Detroit Island is an island in

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

in the southern part of the town of Washington in Door County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, United States. The island has a land area of 2.578 km² (0.9955 sq mi, or 637.12

acres The acre ( ) is a unit of land area used in the British imperial and the United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, ...

), out of which 27.6% is open to the public.Door County Web Map
/ref> The northern end of the island borders the waters of Detroit Harbor. In 1967 there were no taxable buildings erected on the island, but after one of the four landowners began subdividing and selling lots, seasonal residences were built. Six residences were developed by 1978. The Door County Board of Supervisors, the Town of Washington, and the Detroit Island Landowners' Association opposed plans by the state Department of Natural Resources to acquire the entire island for use as a park. Grand Traverse Island State Park was founded in 1970 and protects slightly more than of land on Detroit Island. It consists of five discontiguous parcels and there is no ferry access. adjacent to two of the state park parcels are owned by the Door County Land Trust and are open to the public as part of the Detroit Harbor Nature Preserve. The current purpose of the state park is to "maintain public access to provide opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, walking, wildlife watching and nature study and other compatible nature-based outdoor recreation activities." Deer, ruffed grouse, and waterfowl have been hunted on the island. The state park includes areas mapped as "upland deciduous forest" and "open wetland/marsh". on the southeast side is part of the Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge.Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge Hunt, Fish & Public Use Regulations 2021-2022
''USFWS'' (Archived February 23, 2022)

History

The border between Wisconsin and Michigan was originally defined as "the most usual ship channel" into Green Bay from

but commercial routes existed both to the north and south of the island which lead to a border dispute. In 1936, the U.S. Supreme Court decision '' Wisconsin v. Michigan'' found that Detroit and other nearby islands were part of Wisconsin.

Gallery

Nearby islands

Plum Island Pilot Island Detroit Island and Southern Washington Island Wisconsin

References

External links

Detroit only hitch in desire to preserve islands for park
by Keta Steebs, ''Door County Advocate'', August 24, 1976
Wisconsin Will Go it alone on Traverse Island park
''Door County Advocate'', January 31, 1978
Islanders oppose Islands state park
''Door County Advocate'', Vol. 116 - No. 42, August 10, 1978
Area legislators oppose Grand Traverse Islands
''Door County Advocate'', January 30, 1979
Kayaker Paddles for Island Unification
by Craig Sterrett, ''Peninsula Pulse'', November 5, 2021 {{authority control Islands of Door County, Wisconsin Islands of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin Former disputed islands