Grand Traverse Bay (/ˈtrævərs/TRAV-ərs) is an arm of Lake Michigan, located along the west coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The bay is separated from the rest of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula. The bay is some 32 miles (51 km) long, ranges from 7 to 10 miles (11 to 16 km) wide, and up to 620 feet (190 m) deep in spots. It is the second-largest bay of Lake Michigan, behind Green Bay.
Grand Traverse Bay is further divided into an East Arm and West Arm by the 17-mile-long (27 km) Old Mission Peninsula. At the head of both arms of the bay is Traverse City, the largest city in Northern Michigan. The area surrounding the bay is renowned for its fruit production, especially for cherries and viticulture.[2]
Close-up satellite view of the Grand Traverse Bay, oriented with north at the top. Note the East and West arms of the bay, divided by the Old Mission Peninsula.The Grand Traverse Lighthouse at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, which anchors the bay to the west.Power Island is the largest island in the bay, seen here from Chateau Chantal on the Old Mission Peninsula
Grand Traverse Bay earned its name from 18th-century French voyageurs who made la grande traverse,[a] or "the long crossing", across the mouth of bay. The area was owned by the French, followed by Great Britain as the Province of Quebec. After 1776, the area was owned by the Americans.[4] On Old Mission peninsula, Rev Peter Doughtery started the first permanent settlement in 1839. This was called "Grand Traverse",[5] but was later renamed to Old Mission.
West Grand Traverse Bay from Traverse City, facing Greilickville.An inferior mirage over the bay
GeographyEdit
Traverse City is situated at the south end of the bay where the Boardman River empties into the west arm. Cherry orchards line the bay region, giving rise to Traverse City's claim to be the Cherry Capital of the World. Several nationally known companies offer cherry-based products made with Northern Michigan tart cherries including Traverse Bay Farms, Cherry Central, Fruit Advantage, American Spoon, Cherry Republic and Old Mission Traders (formerly Cherry Stop). The region is the center of cherry production in Michigan.
The most notable feature of the bay is that it is bisected into East[6] and West[7] arms by the Old Mission Peninsula. In addition, Grand Traverse is divided further into several important smaller bays, including Northport Bay, Suttons Bay, Omena Bay, Bowers Harbor, and Old Mission Bay. Northport Bay, located at the northwest corner of Grand Traverse Bay is about 10 mi (16 km) long and 4 miles (6.4 km) wide. Northport Bay open to the east, except inside the arms at each end, with the Leelanau Peninsula on the West side. There are several shoals in Northport Bay marked by buoys. Bellow Island, a low gravel island covered by shrubs and located near the middle of Northport Bay, is owned by the Nature Conservancy; it is primarily known as a bird rookery, and is sometimes locally called Gull Island.
The East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay (colloquially known as "East Bay") is the deeper of the two arms. The arm is flanked to the west by the Old Mission Peninsula, the south and southeast by mainland Grand Traverse County, and to the east by southwestern Antrim County. The arm's primary inflow is the Elk River, which drains the Chain of Lakes.
West ArmEdit
The West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay (colloquially known as "West Bay") is the shallower and more urbanized of the two arms. The urban core of Traverse City is located at the head of the West Arm. The arm is flanked to the west by the Leelanau Peninsula, and to the east by the Old Mission Peninsula. Power Island is located within the West Arm. The primary inflow of the West Arm is the Boardman River.
Besides cherries, the surrounding countryside produces grapes and is one of the centers of the Michigan wine industry. Known for its shimmering blue water and golden sand beaches, the Grand Traverse Bay region is a popular vacation destination.
In September 2007, Mark Holley, an underwaterarcheologist with the Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve Council who teaches at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, said that they might have discovered a boulder 3.5 to 4 feet (1.1 to 1.2 m) high by 5 feet (1.5 m) long) with a prehistoric carving in the Grand Traverse Bay.[14] The granite rock has markings that resemble a mastodon with a spear in its side. Confirmation that the markings are an ancient petroglyph will require more evidence.[15] The stone can be seen in a TV documentary,[16] and is pictured on page 9 of New Scientist Magazine of July 19, 2008.
The East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay from the east, with the Old Mission Peninsula in the background. Hills of the Leelanau Peninsula are faintly visible on the horizon.
^In modern standard French, traverse no longer has the sense of 'crossing'—which is now traversée.[3]
ReferencesEdit
^ abU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grand Traverse Bay
^"Fruit". project.geo.msu.edu. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
^"traverse" (in French). Centre national de ressources textuelles.
^"Grand Traverse Bay". Michigan Historical Markers. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
^Norton, Mike (April 15, 2014). "Exploring the Past in Historic Traverse City".
