OSWEGO -- On May 3, 2000, as television viewers watched live on evening news shows, New York State's first diving preserve in the Great Lakes was officially opened with an underwater ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Officially named the "New York State David W. Mills Submerged Cultural Preserve and Dive Site," the preserve features the shipwreck of the 19th century freighter David W. Mills, and provides a mooring buoy to allow visiting scuba divers to easily find and access the site.

The preserve is located four and one-half miles west of Oswego Harbor in an area called Ford Shoal. In August 1919, the 202-foot steamer ran aground on the shoal in dense smog created by forest fires in Canada. Efforts to free the ship failed and it broke apart in a violent storm.

Today, divers can explore the shipwreck's many attractions, including the intact keel and 11-foot propeller, engine, port and starboard hulls, boiler, winch and anchor. The site is free of penetration areas and appropriate for beginner divers. Resting in 12 to 25 feet of water, the bright natural light, remarkable visibility, and abundant wildlife is excellent for photographers.

"The mooring buoy helps divers find the site, and eliminates the need to drop damaging anchors onto the wreck," said Philip Church of the Oswego Maritime Foundation's underwater program. "An unlit hazard buoy is located on the ship's shallow boiler, which has been a danger to boaters for many years."

Access to the preserve is free. The preserve won't affect boaters and anglers who like to use Ford Shoal for recreation. The preserve does not limit the shoal's use to divers, but non-divers are asked not to use the mooring, so that private and charter dive boats can access the wreck site.

"A great number of people, businesses, and organizations have been involved in the Mills project over the years to help make the preserve possible," said Church. New York Sea Grant and the Oswego Maritime Foundation (OMF) worked in partnership with the State of New York to establish the underwater preserve and dive site.

"Nearly 10 years in development, the buoying and marking of the preserve culminates the hard work and efforts of many of those involved in diving, historic preservation, community development, and education in the Oswego area and throughout the state," said David White, program coordinator for New York Sea Grant.

"Other states and the province of Ontario have successfully developed underwater preserves that add to their tourism industry and understanding of cultural heritage. The Mills preserve will be the first in a series of underwater sites all along the New York shores of Lakes Ontario and Erie and the St. Lawrence River. BOAT US is sponsoring the preserves by donating the buoys and hardware," said White.

The former Great Lakers Dive Association, Ontario Scuba, and Ontario Dive Shop (now called Ontario Dive Company) assisted the original survey of the site. In 1993, OMF and sea grant made a 30-minute documentary about the wreck and the project with the help of Public Broadcasting Station affiliate WCNY Syracuse and SUNY Oswego.

"The unique live underwater broadcast was made possible by NewsChannel 9 of Syracuse and Lighthouse Marine of Port Ontario," said Church. The live broadcast was seen on ABC affiliated stations in the Syracuse and Rochester areas, which have 1.8 million potential viewers. NewsChannel 9 dedicated nearly 100 staff hours to the project and 20 minutes of on-air time over a 3-day period.

Lighthouse Marine provided the work vessel Russell B, lifting crane, commercial underwater communications and video equipment and a remote operated vehicle for filming. The owner, Jim Walker, and his crew gave nearly a week of their time and ship operations.

In addition, the City of Oswego provided the mooring block and many volunteers came forward to help tend umbilical lines and perform other duties to help make the event successful.

For more information, contact New York Sea Grant, 101 Rich Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY, 13126, phone 315-341-3042, e-mail sgoswego@cornell.edu; the Oswego Maritime Foundation, 41 Lake St., Oswego, NY 13126, phone 315-342-5753, e-mail info@OswegoMaritime.org; or the Oswego County Department of Promotion and Tourism, 46 E. Bridge St., Oswego, NY 13126, phone 315-349-8322, e-mail cgray@co.oswego.ny.us.

Pictured are the Mills project dive team and the crew of the Russell B. From left, divers Marty Williams, Thomas Rasbeck, Captain Joe Amaral, Philip Church, Oswego Maritime Foundation underwater program director, diver Dale Currier, ROV pilot Evan Tanner, diver Steve Williams, and James Walker, owner of Lighthouse Marine of Port Ontario. Lighthouse Marine provided the Russell B, ROV, and underwater communications and video equipment for the project. The banner was donated by Accent Awnings in Minetto, NY. Photo by Peter Blauvelt.

COOPERATIVE WEATHER & A PRETTY BOAT-- The Russell B heads out to the project site on the first day. A calm lake and a gorgeous day. The weather cooperated with the project every day we needed to be on the lake. Remarkable warm weather for early May. Picking May 3 for the broadcast months in advance turned out to be the right choice. One day either way and the weather would have prohibited the event. Photo by Tom Rasbeck.

