to the Lake St. Clair Tourism Development Program for a kind of "blueway," like a greenway but in the water, for paddlers. The funds are part of a Coastal Community Development grant from Michigan Sea Grant, and are part of a federal program to educate people on issues surrounding coastal areas, as well as the creation of a trail map.

Kristen Grifka, Lake St. Clair tourism development specialist for Macomb County, explains that blueways typically run close to the shore, especially near a lake, and they can be marked. Maps show the blueway route so paddlers can figure out good places to launch, interesting things to see, and safe harbors.

Grifka has found that as boating gets increasingly expensive, more people are turning to kayaks or canoes to get out on the water. "It's gaining in popularity, particularly in the state of Michigan," she says. In fact, the Tip of The Thumb Heritage Water Trail draws people from as far away as Europe, she says.

She's expecting a reconnaissance-type trip next week to travel the shoreline to begin the mapping, and to continue lines of discussion with paddlers and other lake-minded people to be sure they're mapping out the area as well as they can.

"We're very excited," she says. "The thing that I think is very cool about the trail is there are a few people who have a vision for Michigan making a state-wide water trail. This would be a connector between a trail that is planned for the St. Clair river, and the trail already on the Detroit river. It's part of a bigger vision."

The trail will run along the coast of Lake St. Clair, and will be suited for open water kayaking and other paddling sports, much like how the Detroit Heritage River Water Trail, Clinton River Water Trail, and Thumb Water Trail already are.

Source: Kristen Grifka, Lake St. Clair tourism development specialist
Writer: Kristin Lukowski