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The
Meridian is owned by the State of Wisconsin and is
managed by the Wisconsin Historical Society with assistance
from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Like all
historic shipwrecks in Wisconsin waters, the wreck is protected
under Wisconsin law.
Divers
should be aware that displacement and theft of artifacts from
historic shipwrecks is illegal under state law. Even seemingly
harmless activities such as gathering artifacts for photography
can encourage or facilitate their removal from the site by
collectors. Such displacement also can hasten corrosion of
artifacts and prevent researchers from understanding the original
placement and function of artifacts on the ship, destroying
potentially important information.
Report
shipwreck looting to the DNR at 800-TIP-WDNR.
As
with many other wrecks in Lake Michigan,
zebra mussels
have colonized the Meridian. These prolific
mollusks are very difficult to control, and further colonization
appears inevitable.
Please
help us preserve this invaluable piece of our maritime heritage.
If you visit the wreck of the Meridian, please take
only pictures and leave only bubbles.
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