Michigan’s abundant and diverse natural resources include beaches, dunes, freshwater lakes and rivers, minerals, oil and gas, forests, fertile agricultural land, wind, sun and biomass energy sources, and aquatic, avian, and terrestrial wildlife.
What is Michigan’s main natural resource?
Our land resources are also impressive, with fertile soils for agriculture, expansive forest and timberlands, large reserves of oil and gas, and many economically important mineral deposits. During the state’s early years, many of our natural resources were damaged and depleted by reckless exploitation.
What are two of Michigan’s natural resources?
Forest, Mineral and Fire Management
In addition to managing 12% of the state’s total land area, the DNR manages 6 million acres of mineral estate and leases rights to explore and develop state-owned mineral assets, including oil and gas, metallic minerals, and nonmetallic minerals.
What natural resources are used in the production of goods and services in Michigan?
Michigan’s most important mined products are natural gas, iron ore and petroleum. Michigan ranks second, behind Minnesota, in the production of iron ore and one of the world’s largest limestone quarries in located in Michigan.
What resources does Lake Michigan provide?
Lake Michigan’s shoreline provides a home to over 10 million annual residents and includes the nation’s third largest city – Chicago, Illinois. Many agricultural and industrial products such as iron ore, coal, limestone, metals, petroleum, coke, and chemicals are derived from the Lake Michigan basin’s resources.
What valuable minerals are found in Michigan?
Michigan’s geological makeup
One area, the western Upper Peninsula, has igneous and metamorphic rocks that host well-known, abundant and varied metallic mineral resources, including copper, iron, nickel, platinum group minerals, manganese and cobalt.
Is there oil in Michigan?
Michigan has an abundance of oil and natural gas located under its landscape. That abundance can be measured in many ways. One is output. Since 1925 more than 50,000 oil or natural gas wells have been drilled in Michigan.
What are things Michigan is known for?
What Is Michigan Known For? Michigan is known for the home of the automobile industry, beautiful Great Lakes shorelines, and a bustling college town atmosphere. The state is also known for its agriculture, with cherries, apples, and blueberries being some of the most popular crops.
What is Michigan’s largest industry?
In Michigan, motor vehicles, bodies and trailers, and parts manufacturing is the largest industry, accounting for 7.6% of the state’s total GDP of $536.9 billion.
What is the main industry in Michigan?
INDUSTRY. Three of Michigan’s major industries are manufacturing, tourism and agriculture. The total workers in the Michigan labor force number 4.9 million people.
What is Michigan the largest producer of?
Corn production is concentrated in the Lower Peninsula with Saginaw and Lenawee counties as Michigan’s largest producers. In 2018, Michigan produced 297 million bushels of corn grain, worth $1 billion.
What is Michigan’s largest crop?
In terms of revenue and production numbers, potatoes are Michigan’s top crop. Potatoes are grown throughout the state, from the southernmost counties of the Lower Peninsula all the way up into the cold climates of the Upper Peninsula.
What fruits is Michigan known for?
Michigan is well known for its cherries, peaches, apples, and blueberries!
Is it safe to drink Lake Michigan water?
And, if so, what filter should they use? Most officials and environmental experts interviewed said the drinking water from Lake Michigan supplied to 7 million people in Chicago and its suburbs is considered safe and tasty, especially compared with water from other municipalities around the nation.
Do we drink from Lake Michigan?
Lake Michigan, by volume, is the second largest Great Lake and the only one located totally within the United States. It serves as a source of drinking water, as a place for swimming and fishing, and as a scenic wonderland. Water from Lake Michigan enters the intake crib at depths of 20 to 30 feet.
Do people drink water from Lake Michigan?
However, despite its small size, the Illinois portion of the Lake Michigan watershed is home to half of the total population of Illinois and the lake itself is the largest public drinking water supply in the state, serving nearly 6.6 million people (of a total of over 10 million lake-wide).
Can you find precious gems in Michigan?
Isle Royal Greenstone
Found in gem-quality only in Michigan, Isle Royal Greenstone is Michigan’s state gemstone. These rare gemstones are green or blue and have a unique turtle shell pattern. While its primary location is within its namesake, Isle Royale National Park, it may also be found in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Are diamonds found in Michigan?
More than 20 kimberlites have been discovered since 1971, and these post- Ordovician intrusions follow a general northwest trend through Iron, Dickinson, and Menominee Counties from Crystal Falls to Hermansville. Many kimberlites in Northern Michigan contain diamonds, while some appear to be barren.
Are there precious gems in Michigan?
Chlorastrolite. In 1973, Chlorastrolite became Michigan’s State Gemstone. A gemstone is a rock or mineral considered to be precious or semiprecious and is usually cut and polished for jewelry.
Is there oil under Lake Michigan?
Lake Huron and Lake Michigan have the greatest amount of estimated oil resources, whereas Lake Erie has the largest amount of estimated natural gas resources.
Can you drill for oil in Michigan?
Michigan has a rich history of oil and gas drilling. In fact, hydraulic fracturing has been used extensively for many years in Michigan.