VERMILION — This week’s official opening of the 27-mile Vermilion-Lorain Water Trail — which stretches from the Vermilion River Reservation along the shoreline of Lake Erie to Lorain and up the Black River to Elyria — should thrill the state’s growing number of canoeists and kayakers.

“Canoeing and kayaking is the fastest-growing segment of Ohio’s watercraft users,” Pam Dillon said Wednesday morning as the trail was officially dedicated in the Lorain County Metro Parks’ Mill Hollow area. “They represent a very significant portion of those using the state’s waterways.”

Dillon, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft, said the number of people putting canoes and kayaks into the Buckeye state’s lakes, streams and rivers rose 34 percent from 2003 through 2008.

“There’s a growing demand for public access to waterways, and we’re in the process of providing that access,” she said.
In 2003, there were 60,065 registered canoes and kayaks in Ohio. By the end of 2008, the number had risen to 80,640, or nearly 20 percent of all watercraft registered statewide. Canoes and kayaks have become much more affordable in recent years, with prices plummeting from thousands of dollars to just several hundred, and the sport is seeing wider interest among people of all ages.

So far, the project includes markers dotting the riverbanks that include mileage markers and other data. Guides are available that offer a color map of the trail, points of interest, safety tips, and warnings about swift water, flooding, river obstructions and hypothermia.

To date, roughly $15,000 has been spent to produce brochures and create signs marking the trail.
The second phase of the project, expected to be done in 2010, will focus on improving boat launch sites with asphalt paths from parking areas to riverbanks. Metro Parks director Dan Martin has said he hopes to secure a grant to cover those expenses.

Phil Hillman, fish management supervisor for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, echoed Martin’s assessment of the Vermilion River as one of the region’s finest natural attractions.

He cited diminished manufacturing and stepped-up cleanup and wastewater treatment efforts for significant improvements to Ohio’s waterways.

Still, “rivers in Ohio are the most underutilized resource,” Hillman said, lagging well behind Lake Erie and other smaller lakes around the state. “Water trails are the last piece of the puzzle,” he said.

The Vermilion-Lorain Water Trail is the fourth water trail in the state. Others take in portions of the Muskingham River in central Ohio and East Sandusky Bay in Erie County.

ODNR director Sean Logan characterized the river as a gateway between the civilized and natural worlds.

“It’s hard to imagine a better investment than this. It can be seen as an art center, a gym, preventative health center and a library, as well as a boost to business,” Logan said. “In terms of economic development, conservation means jobs.”

The park district hopes to draw visitors and sports enthusiasts to enjoy the river while generating money for the local economy. Still, Martin reminded everyone of the true value of the water trail.

“You can use this for free. And if you don’t enjoy the experience, we’ll give you your money back,” he said.

Contact Steve Fogarty at 329-7146 or sfogarty@chroniclet.com.

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