A shipwreck sanctuary will be created in Lake Michigan

The US government agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – NOAA has announced that a shipwreck sanctuary will be created in Lake Michigan.

NOAA has decided to create a special sanctuary for shipwrecks in Lake Michigan, according to the latest information in the US media. This means that vessels that rest on the bottomthey will receive special legal protection.

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The Great Lakes Region

The basin is part of the Great Lakes Region of North America, which is located on the border between the United States and Canada. There are many historic shipwrecks resting here, which over the past centuries helped build the local industry. It is also worth highlighting that the above mentioned lakes, together contain more than 80% of fresh waterwhich is found all over the USA!

Admittedly, in percentage terms, the Lake Michigan shipwreck sanctuary will only cover a small portion of the body of water. However, it is important to remember that we are talking about the third largest lake in the region. Therefore, as much as 1550 of the 58,000 km² will be protected.

Graveyard of wrecks

The waters along the Wisconsin coast are a veritable graveyard of shipwrecks. As many as 36 identified vessels lie on the bottom of Lake Michigan. Researchers indicate, however, that about 60 more remain to be discovered. Our regular readers are probably familiar with the fact that every now and then in the Land of the Great Lakes new wrecks are located and identified.

NOAA has established a shipwreck sanctuary, citing their great historical and archaeological value. Indeed, it is impossible to talk about the history of the region without mentioning the sailing and the people and individuals who created it. Many of the wrecks also have a tragic history of sinking and are the final resting place of their crews and passengers. This is all the more reason why they should be protected.

Time capsules

The cold and dark waters of the The Great Lakes Region of North AmericaThe cold and dark waters of the Baltic Sea are somewhat reminiscent of the Baltic Sea. They also have a similar effect on wooden shipwrecks, preserving them in a fantastic way. Thanks to this, many of them are real time capsules, from which underwater archaeologists can draw knowledge by the handful.

The creation of a shipwreck sanctuary in LakeMichigan brings the number of national marine sanctuaries in the U.S. to 15. According to NOAA, more than 965,000 km² of waters nationwide are currently protected under the system.

Photo: Wisconsin Historical Society