^U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grand Traverse Bay
^U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grand Traverse Bay
^"Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
^"Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
^"Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
^"Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
^"Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
^"Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
^""Stonehenge" Lake Michigan by Dr. Mark Holley – Dr Mark Holley – Underwater Archaeologist". Retrieved September 23, 2020.
^Flesher, John (September 4, 2007). . Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 4, 2007. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
^"Video of Underwater Lake Michigan – Dr Mark Holley – Underwater Archaeologist". Retrieved September 23, 2020.
^"Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve". www.michiganpreserves.org. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
^"George N. Fletcher Public Library". www.alpenalibrary.org. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
External linksEdit
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Grand Traverse Bay Area.
Michigan Wines Website
Wineries of Old Mission
Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail
Southwest Michigan Wine Trail
List of cherry farms located in the Traverse Bay Region
Underwater photographs of Grand Traverse Bay's West arm
Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay
Inland Seas Education Association
George N Fletcher Public Library
October 20, 2023
grand, traverse, this, article, about, lake, michigan, similarly, named, bays, traverse, trav, ərs, lake, michigan, located, along, west, coast, lower, peninsula, michigan, separated, from, rest, lake, michigan, leelanau, peninsula, some, miles, long, ranges, . This article is about the bay of Lake Michigan For similarly named bays see Traverse Bay Grand Traverse Bay ˈ t r ae v er s TRAV ers is an arm of Lake Michigan located along the west coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan The bay is separated from the rest of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula The bay is some 32 miles 51 km long ranges from 7 to 10 miles 11 to 16 km wide and up to 620 feet 190 m deep in spots It is the second largest bay of Lake Michigan behind Green Bay Grand Traverse BayEast Arm of Grand Traverse Bay looking west from Elk Rapids toward Old Mission PeninsulaGrand Traverse BayLocation within the state of MichiganLocationAntrim Charlevoix Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties Michigan U S Coordinates45 04 N 85 29 W 45 06 N 85 48 W 45 06 85 48TypeBay 1 Part ofSt Lawrence WatershedPrimary inflowsBoardman River Elk RiverPrimary outflowsLake MichiganSurface elevation581 feet 177 m 1 IslandsBellow Island Power IslandSettlementsElk Rapids Suttons Bay Traverse CityGrand Traverse Bay is further divided into an East Arm and West Arm by the 17 mile long 27 km Old Mission Peninsula At the head of both arms of the bay is Traverse City the largest city in Northern Michigan The area surrounding the bay is renowned for its fruit production especially for cherries and viticulture 2 The bay is located within parts of the Michigan counties of Antrim Charlevoix Grand Traverse and Leelanau Close up satellite view of the Grand Traverse Bay oriented with north at the top Note the East and West arms of the bay divided by the Old Mission Peninsula The Grand Traverse Lighthouse at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula which anchors the bay to the west Power Island is the largest island in the bay seen here from Chateau Chantal on the Old Mission PeninsulaContents 1 Etymology 2 Geography 2 1 Communities 2 1 1 Antrim County 2 1 2 Charlevoix County 2 1 3 Grand Traverse County 2 1 4 Leelanau County 2 2 Arms and nested bays 2 2 1 East Arm 2 2 2 West Arm 2 2 3 Nested bays 2 3 Islands 3 Culture 4 Shipwrecks 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksEtymology EditGrand Traverse Bay earned its name from 18th century French voyageurs who made la grande traverse a or the long crossing across the mouth of bay The area was owned by the French followed by Great Britain as the Province of Quebec After 1776 the area was owned by the Americans 4 On Old Mission peninsula Rev Peter Doughtery started the first permanent settlement in 1839 This was called Grand Traverse 5 but was later renamed to Old Mission nbsp West Grand Traverse Bay from Traverse City facing Greilickville nbsp An inferior mirage over the bayGeography EditTraverse City is situated at the south end of the bay where the Boardman River empties into the west arm Cherry orchards line the bay region giving rise to Traverse City s claim to be the Cherry Capital of the World Several nationally known companies offer cherry based products made with Northern Michigan tart cherries including Traverse Bay Farms Cherry Central Fruit Advantage American Spoon Cherry Republic and Old Mission Traders formerly Cherry Stop The region is the center of cherry production in Michigan The most notable feature of the bay is that it is bisected into East 6 and West 7 arms by the Old Mission Peninsula In addition Grand Traverse is divided further into several important smaller bays including Northport Bay Suttons Bay Omena Bay Bowers Harbor and Old Mission Bay Northport Bay located at the northwest corner of Grand Traverse Bay is about 10 mi 16 km long and 4 miles 6 4 km wide Northport Bay open to the east except inside the arms at each end with the Leelanau Peninsula