The Great Lakes region is only a few steps away from obtaining a second federally protected marine sanctuary for shipwrecks. On January 6, 2017, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that plans to designate up to 1,260 square miles of Lake Michigan along Wisconsin’s coastline as a marine sanctuary had entered a multi-month public review stage — one of the last steps in what has already been a multi-year project.
The region under review contains 38 known and 95 potential shipwrecks; the most famous of which include the “Christmas Tree Ship” wreck of the Rouse Simmons, the 1833 Gallinipper wreck and a freighter filled with vintage Nash automobiles.
Public meetings are scheduled for March and public comment is accepted until March 31.
Shipwreck Photo Courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society
