My entry for the #monomad challenge.
This set was taken at a location on the Northern Shore called Black Beach Bay. It's the only black beach on the Northern Shore.
Years ago, a low-grade iron ore was mined in the Iron Range; the name of the material was taconite. After being mined, taconite pellets are created by processing and then baking the ore. The tailings, or taconite tailings, are the waste product of the process. And like any solid mining company in the past looking to cut corners in terms of cost, the byproduct was dumped into Lake Superior for twenty-five years.
The result of this dumping created a beach of black-colored pebbles that create the shoreline. It's an exotic scene contrasted against the red rocks of Superior.
After continued outcry from local fishermen of the Lake, this waste disposal process was finally eliminated. The tailings being deposited into the lake apparently created an environment that depleted the local fish stock.
Today, the area has been converted from private property to public recreational land. We didn't see any fishing in the bay, but plenty of people were enjoying Superior's waters and shoreline.
Despite the unnatural aura of the area, it is still a beautiful place to visit and photograph.
One has to give credit...when you think nature is doomed, sometimes humanity steps up. Sadly, I doubt if the fisherman trade had not been influenced by the tailing dumps, anything would have happened years ago. Yet maybe, just maybe, some folks would have stepped up and fought back. You never know....
Thanks for stopping by and checking out this entry this week. More to come next week with some luck..
