Photography

Moonset over Lake Michigan from Pere Marquette Beach

The "Drift-Lumber" story.

Driftwood. A work of art created by nature.Most driftwood is the remains of trees that have been washed into the lake due to erosion, flooding, high winds, or other natural occurrences. But there is also a subset of driftwood known as drift lumber. Drift lumber includes the remains of man-made wooden objects, such as buildings and their contents, dropped dunnage or lost cargo from ships (jetsam), docks and piers, and the remains of shipwrecked wooden ships, barges and boats (flotsam), and even in this case, remnants of a 19th century lumber milling era. However it finds its way to water, erosion and natural elements such as wind, sun and rough water tumbling, cold water depth, all take their turn crafting the wood into its new form. Driftwood and drift lumber also tell stories, especially if it’s a piece from a shipwreck, building or perhaps part of a dam, a remnant of industry or a dock. The designs – the ripples, swirls and abstracts formed by its experiences are intriguing. Driftwood has been stripped of its bark and cambium. The remaining hardwood is smoothed by the wind and waves, and often bleached by the sun to a lighter color. And while many may see driftwood as simple debris on the shoreline, some see it as more. Driftwood and drift lumber is often prized for its structural beauty, being known to naturally take on artistic, almost sculpture-like forms over time. Some of these sculptures were formed into the shape they are today by decades of sculpting by nature. Driftwood is a work of art created by nature. The long natural process gives driftwood a breath of new life. Oh, the stories each piece could tell if they could talk. How did they get here? How old are they?

The Muskegon area is “rich” with drift lumber due to its history over a century ago. By the time the local lumber industry had reached its peak in the mid-1880s, forty-seven sawmills surrounded Muskegon Lake, while another sixteen dotted the shores of White Lake to the north. Muskegon was known as the "Lumber Queen of the World" when 665,000,000 board feet were cut in 1887 alone! I would find drift lumber bits and pieces in the area water pushed up by weather events or currents. I would collect them, inspired by the popularity of an Instagram account I follow called "Official Stick Reviews." It's fun to find a "stick" in the water and think about how it got there, how old it is and its history.

Muskegon Lake is a 4,232 acre inland coastal lake located on the west shoreline of Michigan’s lower peninsula. It is the largest natural deep-water port in West Michigan. It is connected to Lake Michigan by an Army-Corps of Engineers-maintained deep-draft navigation channel. The lake provides an important habitat for Chinook salmon, largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, and threatened native species such as the lake sturgeon. The Port of Muskegon handles over 1 million tons of freight, aggregate, coal and salt every year. The United States Army Corps of Engineers provides funding for dredging of the Muskegon Lake Channel to provide year-round access to port facilities.

In the mid to late 1800s, Muskegon Lake was a center of the lumber era. Eventually other industries were based there including foundries, a coal-fired power plant, and a paper mill. Much of the “fill material” used to create the numerous land spits and jetties on Lake Muskegon were waste materials originating from industries; most notably foundry sands and lumber mill “scraps” or debris. Muskegon’s industrial heritage is a lumbering era and a foundry and heavy industry era. During the 1800s, 47 local sawmills operated along Muskegon Lake. Sawmill planks, lumber and debris would be “dumped” into Muskegon Lake, where some of it remains even to this day. Muskegon Lake, which connects directly to Lake Michigan, was listed as a “Great Lakes Area of Concern” due in part to the underwater “hills” of lumber from the 19th century lumber mills.

Muskegon’s legacy as a lumber town has left behind lumber mill “drift lumber” in several locations throughout Muskegon Lake. In the past decade, efforts to clear out old wood helped foster fish habitat. In places, this wood covers the lake bottom, which impacts bottom-dwelling wildlife while also being an eyesore during low water periods. Restoring plant and wildlife habitat in Muskegon Lake began with the clearing out of tons of sawmill lumber removed from the lake. This old drift lumber continues to emerge in the water. Much work was done to restore wetlands and create passage for fish to move freely throughout the waterways. The ecological benefits of the restoration work were important. Tons of sawmill waste and demolition material were dredged from the water and wetlands. Meanwhile shorelines were restored with native vegetation. These changes help fish and other wildlife return to their native habitat. Restored open water and lake bottom habitats are expected to benefit lake sturgeon and other aquatic life.

