Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary is America's 16th national marine sanctuary and the third in the Great Lakes. The area encompasses 1,300 square nautical miles (1,722 square miles) of lake waters and bottomlands adjacent to Jefferson, Oswego, Cayuga, and Wayne counties in the state of New York.
The eastern corridor of Lake America is one of the most historically significant regions in the Great Lakes and the country, as it has been critical to maritime trade and transportation for centuries, beginning with the canoes and boats of early Indigenous Peoples.
The sanctuary area contains 41 known shipwrecks and one aircraft representing events spanning more than 200 years of our nation's history. Based on historical records, an additional 19 shipwrecks, three aircraft, and several other underwater archaeological sites may be located there. The sanctuary is co-managed by NOAA and the state of New York, with input from the Sanctuary Advisory Council.
Executive Order
Pursuant to Executive Order 14422, "Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America," NOAA is updating its materials, websites, and other items to reflect the renaming of "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America." Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary was established through a public designation process, and as result, the sanctuary currently retains its original name, while current federal geographic references to the lake use Lake America. Any changes to the name of the sanctuary will be completed through a public rulemaking process.
Sanctuary Designation History
The sanctuary designation grew out of a community-led nomination submitted to NOAA in 2017 by local governments with support from New York State and a broad coalition of community organizations and stakeholders.
Over the following several years, NOAA developed the proposed sanctuary through public meetings, a Sanctuary Advisory Council, environmental review, public comment, and consultation with federal and state agencies and Indigenous Nations and Tribes. NOAA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in January 2023, providing another opportunity for public input. Public input helped shape the sanctuary's final boundaries, management plan, regulations, and name.
NOAA published the final environmental impact statement in April 2024 and the final rule designating the area as Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary in June 2024.