Did you know there are sunken ships at the bottom of Lake Ontario? There could soon be a new National Marine Sanctuary in our region. This project has been years in the making. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced it would work to create the marine sanctuary on Lake Ontario back in 2019.
The chair of the committee working to make this possible says it's been almost three years of work to get to this point.
“The mystery of finding these shipwrecks and having students discover this is fantastic but it’s also great for museums and people who just have interest in this wonderful Great Lake," William Crist, chair of the Sanctuary Advisory Council Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary.
NOAA would be the group to grant the marine sanctuary status. It would cover four counties: Wayne, Cayuga, Jefferson, and Oswego. If granted, this would be in addition to 16 other marine sanctuaries nationwide. This would allow further exploration and protection of a more than 1,700 square mile area.
“What this means for us economically it’s great it puts us on the map again being one of 16, the educational opportunities are fantastic as well," said Crist.
A public comment period is coming up this week in several towns. The public comment period ends March 20.
- Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center
26 E. 1st St.
Oswego, NY 13126 - March 1, 2023, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wolcott Elks Lodge No. 1763
6161 W. Port Bay Rd
Wolcott, NY 14590 - March 2, 2023, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Jefferson Community College
1220 Coffeen St.
Sturtz Theater, Room 4-111
Watertown, NY 13601