The Marquette Underwater Preserve was established in 1990 to promote conservation of the submerged historical resources in Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...

 near Marquette, Michigan

Marquette, Michigan

Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...

. 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

Michigan Underwater Preserve Council

The Michigan Underwater Preserve Council or MUPC is a private, non-profit, volunteer driven organization that oversees activities relating to all of Michigan's Underwater Preserves...

 oversees activities relating to all of Michigan's Underwater Preserves.

The preserve is open to scuba divers

Scuba diving

Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....

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History

Marquette, Michigan became a major shipping port after iron ore 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

Beaufort scale

The Beaufort Scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.-History:...

 winds has resulted in numerous shipwrecks.

Marquette Unit Sites

Site name	Type	Depth	Coordinates
Charles James Kershaw Charles James Kershaw Charles James Kershaw was born in Burnley, Lancashire, England, in 1832. He came to America in 1841, and received his education at the Derby Line Academy, in Derby Line, Orleans County, Vermont. He came West in 1853, and engaged in a general trade in provisions, grain and flour, both in Milwaukee...	Wooden Propeller Steamer	25’	46°30.56′N 87°21.81′W
D. Leuty	Wooden Propeller Steamer	40’	46°32.76′N 87°22.44′W
DeSoto	Wooden Bark	8’ to 10’	46°32.07′N 87°23.55′W
F-106B	Fighter Plane wreck debris	20’ to 22’	46°31.71′N 87°23.75′W
Florida	Wooden Schooner	10’ to 15’	46°32.11′N 87°23.53′W
George Sherman	Wooden Schooner	10’ to 12’	46°29.89′N 87°9.63′W
The "Gold Mine" Pinnacle	Pinnacle of granite	12’ to 150’	46°35.38′N 87°21.75′W
“Iron Man” & J.H. Sheadle	Shipwreck debris	15’	46°34.08′N 87°23.17′W
Queen City	Wooden Schooner	10’ to 13’	46°29.42′N 87°18.64′W
Superior & Marion L.	Wooden Fishing Tugs	20’	46°32.50′N 87°23.35′W

Huron Island Unit Sites

Site name	Type	Depth	Coordinates
Arctic	Wooden Sidewheel Steamer	5’ to 100’	46°57.74′N 87°59.85′W
George Nester	Wooden Schooner-Barge	20’ to 100’	46°57.99′N 88°00.20′W
Southwest	Wooden Schooner	100’	46°56.42′N 87°56.11′W
Launch Huron Island	Wooden Gas Launch	15’	46°56.42′N 87°56.11′W

External links

• Page with extensive description