My hubby, grandson and I had the opportunity over the weekend to go out to Big Traverse and check out the beach area across from our Aunt’s camp. We were absolutely astounded to see the size of the pit that had been cleared there, starting near the pier and extending past where our Aunt’s camp is. I’d estimate it to be about the size of two football fields, end to end. You can see in the third photo how deep it is, with my grandson down in the pit (he’s about 5’11”) and I am standing on top the hill taking the photo. The fourth and fifth shots, show the wall you have to walk down to then cross the pit and get to the water. Those are our tracks coming down the wall.

The only thing we can figure is that they pulled all that stamp sand out of there, in anticipation that future storms will deposit more stamp sand in this pit, and maybe not fill the channel so much like it has in other years. From what I understand, they’re done with this phase of the project, for the summer, so folks can enjoy their camps out there at Big Traverse and then they’ll start up again later in the fall and winter. It’s quite the project.

For today’s video, we’re heading east on Lake Superior, for a look at the Whitefish Point Lighthouse and the waves coming in on the shoreline there. The video is courtesy of Frances Czapski and the Whitefish Point Michigan Facebook page.

Beware of the man who has no enemies!

Ed Abbey

I love big traverse, but I like the side they
has the nice sugary sand. And there are sugar
plums over there also. So good.

Love that sugary sand...I use that in a mix for my
plants. Have for decades. I LOVE sugarplums
too..reminds me of my Grandpa...me and him would
strip a tree every time we had the chance!

BUT, Buffalo Reef....google that....GOT to keep it
clean!

Donna, what does the sugary sand do for your
plants? Your grandpa must've been a fun guy.

Donna (Donna):
"BUT, Buffalo Reef....google that....GOT to keep it clean!"

Okay, you made me do that, so here 'tis (from among many references to Buffalo's Reef, Fort Walton Beach, FL). From Michigan DNR:
(click →) Saving Buffalo Reef.

Quite the project...that would make a nice reservoir, Dog.

I think a better name would be "Buffalo Beef"...that way they have could at least sold sandwiches,

The massive stamp sand areas have always fascinated me. The one by Gay has to be the biggest in the Keweenaw. The more I learn the more I'm amazed. From what I've learned from the MTU Geology Department's research, about 90% of the original sand has already washed into the Lake. FRNash's link shows mapping of the stamp sand sandbars offshore. It also points out the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimate the Buffalo Reef is threatened by 15 MILLION cubic yards.

Does anyone where they are moving the sand to? Based on Mary's description, I estimate it has been 5000 to 7000 semi-trailer dump truck loads of about 70,000 cubic yards so far. Anyone noticed all those trucks. That's a lot of trucks.

Using Google Earth, I measured the visible Gay sands. That's over 10 miles around and 0.61 square miles. The other picture below I took from the beach in 2016. If that wall is 20 feet and from Mary's info it might be 40 feet total thickness. That calculates to 25 million square yards for just the sand on the surface. If the 90% number is correct then the total including what's already washed into the lake is 250 million cubic yards!!

I revise my thickness estimates. Instead of 40 feet I think the average is probably closer to an average of 30 feet. This puts my calculation of total cubic yards at 19 million, closer to the Corps of Engineer's 15 million. They seem to estimate the average thickness at about 24 feet.

Still curious where they are putting it all.

45 years ago it was used to treat the winter streets and I think asphalt road construction (based on the color of the road). Is that still done? I'm guessing the known toxicity has stopped that. It's a really small amount compared to millions of yards but I am just curious.

D. A. (Midwested):
"…Still curious where they are putting it all.

45 years ago it was used to treat the winter streets and I think asphalt road construction (based on the color of the road).…"

I always thought using stamp sand on the winter streets made a hеlluva lot more sense than using salt! And with a lot less nasty and expensive side effects as well.
I'm sure the "known toxicity" is trivially small in the quantities that were used.

Hey D. A. (Midwested),

What's the report this morning? How are you (and you knee) doing? Hope all is well and you are very happy with the improvement.

Yes, when i lived in Marquette they used the tailings on the Winter roads - the snow was tinted pink. Then in the Spring they came out with shovels to clean up the tailings on the streets.

D. A. (Midwested): So far they have been pumping
it into basins they created on the stamp sands
just south of the two stamp mill locations.

For as many times as I've been to the Gay
sands, I've never seen this particular image.

Any idea about the Freda sands and how much is
there? Just curious but not curious enough to
dig into it, lol. Very interesting, anyway.

Deb,

Here's a look at Freda. It's surface area (above water) is 0.09 square miles or about 15% of the Gay measurement. I don't know how thick it is but I suspect that in most places it is much less than Gay. Due to the steepness of terrain I might expect that much of the sands have already washed into the Lake. You can see how the currents have moved it north to cover those shore areas.

Bob,

Thanks for the info. That makes far more sense than the massive trucking required.

Are they natural basins or did they construct any dams? Where were the mills located?

jbuck etal,

They say the knee repair went very well. Not much pain and I'm walking without crutches. I use a cane if I'm going further. I start PT tomorrow for knee and back. I need a good knee to keep up the back/spine PT which is actually the bigger issue. Trying to avoid a more serious back surgery.