Disk Cleanup - wikipedia Disk Cleanup Jump to : navigation , search This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . ( March 2013 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) Disk Cleanup A component of Microsoft Windows Screenshot of Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 Details Type Disk maintenance application Included with Windows 98 , 2000 , ME , XP , Server 2003 , Vista , Server 2008 , 7 , Server 2008 R2 , 8 , 10 Related components Desktop Cleanup Wizard Disk Cleanup ( cleanmgr. exe ) is a computer maintenance utility included in Microsoft Windows designed to free up disk space on a computer 's hard drive . The utility first searches and analyzes the hard drive for files that are no longer of any use , and then removes the unnecessary files . There are a number of different file categories that Disk Cleanup targets when performing the initial disk analysis : Compression of old files Temporary Internet files Temporary Windows files Downloaded program files Recycle Bin Removal of unused applications or optional Windows components Setup log files Offline web pages ( cached ) WinSxS ( Windows component store ) The above list , however , is not exhaustive . For instance , ' Temporary Remote Desktop files ' and ' Temporary Sync Files ' may appear only under certain computer configurations , differences such as Windows Operating System and use of additional programs such as Remote Desktop . The option of removing hibernation data may not be ideal for some users as this may remove the hibernate option . Aside from removing unnecessary files , users also have the option of compressing files that have not been accessed over a set period of time . This option provides a systematic compression scheme . Infrequently accessed files are compressed to free up disk space while leaving the frequently used files uncompressed for faster read / write access times . If after file compression , a user wishes to access a compressed file , the access times may be increased and vary from system to system . In addition to the categories that appear on the Disk Cleanup tab , the More Options tab offers additional options for freeing up hard drive space through removal of optional Windows components , installed programs , and all but the most recent System Restore point or Shadow Copy data in some versions of Microsoft Windows . See also ( edit ) Desktop Cleanup Wizard External links ( edit ) Microsoft Help and Support - Description of the Disk Cleanup Tool in Windows XP The Elder Geek on Windows XP - Disk Cleanup Utility Creating a Disk Cleanup Handler Tweaking `` Temporary Files '' handler with registry Microsoft Windows components Management tools App Installer Command Prompt Control Panel Applets Device Manager Disk Cleanup Disk Defragmenter Driver Verifier Event Viewer IExpress Management Console Netsh Performance Monitor Recovery Console Resource Monitor Settings Sysprep System Configuration System File Checker System Information System Policy Editor System Restore Task Manager Windows Error Reporting Windows Ink Windows Installer PowerShell Windows Update Windows Insider WinRE WMI Apps Alarms & Clock Calculator Calendar Camera Character Map Cortana Edge Fax and Scan Feedback Hub Get Help Groove Music Magnifier Mail Messaging Maps Media Player Movies & TV Mobility Center Money News Narrator Notepad OneDrive OneNote Paint Paint 3D People Phone Companion Photos Quick Assist Snipping Tool Speech Recognition Skype Sports Sticky Notes View 3D Store Tips Voice Recorder Wallet Weather Windows To Go Windows Story Remix WordPad Xbox Shell Action Center Aero AutoPlay AutoRun ClearType Explorer Search Indexing Service IFilter Saved search Namespace Special folder Start menu Taskbar Task View Windows Spotlight Windows XP visual styles Services Service Control Manager BITS CLFS Multimedia Class Scheduler Shadow Copy Task Scheduler Error Reporting Wireless Zero Configuration File systems CDFS DFS exFAT IFS FAT NTFS Hard link Junction point Mount Point Reparse point Symbolic link TxF EFS ReFS UDF Server Domains Active Directory DNS Group Policy Roaming user profiles Folder redirection Distributed Transaction Coordinator MSMQ Windows Media Services Rights Management Services IIS Remote Desktop Services WSUS SharePoint Network Access Protection PWS DFS Replication Remote Differential Compression Print Services for UNIX Remote Installation Services Windows Deployment Services System Resource Manager Hyper - V Server Core Architecture Architecture of Windows NT Startup process NT Vista CSRSS Desktop Window Manager Portable Executable EXE DLL Enhanced Write Filter Graphics Device Interface hal. dll I / O request packet Imaging Format Kernel Transaction Manager Library files Logical Disk Manager LSASS MinWin NTLDR Ntoskrnl. exe Object Manager Open XML Paper Specification Registry Resource Protection Security Account Manager Server Message Block Shadow Copy SMSS System Idle Process USER WHEA Win32 console Winlogon WinUSB Security Security and Maintenance BitLocker Data