Topic: Lake Erie Islands: Developments and News

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 7/1/05 Toledo Blade:

PHOTO: Second Chief Larry Angelo discusses the federal lawsuit filed by the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, as Bert Kleiden, secretary of council, left, and Chief Charles Todd look on.  (THE BLADE/LORI KING)

Tribe sues to acquire state land on North Bass
Oklahoma Ottawas seek fishing rights too

An Oklahoma-based Native American tribe whose ancestral roots lie in northwest Ohio yesterday filed the first of two lawsuits in federal court related to its claim to state-owned land on North Bass Island in Lake Erie.

The Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma claims a treaty it made with the federal government 200 years ago provides the tribe with unrestricted fishing and hunting rights.  The tribe is seeking recognition from the state for those rights that would allow it to establish a commercial fishery on North Bass Island.

Richard Rogovin, the Columbus attorney who filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court, said a second lawsuit would be filed later this year in an attempt to pursue the tribe's property rights to about 300 acres on the northern half of the island.

The tribe claims the land was not among property that was relinquished to the federal government with the signing of the Treaty of Fort Industry on July 4, 1805, and that the Ottawas retained ownership of the property when the Canadian border was moved north of the island in 1822.

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050701/NEWS02/507010560/-1/NEWS

[unusualfire]

Hmm can they say  claim to any piece of land? if so why not claim downtown cincinnati..

[buildingcincinnati]

My guess is that the commercial fishing is better in Lake Erie than it is on the Ohio.

[Qwios]

The Lake Erie Western Basin is THE best place to fish on all the great lakes... and it's really not even close otherwise.  There are some rather absurd statistics that I have been told in the past to the equivalent that more fish are caught there than the rest of the great lakes combined, and the like.  May not be true but lets just say the fish are biting.

[C-Dawg]

It's true that Lake Erie as a whole produces more fish than the other lakes combined. The Western Basin (Toledo to Sandusky) is where most of the fishing is at. The Western Basin is very shallow at only 45 feet deep (barely deep enough for "salties"), has some great reefs for fish, and is the warmest water on the Great Lakes (water by the beaches can reach 80 degrees in summer). All this combines to give the area a long, very productive fishing season. The Maumee River is also one of the best walleye spawning grounds on earth (IMHO, walleye are some of the best tasting fish). The Western Basin also is HUGE for tourism. The Lake Erie Islands/Marblehead area bring in a ton of people. The water is clean there and on a good day the lake looks gorgeous- almost tropical. South Bass Island has been called the "Keywest of the Midwest" before. Cedar Point of course is also a huge draw on the Western Basin. The Central Basin, which Cleveland sits on, starts just beyond Sandusky. Lake Erie is really three lakes in one- Western Basin which is shallow and warm (45 feet deep). Central Basin which is deeper and colder (75 feet deep) and eastern basin which is much deeper and colder (200 feet deep). The average depths of the basins are 30 feet for the Western, 60 feet for the Central, and 120 feet for the Eastern. The reason for this is that the limestone and dolomite bed of the western part of the lake was much harder for the glaciers to scour. The eastern part has a shale and sandstone bed so the glaciers carved the lake much deeper there.

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 7/9/05 Toledo Blade:


MIDDLE BASS
State seeks approval to expand island park

By the 2009 tourist season, Middle Bass Island State Park could feature 360 boat slips, a boat launch ramp, sand beach, and an expanded campground, state officials said.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources took the first step yesterday when it filed permit applications with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

Those permits are required by federal law and must be issued before the other work can begin at the 124-acre Middle Bass site, which the state bought in 2001 for $6.75 million from Mantey-Mon Ami-Lonz Wineries Corp.

Read More...

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 7/25/05 Toledo Blade:


PHOTO: Ohio Department of Natural Resources official Jane Beathard checks out the shoreline of Middle Bass Island State Park. Tight state budgets have held back development of the park. This spring ODNR began offering tent camping at 21 sites equipped with fire rings, charcoal grills, and picnic tables.  ( THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH )

State has big ideas for Middle Bass Island
An $11.4 million plan envisions marina and campsite upgrades
By STEVE MURPHY
BLADE STAFF WRITER

MIDDLE BASS ISLAND - In the five years since the Ohio Department of Natural Resources bought 124 acres and the former Lonz Winery on Middle Bass Island, progress toward developing a state park has been slow.

