Pennsylvania's Lake Erie To Become National Marine Sanctuary

Did you know that there are 35 known shipwrecks in Lake Erie? (There are actually as many as 196 vessels that have reportedly sunk there, but it’s hard to be sure!) It’s one of the reasons why a Pennsylvania stretch of the waterway’s shoreline, about a two-hour drive north of Pittsburgh, is on its way to becoming a national marine sanctuary.

Lake Erie is a “culturally rich region where the long relationship between human activity and the maritime environment has created meaning and a sense of place,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The designation would bring in federal funding to find and preserve shipwrecks and expand education about the area’s history — from the Indigenous people who first called it home to its prominence in the Underground Railroad.

President Biden’s administration put the process in motion last week, but it could take several years. The lake is a destination for many Pittsburghers, and now through July 18, you can have a say in the proposal by attending public meetings posted here or by submitting comments online.