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Showcasing the DNR: Michigan’s traveling waters
FROM BIRCH-BARK CANOES TO PADDLE BOARDS, WATER TRAVEL REMAINS IMPORTANT
By Casey Warner | Michigan Department of Natural Resources
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
With more than 3,000 miles
of Great Lakes shoreline
and thousands of miles of rivers and streams, Michigan offers ample opportunity to traverse the state over the water – no matter the size or speed of your vessel.
While designated water trails are a relatively recent development, use of Michigan’s waterways for transportation isn’t new.
HISTORICAL HEADWATERS
“Our harbor system along the Great Lakes is the first water trail system we’ve had in this state,” said Jordan Byelich, waterways development program manager for the Michigan Department
of Natural Resources. “In fact, going back hundreds of years, the Great Lakes served Native Americans and Europeans as a water trail system.”
Native Americans first used Michigan’s waterways for sustenance and trade, early
European settlers used them to transport goods and timber, and water resources were the foundation of Michigan’s earliest manufacturing and shipping industries.
These waterways also had a significant impact nationally.
“The Great Lakes and a network
of rivers opened the vast American heartland to a nation moving west. Inland waterways are a road map to much of
the nation’s history,” explains a passage from the National Museum of American History’s online exhibition “On the Water: Stories from Maritime America.”
“They guided the travels of Native Americans, explorers from Europe, and streams of newcomers who established businesses, towns, and cities. ... Inland waterways helped hold together the people and economy of the nation as it grew throughout the 1800s.”
Today, while still important for industrial transport, Michigan’s waters often host more leisurely travelers.
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