It Just Got Easier to Dive to Shipwrecks in Lake Michigan

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just finished implementing some long-overdue safety precautions in Lake Michigan—not to protect ships, but shipwrecks. 

NOAA established the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary in 2021, turning a 962-square-mile area of Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shore into a protected environmental and archaeological heritage site. Conceived as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of promoting “locally led, collaborative conservation,” according to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, the sanctuary includes 36 historically significant shipwrecks, 21 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Now, three years later, NOAA has completed a project to install buoys and mooring lines around 19 of these shipwrecks, helping scuba divers locate them [PDF] and, more importantly, preventing functional ships from accidentally damaging their sunken brethren. Instead of dropping anchors that could damage underwater artifacts, ships can now fasten themselves to the mooring lines.

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Over 1500 wrecks are believed to lie at the bottom of Lake Michigan, and some dating as far back as the 17th century, well before the American Revolution. The Northerner, for example, was an 81-foot-long, double masted schooner used to transport lumber across Lake Michigan. The schooner made its final voyage in 1868, meeting its end as the result of an improperly plugged leak. It now lies 130 feet below the surface within the marine sanctuary.

Another noteworthy shipwreck found at the bottom of the sanctuary is the Selah Chamberlain, a 212-foot-long, engine-powered vessel that was owned and operated by a Vermont-born businessman of the same name. When it transported coal, iron ore, and wheat between Duluth, Minnesota, and Buffalo, New York, it was “often seen towing a consort to further increase the carrying capacity,” the Wisconsin Shipwrecks database notes.

The Selah Chamberlain met its end in 1886, when inclement weather and poor visibility caused the ship to collide with another vessel, the John Pridgeon Jr. The Selah Chamberlain cut its consort free and made for shore, but sank before it could reach land. 

Graveyard of the Great Lakes

These sunken ships are just a fraction of the 5000 to 10,000 wrecks believed to pepper the bottoms of the five Great Lakes.

The lakes have played a big role in North America’s shipping industry, but that history is shot through with tragedy. Freshwater ice, rapidly fluctuating water levels, and the unpredictable movement of sand banks make the Great Lakes a perilous place, and that’s not even including bad weather. The frequent maelstroms, formed by clashes between Arctic air flows from the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains and warmer air from the Gulf of Mexico, can cause waves 30 feet high. Many believe one of these unpredictable storms led to the mysterious wreck of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior in November 1975. All 29 crew members died.

Today, the Great Lakes sustain a vibrant ecosystem of maritime tourism and research. Because of Lake Michigan’s cold, fresh water, many of the ships claimed by its waters have been incredibly well preserved, drawing attention from scuba divers and researchers alike. And thanks to NOAA’s new buoying and mooring system, they are more accessible than ever. 

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