GREAT LAKES

http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/chat/answers/graphics/greatlakesmap.gif

Fun Facts

* The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world, stretching more than 90 thousand square miles and covering an area larger than Minnesota or New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island combined.

* Recognizing the Great Lakes’ great size and the important role they have played as the transportation hub of eastern North America, sailors and landlubbers alike have alternatively christened the Lakes the “sweet water” and “inland seas,” and “America’s fourth sea coast.”

* The Great Lakes are an international treasure, containing 18% of the entire world’s fresh surface water supply.

* The water in the Great Lakes is constantly changing: water that evaporates from the Lakes surface and flows to the Atlantic Ocean is replenished by rain, snow and surface runoff. But only 1% of Great Lakes water changes over each year. The remaining volume is effectively a gift of the last ice age, deposited as the glaciers retreated over 10,000 years ago. Why does this put Great Lakes water at risk?

* Lake Superior is the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes, covering over 31,700 square miles, holding 3.2 quadrillion gallons of water and reaching depths of 1,332 feet. Because of its size and the slowness of its outflow (only a half of a percent flows from Lake Superior to Lakes Huron and Michigan each year), Lake Superior has a very long retention time - it takes nearly two centuries for a drop of rain to cycle through Lake Superior. In addition to being the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior is the most remote. Its surrounding land is the most heavily forested (over 90% of the Superior drainage basin is covered with forest) and sparsely populated (less than 2% of the Great Lakes basin’s population lives in the Superior basin) of the Great Lakes. What does this have to do with mercury, PCBs and other toxic pollutants?

* Lake Erie is the smallest and shallowest of the Great Lakes, holding only 4% of Lake Superior’s volume and sporting an average depth of only 62 feet. Lake Erie’s surrounding land is also the most heavily populated (seventeen metropolitan areas have populations over 50,000) and intensively farmed (over 2/3 of the Lake Erie drainage basin is in agricultural use). What does this have to do with algae blooms and fish kills?

* Fishing is a mainstay of the Great Lakes’ cultures and economy. In 1996, 2 million anglers enjoyed fishing the Great Lakes. That same year, the commercial fish harvest for the entire Great Lakes basin was 63 million pounds. The commercial and sport fishery on the Great Lakes is collectively valued at more than $4 billion annually! How could Great Lakes fisheries be at risk?

* Nicknamed America’s fourth sea-coast, the Great Lakes and their connecting channels played an important role in the history of North American transportation. With the construction of the Erie, Lachine and Welland Canals in the 1820s, as well as canals to link the Great Lakes to the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, the Great Lakes became the hub of transportation in eastern Northern America. Today, roughly 300 million tons – mostly coal, iron ore and grain – are shipped out of major ports in the United States alone! Who’s been taking advantage of the shipping industry?

* Chicago 's Grant Park is built on a foundation of debris from the Great Chicago Fire that was dumped into Lake Michigan in the 1870's. Businessman Aaron Montgomery Ward sued the city to protect the shoreline from development. Supporting lakeshore protection in 1909, Daniel H. Burnham said, “The lake is living water . . . Not a foot of its shores should be appropriated by individuals to the exclusion of the people.”

* The Great Lakes are a special place we all enjoy. Their shorelines are dotted by 10 national parks and lakeshores, and hundreds of state and provincial parks. Over 70 million people visit these parks annually. Why are some park visitors disappointed?

Not So Fun Facts

* Each year, nearly 157 billion gallons of water is permanently lost from the Great Lakes drainage basin (the surrounding land and waterways that drain water to the Lakes). That’s more than 4,000 gallons for every one of the basin's 37 million residents! As shocking as current withdrawal levels may seem, they’re but a fraction of what we could soon lose. Everyone who lives in the Great Lakes drainage basin relies on the Lakes for their drinking water. Twenty-six million residents use water withdrawn directly from the Lakes, while 11 million intercept Great Lakes groundwater as it drains to basin tributaries and the Lakes themselves. With demand for fresh water increasing across the country and the world, special interests are pushing to actually buy and sell Great Lakes water for a profit.Read more about Great Lakes water supply.