The winery, a landmark that dominates the island's south shoreline, has remained empty and unused since a terrace collapsed in July, 2000, killing one person and injuring 75. The park has no beach, no cabins for rent, and no sources of potable water.

A series of tight state budgets have limited planners to modest improvements. ODNR installed a 50-slip marina in 2001 and added electrical hookups to about half the docks a year later.

Read More...

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 7/29/05 PD:

Ottawa tribal leaders visit islands as returning exiles, not tourists
Friday, July 29, 2005
Austin Arceo
Plain Dealer Reporter

North Bass Island - Larry Angelo, an Ottawa Indian, was smoking as he crossed Lake Erie with a blessing in his pocket - another cigarette.  Angelo, second chief and historian of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, came to this island in western Lake Erie searching for remnants of a rich Ottawa history in Ohio.

He was accompanied by two other tribal officials after the Ottawas filed suit in U.S. District Court in Toledo last month, seeking fishing and hunting rights in Ohio and Lake Erie.  Their attorney, Richard Rogovin, said the Ottawas plan to file another suit this year for the island's northernmost 300 acres, which they say belong to them.  Their claim is disputed by some historians.

On June 30, Angelo led Charles A. Todd, chief of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, and Bert Kleidon, the tribe's secretary-treasurer, in prayer on the island.  Then he tore open a cigarette and tossed tobacco in four directions in a traditional Ottawa blessing.

MORE: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1122629415108980.xml&coll=2

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 8/1/05 Toledo Blade:


MIDDLE BASS ISLAND
Marina work may leave islanders high and dry
By STEVE MURPHY
BLADE STAFF WRITER

MIDDLE BASS ISLAND - Ohio's plans to expand the state park marina on Middle Bass Island have some islanders concerned they might lose their dock space.

First, to make room for the bigger facility, the state is buying a private marina where many islanders and seasonal residents dock their boats.

Second, the expansion project calls for the state's marina to be closed from fall, 2007, to spring, 2009, while it's enlarged from 50 slips to at least 360.

Read More...

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 8/25/05 Toledo Blade:

Petro urges U.S. court to dismiss tribe's suit seeking fishing rights
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU

COLUMBUS - Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro yesterday asked the U.S. District Court in Toledo to throw out the Oklahoma-based Ottawa Tribe's claim to unrestricted hunting and fishing rights off North Bass Island in Lake Erie.

The motion for dismissal argues that the tribe's lawsuit improperly hinges its claim on treaties ratified by the United States in 1805.  "The only reference in those treaties that dealt with hunting and fishing rights dealt with rights south of what is now Akron in Summit County," Mr. Petro said.

The tribe sued at the end of June in hopes of establishing a commercial fishing operation on the island.  Later this year, it plans a second suit claiming outright ownership of 300 acres on the northern portion of the island, which the tribe claims was part of Canada when Native American tribes surrendered their land to the United States under the Treaty of Fort Industry.

The undeveloped land was purchased by the state from Paramount Distillers two years ago for $17.4 million.

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050825/NEWS24/508250390

[buildingcincinnati]

A public meeting with the EPA will take place October 11 at the Middle Bass Island town hall.  I would ecpect more news on the marina shortly thereafter.

Here's the press release which describes the environmental impacts and their mitigation.  It also has details on the meeting:
http://www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/nr/2005/september/MiddleBassIsland.html

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 10/12/05 Toledo Blade:


PHOTO: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources would like to expand its marina on Middle Bass Island from 50 to 360 slips.  ( THE BLADE )

Marina expansion debated at hearing
Plan would affect island's wetlands
By STEVE MURPHY
BLADE STAFF WRITER

MIDDLE BASS ISLAND, Ohio - Boaters, environmentalists, and residents of Middle Bass Island debated yesterday during a hearing on water quality impacts conducted by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency whether the state should expand a public marina on the island.

As part of a $11.4 million plan to improve recreational offerings on the island, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has proposed enlarging its marina from 50 to 360 slips. That would disturb or destroy 4.25 acres of wetlands, mostly on a peninsula built from material dredged when the original harbor was built in the early 1960s.