The multi-million-dollar effort was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through a partnership with the Great Lakes Commission. The project is managed by the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission and monitored by the Grand Valley State University Annis Water Resources Institute. Today a volunteer community-based partnership (MLWP) Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership remains involved and active in this important work. You can learn more on their Facebook Pages: Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership, and the Facebook Group: Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership Shoreline Stewards.

In summary the benefits of restoration and the dredging of industry and sawmill debris and “drift lumber” have these environmental benefits: Provide habitat for native wildlife (fish, turtles, birds) and lake bottom communities. The shoreline is again naturalized while reconnecting and restoring wetlands. Shoreline Stewards lead litter cleanups and habitat field sessions to care for restored shorelines and native plantings.

Mill debris prior to restoration (Photo credit MLWP Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership)

Mill debris with SS Milwaukee Clipper in background (Photo credit MLWP Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership)

Resources:

Following the lead of naturalist President Theodore Roosevelt, around 1900, many people in Michigan and across the United States began to understand that forest resources were not going to last forever. A shortage of wood and the loss of other forest values was seen as a possibility. During the Conservation Period, many groups and agencies were formed. The U.S. Forest Service was organized in 1905 and our National Forests were created between 1909 and 1938. The Michigan Forestry Commission was established in 1899 and the Michigan Department of Conservation (now the Department of Natural Resources) was formed in 1921. The first State Tree Nursery was established at Higgins Lake in 1904. Michigan now has six State Forests and three National Forests, each with its own history. Michigan has the second largest State Forest system in the United States, about four million acres or about a fifth of the Michigan forest today. The National Forests hold about 2.6 million acres. Michigan also started forestry schools in the beginning of the 1900s, including the Forestry Departments at Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Michigan Technological University and the Wyman School of the Woods. Source: https://mff.forest.mtu.edu/TreeBasics/History/ConsEra.htm

The great logging era is, perhaps, one of the most famous periods of growth in the United States. Early American settlers viewed the forest as either a barrier to development or a source of rapid wealth. As the forests of the east were depleted, logging companies moved west into the Great Lakes area. From about 1840 to 1900, many of the Michigan forests were cut down for farms and to produce lumber for buildings, ships, and development. Michigan was the nation's leading lumber producer between 1869 and 1900. As it relates to drift lumber it is important to note in the early days of logging, there were few roads. Lumber was moved via water. The Great Lakes region has lots of water. Logging companies built "camps" and brought in crews. Most of the cutting was done in the winter when it was easier to move the logs to water. After the spring melt, the logs were floated down rivers and across lakes to sawmills. At first, primarily the pines, especially white pine, were harvested. It makes really good lumber and would easily float! Most of the hardwood species have denser wood and would sink and be lost. How many of these “lost” hardwood pieces are in the water yet today?How much wood was cut during the logging era? Well, the exact figure will probably never be known. By 1897 over 160 billion board feet were logged from Michigan forests. Today, the forest has about 70 billion board feet of sawtimber. Some of that "driftwood" has been in the cold depths of Michigan's fresh water for decades. Oh the stories they could tell. Source: https://mff.forest.mtu.edu/TreeBasics/History/LogEra.htm

ArtPrize exhibit "ADrift"
September 15 to October 2, 2022
Hyatt Place, Downtown Grand Rapids
See you there! (A very special thanks to both Scott and Joe at River City Reproductions, Steve Colthorp at 3C studios and Jack McPherson for our driftwood adventures)

Photography

The "Drift-Lumber" story.

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The "Drift-Lumber" story.

www.artprize.org

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