PHOTOS COURTESY OF WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Thanks to efforts from a variety of organizations and individuals, 962 square miles of Lake Michigan off Wisconsin’s coast have been designated a National Marine Sanctuary by the NOAA.
The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary will help protect 36 historically significant shipwrecks in the area (and likely more to be discovered) that include Wisconsin’s two oldest known shipwrecks — Gallinipper (1833) and Home (1843) — both of which remain intact and have been well preserved by Lake Michigan’s chilly temperatures and freshwater.
“The designation of this sanctuary is a milestone for NOAA, Wisconsin, and the nation,” says Nicole LeBoeuf, acting director of NOAA’s National Ocean Service. “This new sanctuary opens the door to world-class research, educational opportunities, and tourism for generations to come.”
The area is an important historic site as it represents the burial ground of a diverse cross-section of vessel types that were critical in transforming the Great Lakes into the nation’s largest major waterway.
“We’re really excited about NOAA’s announcement,” says Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. “The designation builds on 30 years of maritime heritage preservation by the State of Wisconsin and will create exciting new opportunities in education, recreation, and tourism in our coastal communities.”
To learn more, visit noaa.gov.
