Plainfield Park District Board says DuPage River should be open for public use

The Plainfield Park District Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Wednesday in support of maintaining public access to the DuPage River.

The district’s resolution came as local officials awaited clarification from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on whether the public can use the river for recreation. The question arose after one homeowner along the river complained of users littering and trespassing on private property.

In the resolution, the Plainfield Park District Board argued “that normal and lawful use of the DuPage River by the public cannot be denied by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), any other agency of the state of Illinois, or any other unit of local government.”

The board also echoed a call from five area state legislators in asking for the IDNR “to articulate a clear and correct position that IDNR is not attempting to limit, and will not limit, normal and lawful recreational activities on the DuPage River.” The Naperville Park District Board also recently passed a similar resolution arguing for public access.

The IDNR has said the DuPage River is not a public body of water, meaning the public does not have a right to use it for recreation.

Plainfield Mayor John Argoudelis said the village is still awaiting word from the IDNR on its interpretation of a recent court case involving public access to part of the Mazon River in Grundy County.

An attorney representing Plainfield River Tubing, one of the companies whose customers landowners have complained about, sent a letter to the IDNR arguing that state law allows for an easement on navigable waterways.