Access points to the Sangamon River in Champaign County are few, but the Upper Sangamon River Conservatory (USRC) spent their Saturday afternoon reviving a path for paddlers to access the river under the Hazen Bridge on CR2600N.
Hazen Bridge was constructed in 1893. It was used as a vehicle crossing point until 1993 when CR2600N was built.
The Preservation and Conservation Association (PACA) of Champaign County fought to keep the bridge from being demolished for scrap metal in the early 1990’s. PACA now own five acres of land around the Sangamon River.
USRC now works with PACA to preserve the bridge. As public property, Hazen Bridge is now used as an access point.
After 20 years of with little to no care, the public access point became unsafe for the public to use. USRC spent the afternoon clearing a path from brush and poison ivy down the steep hill to the river. They also replaced boards on a small bridge with runners from the larger structure.
The group will continue restoration work by pulling up rotted runners, replacing more than 50 boards on the main structure, and eventually adding a landing to the riverbank and parking near the bridge.
“We’re trying to make the river as accessible as possible,” said USRC President Scott Hays. “We are working with the Village and forest preserve because they own public lands. Hazen Bridge is about a mile and a half from the Riverbend access point, which is really nice if someone wants to come out, but it’s hard to get the kayaks out and there’s no parking.”
Other access points such as Lake of the Woods, Sangamon River Forest Preserve, the Riverbend Forest Preserve and Barber Park have plenty of parking, but there is not a convenient way to get to the river.
The Village of Mahomet and the Mahomet Parks and Recreation Department plan to provide better access from the Barber Park and Riverbend Forest Preserve parking lots.
With public access points, the public and members of the Sangamon River Conservatory can do what they love to do, paddle the Sangamon River.
“It’s like you’ve left the flatlands of Central Illinois with the straight roads and even fields,” Hays said. “The river meanders, it’s forested and you’ll be in the shade. It’s a really nice experience.”
As a group that includes people interested in science, nature, engineering and recreation, USRC care about the land along the Sangamon, the wildlife, plants, bridges and the property owners along the Sangamon River.
“The more you learn about (the Sangamon River), the more you appreciate it,” said USRC Secretary Bruce Colravy.
USRC will host an “Intro to the Sangamon” Mahomet guided river trip on June 23 to educate the public and along with city officials about USRC and the needs along the Sangamon River. With four canoes and members with canoes and kayaks, USRC explored the Sangamon River twice this year.
They discovered a blue heron rookery in the top of the Sycamore trees close to the Hazen Bridge.
In August USRC will take part in their second annual mussel survey. The group is also in their fifth year studying water quality through monitoring invertebrates.
In conjunction with the Illinois Riverwatch Network, USRC will clean up the Sangamon River on September 14. Last year 35 volunteers pulled tires along with many household appliances from the river.
As part of an effort to take care of land around the Sangamon River, USRC cleans up two miles of Route 47N.
USRC also tries clean up fallen trees and debris that may clog up the flow of the river along the fourteen miles between the Sangamon River Forest Preserve and Riverbend Forest Preserve.
Once the access points along the Sangamon River are cleaned up, USRC wants to start building some ground rules for paddlers. Only the access points are public property. The rest of the land along the Sangamon River is private property.
The group has a map of access points on their website.
USRC raises funds for their organization through the Duck Race during the Sangamon River Music Festival. If the current in the river is slow, USRC helps to move the ducks down the river.
To find out more about USRC visit their website at sangamonriver.org.
