Buffalo Reef Task Force moves to remove Stamp Sands from vital lake trout spawning site

The Buffalo Reef Working Group will resume work this summer to remove buffer sands from the Buffalo Reef. Buffalo Reef, located between Gay and Traverse Bay on the east side of the Keweenaw Peninsula, is one of the most vital spawning areas for lake trout and whitefish in Lake Superior. Over the years, the reef filled with buffer sands as Lake Superior washed and eroded the tailings beaches left by the Mohawk Mining Company’s copper ore processing. The task force projects that the scale of removing the sands and transporting them to a nearby location will cost at least $1 billion.

“Ffind an entity to own and maintain the pier. It is This is going to be a big problem. Implement the first phase of dredging and building and then move to phase two and beyond. SO THE the risks for the progress of the project are Really real the acquisition of real estate is a problem. Some of the lands are owned by by railways that no longer exist. SO It is has been really hard to find the property. Road easements for the same reason, to access this mountain site.» – Bill Matters, Great Lakes Section Chief, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission

Over the past year, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has contributed financially to dredging efforts due to a lack of funds provided by the federal government. The US Army Corps of engineers will continue to ask for funds However he Funding for port maintenance is likely to remain inconsistent. As a job continue to progress crews will remove more buffer sand from the location.