SITE PREPARATIONS -- Diver Thomas Rasbeck attaches buoys to mark the locations of major parts of the shipwreck in preparation for the installation of a mooring buoy and hazard buoy. Photo by Philip Church.

SETTING THE MOORING BLOCK -- The crew of Lighthouse Marine's Russell B sets the mooring block for the New York State David W. Mills Submerged Cultural Preserve and Dive Site. The mooring buoy allows visiting divers to easily locate the shipwreck and makes anchoring into the wreck unnecessary. Photo by Philip Church.

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY… Project divers had fun testing equipment prior to the live broadcast. Here, Thomas Rasbeck, sporting a Kirby-Morgan helmet and a surface-feed air/communication/depth umbilical, poses between the blades of the Mills' eleven-foot propeller. Photo by Dale Currier.

In the days leading up to the broadcast, ROV pilot Evan Tanner videotaped the wreck and showed off his skills maneuvering the "Little Geek" to pose between the propeller blades. Photo by Tom Rasbeck.

"AND ON THE LEFT YOU SEE…" -- An ROV piloted by Evan Tanner films diver Dale Currier giving a tour of the shipwreck of the David W. Mills. The tour was taped a few days prior to the broadcast. Photo by Thomas Rasbeck.

Smaller chase boats like Phil Church's Deep Squeeze (shown here) and Tom Rasbeck's Discovery were used to transport divers, crew, and TV personnel to and from the Russell B. Vidcap by Marty Williams.

Captain Joe Amaral gets some shut eye at the OMF Boating Education Center while WIXT NewsChannel 9 converts the Russell B into a floating TV studio. Vidcap by Marty Williams.

A transmitter was mounted to the top of the Russell B to beam images and sound to NewsChannel 9's satellite van, located on shore one mile away. Vidcap by Marty Williams.

Captain Joe Amaral monitors divers's depths and coordinates their communication with the Russell B and each other. The dive com system was interfaced with the TV crews' equipment for the broadcast. Photo by Phil Church.

Several technicians from ABC affiliate WIXT NewsChannel 9 worked with the crew of the Russell B for two days to ensure the live broadcast would come off as planned. Vidcap by Marty Williams.

THE LATEST IN SPRING FASHION -- In a DUI dry suit, Philip Church makes his way to the wreck of the David W. Mills using the commercial diving gear needed for the live television broadcast in the 40-degree water. Kirby-Morgan helmets, surface-feed air/communication/depth umbilicals, and a remote operated vehicle (ROV) were used to bring live video and audio signals to the surface. Photo by Dale Currier.

Phil Church and Dale Currier pose for a buddy shot as they wait for their cues to move into position for the broadcast. The ship's propeller was chosen to be the background for the underwater ribbon-cutting.

Diver Steve Williams fulfilled a promise he'd made to New York Sea Grant Program Coordinator Dave White by wearing a Sea Grant baseball cap on his dive hood for the broadcast.

"WE NOW TAKE YOU LIVE... TO THE BOTTOM OF LAKE ONTARIO" -- After being interviewed by reporters via com lines, and with the wreck's propeller as a backdrop, divers cut the ribbon to open the preserve. Pictured are, from left, Marty Williams, Thomas Rasbeck, Philip Church, James Walker, Dale Currier, and Steve Williams. Image by ROV pilot Evan Tanner.

MEANWHILE... -- Five miles away at the Captains Steak and Seafood Restaurant in Oswego, during the annual Great Lakes Underwater 2000 shipwreck symposium, a gold mooring chain is ceremoniously unlinked to dedicate the preserve. Pictured are, from left, John Carstens of the NYS Office of General Services, Oswego Mayor John Gosek, City Historian Rosemary Nesbitt, Oswego County Legislature Chairman Floyd Boynton, and New York Sea Grant Program Coordinator David White.

THEY MADE IT HAPPEN -- James Walker, owner of Lighthouse Marine of Port Ontario, donated the use of the vessel Russell B, commercial underwater gear, ROV, and crew for a full week to make the project happen. Tim Fox of ABC affiliate WIXT NewsChannel 9 coordinated the live broadcast and three days of televised pre-publicity.

FULL CIRCLE -- Dale Currier, founder and former director of the OMF Submerged Cultural Resources Program, envisioned the preserved 10 years ago. He returned to the project as a volunteer to help with the final site preparation and broadcast.

COME ENJOY THE NYS DAVID W MILLS SUBMERGED CULTURAL PRESERVE & DIVE SITE!