Execution Prevention Family Safety Kernel Patch Protection Mandatory Integrity Control Protected Media Path User Account Control User Interface Privilege Isolation Windows Defender Windows Firewall Compatibility COMMAND.COM Virtual DOS machine Windows on Windows WoW64 Windows Subsystem for Linux API Active Scripting WSH VBScript JScript COM ActiveX ActiveX Document COM Structured storage DCOM OLE OLE Automation Transaction Server DirectX . NET Framework Universal Windows Platform Windows Mixed Reality Windows Runtime WinUSB Games Solitaire Collection Discontinued Games 3D Pinball Chess Titans FreeCell Hearts InkBall Hold ' Em Purble Place Reversi Spider Solitaire Solitaire Tinker Apps ActiveMovie Anytime Upgrade Address Book Backup and Restore Cardfile CardSpace Contacts Desktop Gadgets Diagnostics DriveSpace DVD Maker Easy Transfer Fax File Manager Food & Drink Help and Support Center Health & Fitness HyperTerminal Internet Explorer Journal Media Center Meeting Space Messaging Messenger Mobile Device Center Movie Maker MSN Dial - up NetMeeting NTBackup Outlook Express Travel Photo Gallery Photo Viewer Program Manager Steps Recorder WinHelp Write Others ScanDisk File Protection Media Control Interface Next - Generation Secure Computing Base POSIX subsystem Interix Video for Windows Windows SideShow Windows Services for UNIX Windows System Assessment Tool WinFS Spun off to Microsoft Store DVD Player Hover ! Mahjong Minesweeper Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Disk_Cleanup&oldid=801589723 '' Categories : Windows components Windows - only software Utilities for Windows Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from March 2013 All articles needing additional references Talk Search About Wikipedia فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Polski සිංහල Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 20 September 2017 , at 16 : 23 . About Wikipedia

Question: what does disk cleanup mean on a computer

a computer maintenance utility included in Microsoft Windows designed to free up disk space on a computer's hard drive


Avon Park , Florida - wikipedia Avon Park , Florida Jump to : navigation , search Avon Park , Florida City Logo Nickname ( s ) : The City of Charm Location of Avon Park in Highlands County , Florida . Coordinates : 27 ° 35 ′ 40 '' N 81 ° 30 ′ 12 '' W  /  27.59444 ° N 81.50333 ° W  / 27.59444 ; - 81.50333 Coordinates : 27 ° 35 ′ 40 '' N 81 ° 30 ′ 12 '' W  /  27.59444 ° N 81.50333 ° W  / 27.59444 ; - 81.50333 Country United States State Florida County Highlands Settled 1884 Incorporated ( town ) 1886 Incorporated ( city ) 1 January 1926 Government Type Council - Manager Mayor Garrett Anderson City Manager June Fisher Area Total 9.11 sq mi ( 23.58 km ) Land 8.80 sq mi ( 22.79 km ) Water 0.31 sq mi ( 0.80 km ) 12.4 % Elevation 121 ft ( 37 m ) Population ( 2010 ) Total 8,836 Estimate ( 2016 ) 10,259 Density 1,166.06 / sq mi ( 450.24 / km ) Time zone Eastern ( EST ) ( UTC - 5 ) Summer ( DST ) EDT ( UTC - 4 ) ZIP codes 33825 - 33826 Area code ( s ) 863 FIPS code 12 - 02750 GNIS feature ID 0278007 Website www.avonpark.cc Avon Park is a city in Highlands County , Florida , United States . As of the 2010 census the population was 8,836 , and in 2015 the estimated population was 10,086 . It is the oldest city in Highlands County , and was named after Stratford - upon - Avon , England . Contents ( hide ) 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Government 5 Transportation 6 Education 6.1 Public schools 6.2 Private schools 6.3 Colleges 7 Media 7.1 Television 7.2 Radio 7.3 Newspapers 8 Points of interest 9 Notable people 10 Climate 11 References 12 External links History ( edit ) The first permanent settler in Avon Park was Oliver Martin Crosby , a Connecticut native who moved to the area in 1884 to study the wildlife of the Everglades . By 1886 , enough people had followed that the town of `` Lake Forest '' was founded . As president of the Florida Development Company , he recruited settlers to the area , many of whom were from England , including many from the town of Stratford - upon - Avon , who gave the town its name . In 2006 , then - mayor Thomas Macklin proposed City Ordinance 08 - 06 , which would have blocked the issuance or renewal of city licenses to businesses that hired illegal aliens , fined any property owner who rented and leased property to illegal aliens , and established English as the city 's official language , banning the use of other languages during the conduct of official business except where specified under state or federal law . The ordinance was defeated by the city council , on a 3 -- 2 vote . Geography ( edit ) Avon Park is located in northwestern Highlands County at 27 ° 35 ′ 40 '' N 81 ° 30 ′ 12 '' W  /  27.59444 ° N 81.50333 ° W  / 27.59444 ; - 81.50333 ( 27.594418 , - 81.503437 ) . 27 / 98 is the main highway through the city , leading north 23 miles ( 37 km ) to Lake Wales and south 10 miles ( 16 km ) to Sebring . Florida State Road 17 ( Main Street ) leads east through the center of Avon Park , then south 10 miles to the center of Sebring . Florida State Road 64 leads west from Avon Park 19 miles ( 31 km ) to Zolfo Springs . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , Avon Park has a total area of 8.2 square miles ( 21.2 km ) , of which 7.1 square miles ( 18.5 km ) are land and 1.0 square mile ( 2.6 km ) , or 12.43 % , are water . The city is located in a karst landscape underlain by the limestone Florida Platform , and numerous circular lakes are either within the city limits ( Lake Tulane , Lake Verona , and Lake Isis ) or border the city ( Lake Anoka , Lake Lelia , Lake Glenada , Lake Lotela , Lake Denton , Little Red Water Lake , Pioneer Lake , Lake Brentwood , Lake Byrd , Lake Damon , and Lake Lillian ) . Demographics ( edit ) Historical population Census Pop . % ± 1920 890 -- 1930 3,355 277.0 % 1940 3,125 − 6.9 % 1950 4,612 47.6 % 1960 6,073 31.7 % 1970 6,712 10.5 % 1980 8,026 19.6 % 8,042 0.2 % 2000 8,542 6.2 % 8,836 3.4 % Est. 2016 10,259 16.1 % U.S. Decennial Census Lake Verona is located within the city of Avon Park . At the 2000 census , there were 8,542 people , 3,218 households and 2,114 families residing in the city . The population density was 1,841.8 per square mile ( 710.8 / km ) . There were 3,916 housing units at an average density of 844.4 per square mile ( 325.9 / km ) . The racial makeup of the city was 58.90 % White , 29.2 % African American , 0.32 % Native American , 0.69 % Asian , 0.05 % Pacific Islander , 8.35 % from other races , and 2.28 % from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.71 % of the population . There were 3,218 households of which 28.1 % had children under the age of 18 living with them , 43.6 % were married couples living together , 17.2 % had a female householder with no husband present , and 34.3 % were non-families. 28.2 % of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7 % had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older . The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08 . Age distribution was 26.5 % under the age of 18 , 11.1 % from 18 to 24 , 23.6 % from 25 to 44 , 18.3 % from 45 to 64 , and 20.5 % who were 65 years of age or older . The median age was 36 years . For every 100 females there were 97.8 males . For every 100 females age 18 and over , there were 94.2 males . The median household income was $23,576 , and the median family income was $27,617 . Males had a median income of $21,890 versus $18,678 for females . The per capita income for the city was $11,897 . About 21.3 % of families and 27.6 % of the population were below the poverty line , including 40.4 % of those under age 18 and 13.4 % of those age 65 or over . At the 2010 census , there where 8,836 people , 3,337 households , and 4,162 housing units in the city . The racial make up of the city was 55.5 % white ( 41.3 % non-hispanic white ) , 28.1 % African American , 0.3 % Native American , 0.8 % Asian , 0 % Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander , and 4.3 % from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 29.2 % of the population . 12.9 % of the population was foreign born . The Median household income was $28,496 , the per capita income was $14,911 , and 36.2 % of the population lived below the poverty line . 51.8 % of the population was female . Government ( edit ) Avon Park operates under a council - manager form of government , with a city manager who operates under the direction of an elected four - member council and mayor . As of December 2013 the mayor is Sharon Schuler , and the city manager is Julian DeLeon . The city provides fire protection , utilities , and sanitation service to its residents . The city 's police and the county sheriff work jointly to provide law enforcement . Transportation ( edit ) Avon Park Executive Airport is a public - use airport located 2 miles ( 3.2 km ) west of the central business district . Education ( edit ) Public schools ( edit ) Avon Elementary School Park Elementary School Memorial Elementary School Avon Park Middle School Avon Park High School Private schools ( edit ) Walker Memorial Academy Central Florida Academy Parkview Pre-K LLC Community Christian Academy Cornerstone Christian Academy Colleges ( edit ) South Florida State College Media ( edit ) Television ( edit ) See also : List of TV stations in Florida Avon Park is located in a fringe viewing area ; its television stations originate in distant cities . Local television services offer signals from WFTV , the ABC affiliate in Orlando ; WINK - TV , the CBS affiliate in Fort Myers / Naples ; WFLA - TV , the Tampa Bay area NBC affiliate ; and WTVT , the Tampa Bay area Fox affiliate . Radio ( edit ) See also : List of radio stations in Florida Avon Park is in the Sebring radio market , which is ranked as the 288th largest in the United States by Arbitron . Radio stations broadcasting from Avon Park include WFHT / 1390 ( Lounge ) , WAPQ - LP / 95.9 ( Religious ) , WWOJ / 99.1 ( Country ) `` OJ99. 