* Although Lake Superior is the most remote of the Great Lakes, it is far from immune to the threats of pollution we commonly associate with the more populous and developed Lakes Michigan, Erie and Ontario. Lake Superior, because of it’s large surface area, is particularly susceptible to airborne pollution, including mercury-laden smoke from coal-burning power plants and agricultural pesticides carried by winds from places as distant as Georgia and other southeastern states. This problem is exacerbated by Lake Superior’s long retention time (how long a drop of water stays in Lake Superior before flowing on to Lakes Michigan and Huron). While Lake Superior currently has lower levels of mercury, PCBs and other toxics harmful to wildlife and human health than any other Great Lake, it “holds on” to dissolved pollutants for a longer period, allowing them to build to much higher concentrations. Read more about Great Lakes water quality.

* Of all the Great Lakes, Lake Erie is the most susceptible to eutrophication and the presence of “dead zones”. Due to the heavy urbanization and agricultural use of its surrounding lands, Lake Erie is bombarded by massive amounts of untreated sewage dumping from cities and livestock facilities, as well as polluted runoff contaminated by failing septic systems, excess lawn fertilizers and pet feces. This increased organic matter and the abundance of light in Erie’s shallow depths encourages rapid plant growth. Once those plants die and begin decomposing, they use up all available oxygen. The result is “dead zone” where little if any life can survive. Read more about Great Lakes water quality.

* Today’s commercial fishery harvest of 63 million pounds may seem large, but peak harvests were achieved in the late 19th century at 147 million pounds! Initial harvest declines were largely due to over fishing, but habitat destruction and invasive species are the greatest challenges of today.

* More than two-thirds of Great Lakes fish species spawn in wetlands, and many rely on near shore vegetation for food and shelter. Wide-spread alteration and destruction of these habitats – including 75% of Great Lakes shoreline and 2/3 of the region’s wetlands – harms native fish. Read more about habitat protection.

* Since the 1800s, more than 160 aquatic invasive species have become established in the Great Lakes. These invaders include the sea lamprey, zebra mussel, round goby, quagga mussel and spiny water flea, and often infiltrate the Great Lakes via shipping canals and transoceanic vessels. Invasive species threaten the survival of our native fish, wildlife and plants and upset the balance of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The effects of such invasives can be drastic, as in the early 1900s when the sea lamprey was first introduced to the upper four Great Lakes. Within roughly 20 years, Lake Michigan’s lake trout population had declined by 95%, a loss from which it has not yet recovered today. Read more about Great Lakes invasive species.

* Today, the greatest source of invasive species - such as the zebra mussel and spiny water flea - in the Lakes is ship ballast water. Cargo ships that carry millions of tons of goods to and from Great Lakes ports every year rely on “ballast water” to help stabilize their ships on the seas. When these ships pick up new cargo, they can dump tens of thousands of gallons of ballast water – often taken from distant seas – into the Great Lakes.

* In 2002, 23% of Great Lakes beaches were closed for at least a day – and 14% were closed for more than 9 days – to prevent the spread of waterborne disease. Bacterial and viral pathogens are introduced to the Great Lakes from overflowing sewage plants and polluted runoff from our yards, streets and farms.

SUPERIOR

It would be so easy for me to vote Superior, the one I have stood at the most times, the big mama. But I'm going to be impulsive and vote Ontario b/c I was just in Toronto and had such an awesome time.

Nah, fuck Superior. Michigan, as it is entirely surrounded by the U - S to the motherfuckin' A.

That's exactly how Toby Keith patriotic I get.

they are no Ocean but they are great anyway

I live on Erie but Lake Michigan has some gorgeous cliffs and scenery so I'll go with that. I ususally get up around the Traverse Bays/NW Michigan area every other year or so.

Swill is a fictional low-price mineral water popularized in 1977 by a spoof commercial starring then-Saturday Night Live cast member Bill Murray. Swill prided itself on being "the water that's dredged from Lake Erie." According to Murray's endorsement, Swill was the only thing that could "wash down a hearty meal...that tends to just lay in your stomach." The advertisement also featured footage of Swill employees bottling their product in the lake, and of Murray pouring the viscous, dirt-filled concoction over ice, telling us "...I like mine with a twist." A closeup at the end shows the bottle is a parody of the one used for Perrier.

