Abraham Lincoln often plied the waters of the Sangamon River to travel and now a group is trying to raise awareness of the natural resource which is often overlooked.
Landscape architect Kent Massie says his firm has been hired to give communities along the waterway some options to capitalize on potential recreational opportunities. He says one of the major obstacles is providing access.
“There are very, very points where you can see the river or get in the river,” says Massie in explaining the project. “The whole point is to get people to know the thing exists out there.”
The study includes the area from Petersburg to Decatur. Massie says most area residents don’t know it was declared the Lincoln Heritage Canoe Trail by Governor Otto Kerner in 1965. Massie say he hopes the joint effort with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will soon change that.
The study should soon be online on DNRs website.