The Marquette Underwater Preserve was established in 1990 to promote conservation of the submerged historical resources in
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...
near
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette ( ) is the county seat of Marquette County, Michigan, Marquette County and the largest city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. Located on the shores of Lake Superior, Marquette is a major port known primarily for shippin ...
. The preserve is composed of two separate units, the Marquette Unit and the Huron Islands Unit. The Marquette Unit extends along approximately 24 miles of Michigan shoreline out to the 200-foot depth contour. The Huron Islands Unit surrounds a group of granite peaks about 12 miles from shore. The
Michigan Underwater Preserve Council oversees activities relating to all of Michigan's underwater preserves.
Marquette Underwater Preserve
Michigan Underwater Preserve Council
The preserve is open to scuba divers
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scuba'' is an acronym for ...
.
History
Marquette, Michigan became a major shipping port after iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
was discovered in the area in 1844, and marine traffic in the area has been heavy ever since. Heavy traffic combined with not-too-uncommon thick fog and gale force winds has resulted in numerous shipwrecks.
See also
*Michigan Underwater Preserves
Michigan Underwater Preserves or Michigan Bottomland Preserves are protected areas of the Great Lakes on Michigan's coast. The thirteen designated areas, comprising a surface area of over , are considered to be "Underwater museums" and serve to p ...
References
External links
Page with extensive description
Lists of coordinates
Marine parks of Michigan
Protected areas of Marquette County, Michigan
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