ODNR, which bought 124 acres on the island in 2000 for a state park, applied in July for water quality permits from Ohio EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the project, which it plans to complete by the summer of 2009.

Read More...

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 10/19/05 PD:


Environmentalists object to state plan for Middle Bass Island park, marina
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Molly Kavanaugh
Plain Dealer Reporter

Middle Bass Island -- Two environmental groups oppose the state's proposed state park and 360-slip marina, arguing that the project will destroy high-quality wetlands and disrupt the threatened Lake Erie water snake.

"We are disappointed that a state agency normally charged with protecting natural resources is actively seeking to destroy them," said Jerry Tinianow, Audubon Ohio's executive director. Ohio's Sierra Club also opposes the project.

In 2000, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources purchased the property, which includes the old Lonz Winery and a small marina. The plans were to turn it into a first-class marina and lakefront park with a campground and cottages.

Read More..

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 11/27/05 Toledo Blade:

MAP: Border dispute

BATTLE FOR NORTH BASS ISLAND
Tribe's land claim centers on treaties from early 1800s
By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU

COLUMBUS - Arcane language in two treaties between a young United States of America and Native American tribes is being used by the Ottawa Tribe to lay claim to North Bass Island in Lake Erie.  Geographic points referenced in the 1805 and 1807 treaties have prompted a Kent State University geography professor to plot what she believes was the U.S.-Canadian border through Lake Erie in the early 1800s.

Armed with this map, Oklahoma's Ottawa Tribe, which originally planned to file a federal lawsuit in January laying claim to the northern half of North Bass Island, now wants the entire 677-acre island, both public and private lands.  It also wants the $17.4 million Ohio paid Paramount Distillers two years ago to buy 87 percent of the island with the intention of largely protecting it from development.

If the suit is successful, Dick Rogavin, Columbus attorney for the tribe, said the scenic island could become home to a fishing village, walleye fish hatchery, marinas, a fish-processing and freezer plant, hotels with indoor pools, condominiums and parking, tax-free tobacco and beverage shops, and an expanded air strip.

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051127/NEWS17/511270329/-1/NEWS

[buildingcincinnati]

From the AP, 11/28/05:

Indian tribe lays claim to 677-acre island
Not covered by treaties that passed land to U.S., it says
By the Associated Press

COLUMBUS | An Indian tribe that has been fighting for fishing rights on a northern Ohio island now wants ownership of the 677 acres.  Based on a new interpretation of two treaties from the early 1800s, the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma claims that it should have the entire North Bass Island in Lake Erie.

Ute Dymon, a cartographer at Kent State University, constructed a new map based on his readings of two treaties from 1805 and 1807 and said they show that the entire island was on the British side of the U.S.-Canadian border.  That means the island was not subject to treaties with the United States when the tribe relinquished its ownership rights, according to the tribe.

Other cartographers believe that the international border at the time ran through the middle of North Bass Island.  Based on that belief, the Ottawa Tribe had planned to sue the state for claim to the northern part of the land only.  Now, based on Dymon's findings, the tribe plans to seek control of the entire island.

MORE: http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/1128ohtribe.html

[buildingcincinnati]

EPA plans to review Kelleys Island work
Toledo Blade, 4/26/06

Three construction projects on the waterfront of Kelleys Island are up for review by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency next month:

• Kelleys Island Restaurant & Dock, LLC, of Newburgh Heights plans to build a bulkhead for Casino Restaurant, 104 Division Street.  The proposal includes a 291-foot bulkhead along the west side of the property, placing 68 cubic yards of stone along the bulkhead to enhance fish habitat.

• Molly Minshall, 519 Titus, Kelleys Island, has applied to build an L-shaped, stone-filled steel crib dock at 201 West Lakeshore Drive.  The dock would extend 60 feet into Lake Erie.

• Predevelopment Ltd., 2235 Second St., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, has applied to build a private, J-shaped rock-filled steel crib dock and pier, a stone jetty, and three floating docks along the northwest side of Monagan Road on Long's Point north of Camp Patmos.

[noozer]

 http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060702/NEWS17/607020306/-1/NEWS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article published July 2, 2006

Highest bidders to snag prime property on Kellys Island

KELLEYS ISLAND, Ohio - The opportunity to buy 33 acres on an island known as an attractive site for birds, birders, and developers opens up at the end of the month when the hammer falls in an auction.

