About the Ohio Shipwreck Inventory

 

As a Great Lake state, Ohio has 312 miles of shoreline along Lake Erie. It is estimated that over 2,000 ships have been lost in Lake Erie; with nearly 600 believed to be in Ohio waters.

The Ohio Shipwreck Inventory (OSI) was formally established in 2004 with the goal to document Ohio's maritime heritage and provide a detailed inventory of all abandoned shipwrecks older than fifty years that exist under the jurisdiction of the State of Ohio.

Though there is a great emphasis on recording shipwrecks present within Lake Erie, all abandoned vessels found in Ohio qualify to be listed onto the OSI.

The OSI is maintained by the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and currently records almost 100 of Ohio's shipwrecks.

 

 

  Cultural Resource Consultants: Accessing and Recording Sites to the OSI

 

To access previously inventoried OSI site forms and related survey reports, please Request SHPO Records.

Preparing Your Submission

  • Research the vessel, including its history from its building to the loss event, its original dimensions and specifications, information pertaining to the wreck event, and the wreck site.
  • Collect historic and current photographs to attach to OSI submission.
    • Historic photos and newspaper articles relating to the vessel and/or the wreck event are encouraged for inclusion on the OSI form.
    • Current photographs of embedded and non-embedded shipwrecks are encouraged to be included on the OSI form. All photographs should be clearly labeled with the OSI number and, where possible, contain scales and compass points.
  • Plot the coordinates on a Great Lakes nautical chart to document the vessel location.
    • Map should be no larger than 8.5 x 11 and be of adequate scale to clearly depict the location of the vessel(s) in reference to the shoreline.
    • Maps can be created digitally using NOAA's Custom Chart.
  • Review the National Register Bulletin No. 20 to determine if the shipwreck may be eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

Steps to Record New Shipwreck Sites onto the OSI

  • Contact Us, or the Archaeology Survey & Data Manager, to receive OSI site numbers, which are needed to begin the process.
  • The SHPO uses Survey123 to record new sites and generate OSI forms.
  • Download the Survey123 OSI Entry form. Follow the directions provided within the form to complete the entry.
  • Unused OSI site numbers must be reported to the Archaeology Survey & Data Manager to ensure our database remains accurate.
  • Please note that all OSI form submissions are reviewed for accuracy by SHPO staff.

Steps to Update OSI Site Forms

If a previously inventoried shipwreck form requires updates, please contact the Archaeology Survey & Data Manager to determine the required method.

Survey 123: Getting Started

Download the Guide

OSI Entry Form

Begin OSI Entry

 

 

  The Ohio Shipwreck Law (Ohio Revised Code 1506.36)

In 1992, the Ohio Shipwreck Law was passed by the Legislature of the State of Ohio. This law, in summary, states the management of certain submerged property under the Ohio waters of Lake Erie to which the State of Ohio holds title in trust for all the people of the state. This trust property (referred to as Property) is any part of a sunken ship or aircraft (if the owners or insurers are not still trying to reclaim them); anything from the ship or aircraft; and American Indian artifacts. The law does three separate but related things:

  1. prohibits uncontrolled recovery of Property,
  2. provides a procedure for the issuance of salvage permits where appropriate, and
  3. provides a procedure for designating underwater preserves.

 

How the Law Effects Recreational Diving

Generally, this law does not affect recreational diving. Divers may dive and observe anywhere in the lake. The mantra, "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but bubbles" applies here. Do not remove from the water, alter, or destroy Property submerged under Ohio Lake Erie waters.

Anyone who recovers Property in violation of this law is subject to fines and possible confiscation of diving equipment. You can preserve the maritime heritage of Lake Erie by reporting violations of the law to your state or local enforcement agencies.

 

Salvage Permits

A diver cannot recover Property without a Salvage Permit obtained by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The only exception is if the Property is not on or near a sunken watercraft or aircraft and if the Property is recoverable by hand without mechanical or other assistance such as a lift bag. If such Property is more than 30 years old and is valued at more than $10, the diver must file a report with the Ohio History Connection no later than 30 days after the recovery.

 

Underwater Preserves

The law provides the establishment of underwater preserves to protect Property and underwater features of the lake that have special value.

ODNR Office of Coastal Management

Visit the Website

Ohio Revised Code: Chapter 1506 | Coastal Management

Read the Legislation

 

 

Additional Resources

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History

Search Great Lakes History

David Swayze Shipwreck Database

View the Database

National Museum of the Great Lakes

Explore the Research Portal

Bowling Green State University Center for Archival Collections

View Great Lakes Historical Collections

 

 

The OSI and the National Register

Inclusion in the OSI does not automatically register or nominate a property to the National Register of Historic Places. Sites listed to the OSI helps alert the preservation community, and local and state officials of the presence of Potentially Eligible sites.

For more information on the nomination process, visit our National Register of Historic Places page.

Explore More SHPO Inventories

 

 

Underwater Preservation & Survey Groups

 

 

A Brief History of the OSI

In 1987, the United States Congress adopted the Abandoned Shipwreck Act. This Act declared that the United States holds title to all abandoned shipwrecks within US territorial waters. More specifically, it conferred title of such wrecks to the states in which they are located. This left individual states to enact laws to manage their underwater resources.