I love how unfunny Wikipedia can make everything.

What's so fuckin' great about them?

I can see, from where I work, the drinking water intake that sits about a mile offshore. fountain of youth

MICHIGAN 4 LIFE

haha i remember that snl commercial
xpost
whoohoo look at me i can be seen from space and am full of fresh water and serve as a natural border between two nations ooh yaay for me prance prance
xpost

i chose huron

They always pointed out in elementary school...IT LOOKS LIKE A MOOSE!

A moose, guys.

I chose Erie, due to all my fond childhood remembrances of its beaches being closed due to pollution and/or Zebra mussel infestation.

huron is bullshit

The Great Lakes are practically inland seas, therefore awesome.

I thought they made CHAMPLAIN the sixth Beatle.

I feel like I'm betraying Michigan by saying this, but Superior is, like, Superior. If there were a Great Great-Lake Fight, it would win; that's its whole point.

Oh shit!

Lake Champlain briefly became the nation's sixth Great Lake on March 6, 1998, when President Clinton signed Senate Bill 927. This bill, which reauthorized the National Sea Grant Program, contained a line declaring Lake Champlain to be a Great Lake. Not coincidentally, this status allows neighboring states to apply for additional federal research and education funds allocated to these national resources. Following a small uproar, the Great Lake status was rescinded on March 24 (although Vermont universities continue to receive funds to monitor and study the lake).

pwned: more like CHAMPLAME:

Although it is much smaller than the Great Lakes of Ontario, Erie, Huron, Superior, or Michigan, Lake Champlain is a large body of fresh water.

Lake Superior is too cold to swim in. I lived less than an hour away from Lake Huron for the first 28 years of my life.

of course it's cold, it's 1300 feet deep, yo. It is black and mysterious and hulking and remote generally not to be fucked with.

and when the skies of November turn gloomy, watch out, buddy.

huron is bullshit

but it has a wicked sidekick, namely GEORGIAN BAY. was gazing out at g-bay last weekend. magnificent.

too bad there's never any love for poor ol' little lake SIMCOE! it just sits there between lake ontario and georgian bay, not bothering anybody, just chillin, ya know?

but since i can walk to its shores in about 10 minutes, my vote is to ONTARI-ARI-O

Kenan gets the Edmund Fitzgerald Award. Well done, sir.

beats the Zelda Fitzgerald Award any day.

you know, Tony Rice does a very nice version of that song.

But I digress.

i still have not been to georgian bay! i need go

this is wierd, that satellite shot is really giving me vertigo

Another vote for Ontario!

I think it's important to be able to watch the sun set over the open water, preferably while burying one's feet in the sand and drinking a beer. And not worrying about sharks, jellyfish, or anything that could hurt you. Except rip tides, I guess, but what's a little rip tide between neighbors?

What can hurt you is drunken speedboaters. Even if you're sitting ashore. FACT.

It is important! Therefore, Erie:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1364/1224701375_55a7709884.jpg

Simply for the surfing:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1218/1225575842_6722cee6e9.jpg

xpost

huron is bullshit

-- Jordan, Friday, August 24, 2007 2:17 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Link

UM FUK U I THINK.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/sylley2000/North%20Channel/flowerpot.jpg

Flowerpot Islands

http://p.vtourist.com/1175120-Stunning_views_on_the_Bruce_Trail-Tobermory.jpg

Bruce Trail

http://www.emotionscards.com/otherholidays/wiartonwilly.jpg

WIARTON FKING WILLY

http://www.visitontario.com/images/Owen_Sound_Harbour.jpg

Owen Sound Harbour

http://www.greysauble.on.ca/images/ca-bcaves3.jpg

Bruce Caves

http://www.tristatepunk.com/willdavidian/images/vickfinger.png

Michael Vick

for goodness' sakes, just look at those lakes

(i don't really think huron is bullshit, i just thought it would be funny to pick a fight with a lake)

ontario. rochester represent.