on the West side There are several shoals in Northport Bay marked by buoys Bellow Island a low gravel island covered by shrubs and located near the middle of Northport Bay is owned by the Nature Conservancy it is primarily known as a bird rookery and is sometimes locally called Gull Island There are several marinas on the bay including the large marinas in Northport Greilickville Traverse City and Elk Rapids Communities Edit Antrim County Edit Antrim City Eastport Elk Rapids Torch LakeCharlevoix County Edit NorwoodGrand Traverse County Edit Acme Old Mission Traverse City YubaLeelanau County Edit Greilickville Northport Northport Point Omena Suttons BayArms and nested bays Edit The Grand Traverse Bay is divided by the Old Mission Peninsula into two arms East Arm Edit The East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay colloquially known as East Bay is the deeper of the two arms The arm is flanked to the west by the Old Mission Peninsula the south and southeast by mainland Grand Traverse County and to the east by southwestern Antrim County The arm s primary inflow is the Elk River which drains the Chain of Lakes West Arm Edit The West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay colloquially known as West Bay is the shallower and more urbanized of the two arms The urban core of Traverse City is located at the head of the West Arm The arm is flanked to the west by the Leelanau Peninsula and to the east by the Old Mission Peninsula Power Island is located within the West Arm The primary inflow of the West Arm is the Boardman River Nested bays Edit Bowers Harbor 8 Ingalls Bay 9 Northport Bay 10 Old Mission Harbor 11 Omena Bay 12 Suttons Bay 13 Islands Edit Bassett Island Bellow Island Power IslandCulture EditBesides cherries the surrounding countryside produces grapes and is one of the centers of the Michigan wine industry Known for its shimmering blue water and golden sand beaches the Grand Traverse Bay region is a popular vacation destination In September 2007 Mark Holley an underwater archeologist with the Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve Council who teaches at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City said that they might have discovered a boulder 3 5 to 4 feet 1 1 to 1 2 m high by 5 feet 1 5 m long with a prehistoric carving in the Grand Traverse Bay 14 The granite rock has markings that resemble a mastodon with a spear in its side Confirmation that the markings are an ancient petroglyph will require more evidence 15 The stone can be seen in a TV documentary 16 and is pictured on page 9 of New Scientist Magazine of July 19 2008 nbsp The East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay from the east with the Old Mission Peninsula in the background Hills of the Leelanau Peninsula are faintly visible on the horizon nbsp The West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay seen from Chateau Chantal on the Old Mission Peninsula nbsp Mission Point Lighthouse sits at the end of the Old Mission Peninsula which divides the bay into its East and West Arms Shipwrecks Edit nbsp TS State of Michigan at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City on the shore of the bayThe Grand Traverse Bay is home to the following shipwrecks 17 A J Rogers Metropolis Shale Scow Yuba Wreck Tramp Elmwood Nyord Barge Flora 18 Notes Edit In modern standard French traverse no longer has the sense of crossing which is now traversee 3 References Edit a b U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Grand Traverse Bay Fruit project geo msu edu Retrieved September 9 2023 traverse in French Centre national de ressources textuelles Grand Traverse Bay Michigan Historical Markers Retrieved October 28 2010 Norton Mike April 15 2014 Exploring the Past in Historic Traverse City U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Grand Traverse Bay U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Grand Traverse Bay Geographic Names Information System edits nationalmap gov Retrieved January 4 2023 Geographic Names Information System edits nationalmap gov Retrieved January 4 2023 Geographic Names Information System edits nationalmap gov Retrieved January 4 2023 Geographic Names Information System edits nationalmap gov Retrieved January 4 2023 Geographic Names Information System edits nationalmap gov Retrieved January 4 2023 Geographic Names Information System edits nationalmap gov Retrieved January 4 2023 Stonehenge Lake Michigan by Dr Mark Holley Dr Mark Holley Underwater Archaeologist Retrieved September 23 2020 Flesher John September 4 2007 Possible mastodon carving found on rock Associated Press Archived from the original on September 4 2007 Retrieved April 6 2015 Video of Underwater Lake Michigan Dr Mark Holley Underwater Archaeologist Retrieved September 23 2020 Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve www michiganpreserves org Retrieved February 24 2019 George N Fletcher Public Library www alpenalibrary org Retrieved April 5 2023 External links Edit nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Grand Traverse Bay Area Michigan Wines Website Wineries of Old Mission Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail Southwest Michigan Wine Trail List of cherry farms located in the Traverse Bay Region Underwater photographs of Grand Traverse Bay s West arm Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay Inland Seas Education Association George N Fletcher Public Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Grand Traverse Bay amp oldid 1174652770, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
