'Thousands' of shipwrecks could be found by mapping Great Lakes bottom

If poured out like a pitcher of lemonade, the water held by the Great Lakes could cover the land mass of both North and South America with more than a foot of water. In fact, Lake Superior could meet the 12-inch mark all by itself.

The Great Lakes Observing System wants to look through all this fresh water and map the bottom of the Great Lakes, an undertaking that could locate "thousands" of shipwrecks and help scientists form more accurate erosion and flooding models. A topographical map, according to the Ann Arbor-based company, could also help ships avoid hazards and find infrastructure and fisheries.

"The underwater environment is still largely a mystery," said Jen Boehme, CEO of Great Lakes Observing System. "This is a very special freshwater resource."

In the 1970s, a fraction of the Great Lakes was mapped with single-beam sonar technology, a tool similar to today's fish finders. Decades later, multi-beam sonar can bounce hundreds of waves off a lake bottom, allowing scientists to detect in the water something as small as air bubbles, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In addition, laser imaging technology, typically carried on a plane, can create a three-dimensional image of a lake bed.

"Technologies will get better and less costly," Boehme said. "This is going to be something, I think, that will be a real economic driver for the region."

Lakebed 2030 Poster by WXMI on Scribd

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The gathering of high-density data would likely take several years, Boehme says, and would continue beyond the creation of the first "baseline" map, as the topographical features of the Great Lakes are always changing due to weather and climate.

"I think two things are essential at this point," Boehme said. "For me, it's a plan and money."

In a federal bill introduced this year by two Michigan representatives, $200 million would be set aside to map the lake bottoms by 2030. While the bill hasn't moved in Congress since March, Boehme says her company is "ready to help in any way they can."

"When I was a kid, I would go looking for treasures on the beach," she said. "These days, this is an opportunity to look for other treasures."

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