There are 14 national marine sanctuaries around the country, and some of the shorelines of Lake Ontario in upstate New York may be one soon, according to Syracuse.com. Areas of Oswego, Cayuga, Wayne and Jefferson counties along the lake make up the area that would be protected by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Nearly 80 shipwrecks are estimated to be located within the proposed sanctuary.
The only other sanctuary around the Great Lakes is Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron. A second site, along Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, has not officially been
If NOAA deems the proposed Lake Ontario sanctuary eligible to be designated a national marine sanctuary, the next step would be NOAA asking for public comment on the proposal.
For more information, visit syracuse.com/politics/2019/04/us-wants-to-establish-lake-ontario-national-marine-sanctuary-in-upstate-ny.
Photo courtesy of James Bates/Flickr.