(the shores in and around chicago very nice too, tho.)

also niagara falls empties into ontario. niagara falls!

I grew up halfway up that peninsula that sticks out into the middle of Lake Superior. I spent the majority of my life no more than 20 miles from either shore (both of which were totally different) and have gone into it at least once every year since I was born. So, Superior by a landslide.

Yes, it's too cold to swim in most of the time - if you're a pussy.

yes! but niagara falls wouldn't be there if not for lake erie (and the niagara river)!

i do like lake ontario! it's a lake that makes you want friends who have sail boats.

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/isle-royale-national-park-ga-4.jpg
Isle Royale

http://epod.usra.edu/archive/images/main_epodgiboot080205.jpg
Pictured Rocks

http://www.emily.net/~schiller/shoreice.jpg

Lake Superior. I don't really see how there's any other option.

Damn you Katie for getting to go in the lake this week. I am jealous beyond belief. Also, slightly drunk right now.

(I realized when I say "the lake" by default it means Lake Superior, for whatever that's worth)

That's okay, we call Lake Michigan "the Big Lake" in my town, b/c we live on White Lake and Duck Lake, too. Everyone knows what the Big Lake is.

I've been in Lake Superior! I went hiking in the provincial part on the Canadia side, a week-long unsupported trip along the lake. It was great, and altho v v cold, it was the only water we HAD so yeah, we bathed in it. Detergent-free shampoo, no worries.

weatheringdaleson otm my vote changes to Erie, suckler of Kucinich.

MI:

http://www.leptonic.com/skip/Shoreline05/LakeMI.jpg

http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=4861&rendTypeId=4

Our picturesque rock formations are older and have pretty much all been worn into sand, but OH what sand it is! I have a jar of it in my Bklyn living room and my uncle in Bellingham, WA keeps an upturned frisbee of lake sand on his front porch, just to play with.

Swill is a fictional low-price mineral water popularized in 1977 by a spoof commercial starring then-Saturday Night Live cast member Bill Murray.

What's really bizarre about that Wiki post is that it makes it sound as though Swill exists independently of the SNL commercial. "popularized"

send yr uncle emal to me ywhy because he look interntiang

I jumped in Lake Superior today, and I once swam in all 5 lakes in one day.

are u zebra mussell y becuz you look intenrting

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I can't even imagine what kind of an asshole would vote for any of these but Michigan

I can see Erie from my office window, and Erie has the excitement of PUT-IN-BAY, therefore Erie.

Lake Superior!
yes, it's very cold, and contains large, horned, orange monsters.

Will M is runnin this shit. Huron is going to take this poll or you all don't know what's up

I can't even imagine what kind of an asshole would vote for any of these but Michigan

canadian assholes whoooo!!
other people whoooo!!

i should be in a lake right now, a great one; we all should be

Superior voters: BEWARE THE HODAG.

the what?

http://www.lockedtrunk.com/hodag/Hodag_1.jpg

http://www.hodagvideo.com/images/1930_hodag.jpg

http://www.13months.org/photos/small/13months_11_hodag.jpg

WTF

WTF indeed. What was god thinking when he made this intolerable beast.

Inhabits the area around Rhinelander, WI.

lol Hodag

Last night I sat at Sunset Bay near 5 Mile Point and watched a gigantic thunderstorm roll in over Superior.

I'd have voted for Champlain :(

(but I didn't so it's Michigan as I stood in it!)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Superior's name gives it an unfair advantage.

its size and the fact that all the other lakes flow out of it give it a fair advantage

Michigan should have won on the basis of looking like old man nuts.

Or maybe an uncut flabbybabby.

i knew superior was gonna sweep - now i guess i really do need to visit it
i always vote for the underdog i guess. but the underdog with the best name.

Erie?

Erie should have won this. War of 1812, people!

huron, i like the name huron

http://www.gdarkness.com/monstermags/eerie014.jpg

Oliver Refrigerator Perry, vanquisher of Britisher flotilla

http://www.brigniagara.org/images/perry.jpg

I think they painted that picture while he was standing behind a cardboard cutout.

makin' it snowwwwwwwww

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/314232_10151363784394936_1352412074_n.jpg