Michigan Underwater Preserves or Michigan Bottomland Preserves are protected areas of the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

's coast. The thirteen designated areas, comprising a surface area of over , are considered to be "Underwater museums" and serve to protect concentrations of shipwrecks, unique geologic features and other submerged sites through awareness and public interest. The program is currently receiving no funding from the state and does not offer any extra legal protection for the sites in the preserves. However, it is a felony to remove or disturb underwater artifacts in the Great Lakes. Persons apprehended and convicted of removing or willfully damaging underwater artifacts risk confiscation of their equipment (boats, cars, dive gear, etc.), stiff fines and up to two years imprisonment.DEQ – Michigan Underwater Preserves System
/ref> The Michigan Underwater Preserve Council advocates on behalf of all of Michigan's Underwater Preserves. Below is a list of the 13 underwater preserves in the State of Michigan: * Alger Underwater Preserve * De Tour Passage Underwater Preserve * Grand Traverse Bay Bottomland Preserve * Keweenaw Underwater Preserve * Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve * Marquette Underwater Preserve *

Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve The Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve was established to promote conservation of the submerged historical resources in Lake Huron near Port Sanilac, Michigan. The Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve spans a total of of Lake Huron. The Michigan U ...

Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve The Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve is a preservation area in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in Lake Michigan, it protects a five-mile-wide strip of water offshore from Michigan's Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan, Berrien County, Mich ...

* Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve * Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve *

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is a United States National Marine Sanctuary on Lake Huron's Thunder Bay (Michigan), Thunder Bay, within the Northern Michigan, northeastern region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It pr ...

and Underwater Preserve * West Michigan Underwater Preserve *

Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve was established in 1987 to protect and conserve shipwrecks and historical resources on of Lake Superior bottomlands in Whitefish Bay and around Whitefish Point Light, Whitefish Point, Michigan. The format ...

References

External links

Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve WebsiteMichigan Underwater Preserves Council WebsiteSouthwest Michigan Underwater Preserve Website Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve Website Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Website West Michigan Underwater Preserve Website
{{Recreational dive sites, wrereg Marine parks of Michigan