Ask your legislator to Co-Sponsor HB1873 & file your Witness Slip

The Illinois Paddling Council and our partner organizations have been working with the Illinois legislature to pass HB 1873 in the Spring 2025 legislative session. This bill will correct a long-standing misinterpretation of Illinois water law. The bill will be is soon to be voted on by the Illinois House Energy and Environment Committee. We’re asking all paddlers to call you House Member asking them to Co-Sponsor HB 1873, the Public Access to Navigable Waters bill. Also, please file a “witness slip” to register YOUR support for our bill.

Helpful tips for Witness Slips:

Section 1: If you are filling out the witness slip as an individual, enter “Self” for both Firm/Business and Title.

Section 2: If you are filling out the witness slips as an individual, enter “Self” or “NA”. Do not enter N/A.

Section 3: Select “Proponent” to indicate that you support HB 1873

Section 4: Check the box for “Record of Appearance Only”.

Then check the box to agree with the ILGA terms.

Finally, click the “Create Slip: button.

You’re done! Thank you for letting our legislators know you support HB1873.

Thanks to the Karen Van Meter at the Witness Slip Project for these tips.

HERE is a link file a Witness Slip to register your personal support for our bill.

HERE is a link to our IPC Fact Sheet for more information about this bill.

For a link to this bill, click HERE.

The bill clarifies that the citizens of Illinois will have access to paddle all navigable rivers and streams in Illinois. Under a questionable interpretation of navigability found in the Illinois Rivers, Lakes and Streams Act, 98% of all rivers in the state of Illinois are designated as “non-navigable” and are the property of the landowner that owns the land along that section of the river’s banks.

For a map and listing of the Illinois Rivers that IDNR designates as public waterways, click HERE.

We are asking you to contact your local State of Illinois House Representative and encourage him or her to sign on as a “co-sponsor” to HB 1873. Feel free to use the script we have created for you below.

To find your Illinois House member, click HERE.

Please call your representative’s office and leave the following or similar message, personalizing it to fit your situation.

SUGGESTED CALL SCRIPT:

Hello my name is (your name) and I am a constituent in your district at (your address) in (your city).

I am a (kayaker/canoeist/paddleboarder) that paddles the (local river or rivers preferably in your representative’s district).

However, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has determined that most rivers in Illinois, including the (river(s) that you paddle) are the private property of landowners along the river, which is inconsistent with federal law.

This session, Rep. Janet Yang-Rohr of Naperville filed HB 1873 which amends the Illinois Rivers., Lakes and Streams Act to make clear that all rivers in Illinois should be accessible to paddlers across the state of Illinois without fear that they may be trespassing on private property.  I am happy to send you more information about this bill.

I am asking for you to co-sponsor HB 1873 so that Illinois paddlers can access Illinois rivers.

I hope you will be willing to join this effort by co-sponsoring HB 1873. Would you be willing to do that?

Thank you very much for your time. 

We appreciate your help with this effort. Every phone call or contact to every Illinois House member is crucial for helping to get this bill passed!