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July 14, 2016
Contact: Visitor information, call park headquarters: 906-885-5275
Media inquiries call Dave Merk, 906-885-5277 or John Pepin, 906-226-1352
Boaters cautioned about floating debris field at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
In the wake of this week’s severe storms in the western Upper Peninsula, officials at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park posted signs today cautioning boaters about a debris field floating in Lake Superior, which was expected to reach the shoreline of the park at about 11 p.m. July 14.
Federal officials said the debris is the result of 85 boats being damaged or destroyed at the Saxon Harbor Marina following severe weather Monday, which included flooding.
The marina is located on Oronto Bay, at the mouth of the Montreal River along the Wisconsin-Michigan border, a few miles west of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
“Park staff posted signs this afternoon which caution boaters intending to use Lake Superior waters along the shoreline of the park, within an area where the debris is expected to be located tonight,” said John Pepin, deputy public information officer for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Boaters could encounter floating safety hazards amid the debris. Some items reported earlier today included a drifting boat, a dock and woody debris.”
Material was expected to continue to drift to shore throughout the weekend.
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials have been notified. In addition, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are also working on the issue.
Storm damage at the park has forced the temporary closure of sections of trail and cabins and backcountry campsites in the northwest part of the park between the Little and Big Carp rivers. The campsites and cabins are scheduled to reopen July 28.
/Note to editors: An accompanying map graphic and photo are available below for download and media use. A caption follows. Credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, unless otherwise noted.
Signs: Bob Wild, a park interpreter at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, posts a public emergency notice today cautioning boaters against a floating debris field expected to reach the park shoreline tonight.
Debris map: A map graphic shows the area where the debris field is expected to reach Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration image)/
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
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