A Detroit family has owned the undeveloped property for 64 years. But Joel Dutton, the auctioneer who is handling the sale on July 29, said the advanced ages of the four surviving sons and daughters of the owner spurred the choice to part with the land.

More at link above:

[CornerCurve]

I'll start the bidding at $5

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 7/4/06 Toledo Blade:


PHOTO: An engineering study has been planned after a nearly 500-pound chunk of granite fell from the memorial last month.  ( NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE/JERRY CANTU )

PHOTO: The 500-pound piece of granite fell more than 300 feet from the facing of the observation deck, toward the upper left corner above, and left a 2˝-foot crater in the plaza.  ( PUT-IN-BAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/MAGGIE BECKFORD )

PHOTO: A naturalization ceremony will be today at the visitors' center south of the memorial.  ( THE BLADE )

PERRY'S VICTORY MEMORIAL
Monument remains shut pending study

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio - The landmark Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, which was closed last month when a chunk of granite fell to the plaza, will remain off-limits to visitors until a detailed engineering study can be completed, the monument's superintendent said yesterday.

Park Superintendent Andy Ferguson said an initial report last week determined the 352-foot Greek Doric column should remain shut until a further evaluation is performed.

Today's naturalization ceremony will be held near the visitors' center, which is south of the monument and away from any fall zones.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060704/NEWS17/607040352/-1/RSS08

[the pope]

pelee island laughs at commodore perry

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 7/23/06 Toledo Blade:


PHOTO: A chunk of stone fell from near the tower's top last month.  ( THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT )

PHOTO: Andy Ferguson, superintendent of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, says an upcoming inspection could help determine whether the monument can be safely reopened.  ( THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT )

Time chips away at Perry memorial
Trouble extends beyond granite that fell in June
By JIM SIELICKI
BLADE STAFF WRITER

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio - Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, the symbol of the 135-year disarmament of the U.S.-Canadian border, is falling apart.

A slab of granite that broke off from the observation deck of the Lake Erie landmark is just the most visible sign of its deterioration. The stone's 300-foot plunge punched a hole through the plaza.

"I would not characterize [the condition] as good," said Mike LeBorgne, chief of the construction management division in the National Park Service's Denver office. "Any monument where the stones are falling out is a less than acceptable condition."

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060723/NEWS17/607230308/-1/RSS08

[RiverViewer]

The 352-foot Doric column on South Bass Island, three miles from the mainland, was completed in 1915 to commemorate the Battle of Lake Erie, an 1813 American victory over the British during the War of 1812. The naval victory paved the way for the eventual disarmament of the border and the Great Lakes.

Kinda funny...our victory that day (and our victory on Lake Champlain) definitely helped pave the way to the disarmed border - but probably of greater effect was us getting our asses handed to us all through 1812 and 1813, both out west and up around Niagara.  We couldn't do anything right in all our attempts to invade Canada, and that impotence, and the general stalemate, and economics, all combined to end that war and pretty much dash any hopes we had of expanding into Canada - at least in the east...

I think Americans often take too dim a view of our history, but the War of 1812 is a major exception.  We are so chauvanistic about that one, it's almost funny...

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 7/26/06 Toledo Blade:


PHOTO: Engineers examine the observation deck of Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial.  ( THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON )

PHOTO: Put-in-Bay visitors strain for a view of the work above them.

2nd piece of granite dislodged
Perry monument is inspected

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio - Engineers examined the granite observation deck of Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial yesterday to check the condition of the 52 fascia stones on the observation deck, and in the process dislodged another, smaller chunk that fell 317 feet to the plaza.

The National Park Service ordered the inspection because a 500-pound piece of granite broke off about 9 p.m. on June 22, punching a hole in the plaza below. The impact created a 2 1/2-foot-wide crater.

A woman seated on a bench nearby wasn't hurt. The monument has been closed since then, pending an examination to determine whether it is safe to reopen.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060726/NEWS17/607260436/-1/RSS08

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 7/28/06 Toledo Blade:


Perry site may reopen next month

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio - The closed Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial has been given the green light to reopen once a series of safety measures are implemented, the monument's superintendent said yesterday.

