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Event

Aerial salt-block placement on Garden and Beaver Islands, 1973

Also 1973 Beaver Island mineral salt blocks

Draft — sources verified, prose evolving

Locator map: Beaver Island highlighted within the Beaver Island archipelago
Took place at Beaver IslandLocator plate © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0); depths NOAA; names USGS GNIS. How the plates are drawn.
TypeEvent
Datecirca 1973-02
WithinBeaver Island · Garden Island
ErasModern era
On this page
Locator map: Beaver Island highlighted within the Beaver Island archipelago
Took place at Beaver IslandLocator plate © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0); depths NOAA; names USGS GNIS. How the plates are drawn.
Event
Date
circa 1973-02
Kind
Conservation
Where
Beaver Island · Garden Island
Participants
William P. "Bill" Welke (pilot)
Eras
Modern era
Concepts
conservationenvironmentcommunity
Within
Beaver Island · Garden Island

Summary

Bill Welke and Phil Gregg were reported to have flown mineral salt blocks to Garden and Beaver Islands in a Cessna during the winter of 1973. The article says the blocks were intended to supply trace minerals for wildlife and would last approximately a year.

Evidence and limits

The source gives the flight account and intended conservation purpose but does not identify the aircraft by registration, establish the exact date, or document the later placement of every block.

See also

Sources

  1. Reports Bill Welke flying a 180 Cessna with Phil Gregg as bombardier to drop mineral salt blocks on Garden and Beaver Islands, with additional blocks to be placed by foot or snowmobile. DNR biologists are quoted about trace minerals and the blocks’ expected longevity; the aircraft identity and exact flight date are not independently documented.
    data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1973-02_Beaver-Beacon
  2. The held seven-page issue scan is paired with the OCR source and confirms the published notice or report; it does not expand the source-specific identity, event, or outcome claims.
    data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1973-02_Beaver-Beacon

Added 1 August 2026 · revised 3 August 2026. Recent changes

Cite this article

Beaver Island Archive, “Aerial salt-block placement on Garden and Beaver Islands, 1973”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/aerial-salt-block-placement-on-garden-and-beaver-islands-1973/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, February 1973, “Game News.” (and 1 further source listed on the page).

Last revised 2026-08-03. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.

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