MARQUETTE, MI-- A multi-agency task force continues to work on protecting fish habitat on and around Buffalo Reef off the eastern coast of the Keweenaw.
Since January officials have dredged more than 157,000 cubic yards of stamp sands from harbors and beaches near the reef. The copper mine tailings threaten to cover spawning habitat for Lake Superior whitefish and lake trout.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to develop 30 percent of project completion engineering designs for the top three alternatives for reef protection. They include barricading the original stamp sand pile to contain it; disposing of the sand in a nearby landfill; or hauling the material to the tailings basins at the former White Pine Mine in Ontonagon County.
The task force could solicit public input on the alternatives in December 2021.