The announcement follows an assessment Wednesday by Vertical Access, an engineering firm, and Quinn Evans, an architectural firm, of the monument's fascia stones.

The column, completed in 1915 and dedicated to Comm. Oliver Hazard Perry's 1813 victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Erie, was closed June 22 after a 500-pound piece of granite fascia fell from the 317-foot level, crashing onto the plaza.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060728/NEWS17/607280351/-1/RSS08

[RiverViewer]

All of this has made me realize that I haven't been up there since I was a kid...would make a nice trip...

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 8/23/06 Toledo Blade:


Perry memorial to reopen
Studies give green light for visits starting Saturday

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio - Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, closed since late June when a 500-pound chunk of granite fell 317 feet, will reopen Saturday, the park superintendent said yesterday.

The National Park Service has conducted two engineering studies that determined the 13 fascia stones on the observation deck above the north entrance are secure, Superintendent Andy Ferguson said.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060823/NEWS17/608230419/-1/NEWS

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 10/6/06 Toledo Blade:

Ohio EPA OKs destruction of wetlands for boat slips

MIDDLE BASS ISLAND, Ohio — State regulators yesterday authorized the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to destroy 4.25 acres of wetlands so it can increase the number of boat slips at the island’s marina.  The permit was issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

The Ohio DNR, which owns the marina, has agreed to create, enhance, or protect 42.96 acres of new or existing wetlands to compensate for the loss. The state, which has acquired 141 acres on Middle Bass since 2001, is spending $11.4 million on the marina and related improvements to the island. When completed, the marina — which now has 130 boat slips — will have 360.

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061006/NEWS17/61006012/-1/NEWS

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 10/10/06 Toledo Blade:


Week-long fee waiver set at Perry's memorial

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio - Visitors to Put-in-Bay will get a free ride to the top of Perry's victory column for a week beginning Monday, thanks to an engineering study that will impede part of the view from the top.

Andy Ferguson, superintendent of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, said yesterday the National Park Service decided to waive the $3 entrance fee between Monday and Oct. 27 while an assessment of the entire 352-foot column is conducted.

The project is being handled by the architectural and engineering firm of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates of Northbrook, Ill.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061010/NEWS17/610100349/-1/NEWS

[noozer]

NORTH BASS ISLAND
Visitors not wanted: State wants park as natural as possible
Sunday, January 14, 2007
 

SANDUSKY, Ohio (AP) — Plans for a new state park on North Bass Island include fishing and hiking but not tourists.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources wants to preserve the Lake Erie island’s natural beauty while allowing lowkey activities such as swimming and wildlife watching.

The state doesn’t want large crowds to visit, said Dan West, head of the Division of Parks and Recreation.

Read More...

[ink]

U.S. court rejects tribe's Lake Erie fishing claim
Article published August 20, 2009
By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF

COLUMBUS - The Ottawa tribe's attempt to reclaim unfettered commercial fishing rights on Lake Erie based on treaties two centuries old has been dealt what may be a fatal blow by a federal appeals court.

A three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled Tuesday that the tribe had long ago abandoned its fishing rights as it repeatedly ceded territory to an expanding United States and was gradually forced west to Kansas and then Oklahoma.

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20090820/NEWS24/908200352

[Columbo]

Middle Bass Island dedicates $11.4M marina expansion
Article published July 10, 2010
By TOM HENRY
BLADE STAFF WRITER

MIDDLE BASS ISLAND, Ohio - Officials on Friday dedicated the $11.4 million expansion of Middle Bass Island State Park marina, a project that got under way in January, 2001.  The Middle Bass project included the construction of 50 additional boat docks, some temporary and some permanent.  A 20-site primitive campground was built on the island in 2006, the state DNR said. 

In 2008, a large-scale marina entrance and basin-improvement project was completed.  That included reshaping the marina basin, building a new entrance channel and revetments, and installing floating dock anchorage piling.  The floating docks were completed last year, bringing the total number of docks to 264.  A 100,000-gallon elevated water storage tank has been installed, as have water and sewer lines, the state agency said.

This summer, staff housing - along with a permanent shower and restroom building - is to be built.  Improvements are expected for the marina office and harbormaster building.  Much of the work is being guided by a long-range master plan that was developed for the marina, the agency said.

Full article: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100710/NEWS16/7100386