Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal facts for kids

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal is a special waterway in Wisconsin, United States. It connects Sturgeon Bay on Green Bay with Lake Michigan. This canal helps ships travel directly between these two large bodies of water. It lets them avoid a tricky and sometimes dangerous area called Porte des Morts.

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal highlighted on a 1997 NOAA chart. The dredged channel is in red; the canal itself is in yellow.

What is the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal?

The canal is about 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) long. It was dug through the eastern part of the Door Peninsula. The canal runs from the northwest to the southeast. There are no special water lifts called "locks" in this canal.

At its northwest end, the canal connects to a deeper channel in Sturgeon Bay. This channel then leads out to Green Bay. The canal makes shipping much safer and faster for boats.

Building the Canal

A private group started digging the canal on July 8, 1872. This group was led by William B. Ogden. He was the president of the Chicago and North Western Railway at the time. The digging work finished in late 1881.

Smaller boats began using the canal in 1880. However, it was not fully open for large ships until 1890. The cost to complete this 1.3-mile canal in 1881 was about $291,461.69.

In 1893, the private investors sold the canal. They sold it to the United States government. Since then, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has taken care of the canal. They make sure it stays open and safe for ships.

How Big Is It?

When the canal was first built, it was 100 feet (30 m) wide. It was also 6 feet (1.8 m) deep. Over time, the canal has been made bigger. As of May 2016, the canal is 125 feet (38 m) wide. It is also 20 feet (6.1 m) deep.

A long wall, called a jetty, sticks out into Lake Michigan. This jetty helps protect the canal entrance. It is 1,350 feet (410 m) long and 800 feet (240 m) wide at its mouth.

Important Lighthouses

Several famous lighthouses help guide ships through the canal and its channels.

• The Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse is at the eastern entrance. It is on the northern side of the canal, near Lake Michigan. It is also next to the Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay.
• The Sturgeon Bay Canal North Pierhead Light is right on the Lake Michigan coastline.
• The Sherwood Point Lighthouse is in Idlewild. It is on the far western end of the canal. This lighthouse is on the southern shore of the outer edge of Sturgeon Bay.

Images for kids

• 

  Sturgeon Bay Canal from a postcard postmarked in 1899

• 

  From a postcard postmarked in 1909

• 

  A towing scene through Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal

• 

  Canal and bridge at the boat docks

• 

  Dug portion of canal from the berm on the north side

• 

  Boat passing eastward through the Sturgeon Bay Canal in stormy weather (September 2013).

• 

  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sign

• 

  Piers at the east end of the canal