Hat Island (Lake Michigan)
  Hat Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake Michigan |
| Coordinates | 45°48′57″N 85°18′00″W / 45.81583°N 85.30000°WCoordinates: 45°48′57″N 85°18′00″W / 45.81583°N 85.30000°W |
| Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Administration | |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Charlevoix County |
| Township | St. James Township |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Hat Island is a small island on the eastern edge of the Beaver Island archipelago in Lake Michigan. It is about 10 acres (0.04 km²) in size and located in eastern St. James Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan. It became part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge in 1943.[1]
Like other islands in the Michigan Islands NWR, Hat Island was formed during the Wisconsin glaciation when a melting glacier randomly dumped a large quantity of boulders and gravel in a spot that became part of the lakebed. The island was selected for inclusion in the Michigan Islands NMWR because of its standing as a potential breeding ground for herring gulls and other fish-eating birds.
During World War 2 it was used as a practice bombing site by the US Navy.
Hat Island is roughly four-sided, with an SSE-pointing forepeak that is said to look like the upturned brim of a hat.
References
- ↑ Michigan Atlas and Gazetteer (10th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2002. p. 93.