1 '' & WWMA - LP / 107.9 ( Religious ) . Newspapers ( edit ) Local print media include the News - Sun , a newspaper published on Wednesday , Friday , and Sunday , and Highlands Today , a daily local supplement to The Tampa Tribune that covers newsworthy events in Highlands County . Points of interest ( edit ) Avon Park Air Force Range Avon Park Historic District Lake Adelaide Notable people ( edit ) Dee Gordon , Major League Baseball , Miami Marlins second baseman Tom Gordon , Major League Baseball pitcher Fred L. Lowery , Southern Baptist pastor and author , formerly resided in Avon Park Hal McRae , Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame Conrad Henry Moehlman , Baptist author and emeritus professor of church history Richard Korman , Consultant and yachtsman Climate ( edit ) The climate in this area is characterized by hot , humid summers and generally mild to cool winters . According to the Köppen Climate Classification system , Avon Park has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated `` Cfa '' on climate maps . References ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` 2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files '' . United States Census Bureau . Retrieved Jul 27 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Avon Park , United States Page '' . Falling Rain Genomics . Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 16 . ^ Jump up to : `` Geographic Identifiers : 2010 Demographic Profile Data ( G001 ) : Avon Park city , Florida '' . American Factfinder . U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved April 28 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : `` Population and Housing Unit Estimates '' . Retrieved June 9 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : `` American FactFinder '' . United States Census Bureau . Archived from the original on 2013 - 09 - 11 . Retrieved 2008 - 01 - 31 . Jump up ^ `` US Board on Geographic Names '' . United States Geological Survey . 2007 - 10 - 25 . Retrieved 2008 - 01 - 31 . Jump up ^ `` Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places : April 1 , 2010 to July 1 , 2015 '' . Retrieved July 2 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Kevin M. McCarthy , African American Sites in Florida , p. 95 Jump up ^ `` Avon Park Ordinance 08 - 06 '' ( PDF ) . City of Avon Park . Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 29 September 2007 . Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 16 . Jump up ^ Hutchinson , Bill ( 5 August 2006 ) . `` Avon Park 's debate far from finished '' . Sarasota Herald - Tribune . Archived from the original on 29 September 2007 . Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 16 . Jump up ^ `` US Gazetteer files : 2010 , 2000 , and 1990 '' . United States Census Bureau . 2011 - 02 - 12 . Retrieved 2011 - 04 - 23 . Jump up ^ U.S. Census Bureau , TIGERweb , accessed April 28 , 2017 Jump up ^ `` Census of Population and Housing '' . Census.gov . Archived from the original on May 12 , 2015 . Retrieved June 4 , 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Ratings -- Sebring Market '' . Arbitron . Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 16 . Jump up ^ Climate Summary for Avon Park , Florida External links ( edit ) Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Avon Park . City of Avon Park official website News - Sun Highlands Today Avon Park Chamber of Commerce ( hide ) Municipalities and communities of Highlands County , Florida , United States County seat : Sebring Cities Avon Park Sebring Town Lake Placid Unincorporated communities Lorida Placid Lakes Spring Lake Sun ' n Lake of Sebring Sylvan Shores Venus Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avon_Park,_Florida&oldid=838094717 '' Categories : Cities in Highlands County , Florida Populated places established in 1884 Cities in Florida Avon Park , Florida 1884 establishments in Florida Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage تۆرکجه Bân - lâm - gú Català Cebuano Deutsch Español Euskara فارسی Français Ido Italiano Kreyòl ayisyen Nederlands नेपाल भाषा Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Svenska Türkçe Volapük 中文 16 more Edit links This page was last edited on 24 April 2018 , at 22 : 01 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia

Question: where is avon park florida on the map


Great Lakes - wikipedia Great Lakes Jump to : navigation , search This article is about the Great Lakes of North America . For the African Great Lakes , see African Great Lakes . For the region , see Great Lakes region . For other uses of this term , see Great Lakes ( disambiguation ) . Satellite image of the Great Lakes , April 24 , 2000 Terra MODIS image of the Great Lakes , January 27 , 2005 , showing ice beginning to build up around the shores of each of the lakes , with snow on the ground . Location in North America The Great Lakes ( French : les Grands - Lacs ) , also called the Laurentian Great Lakes and the Great Lakes of North America , are a series of interconnected freshwater lakes located primarily in the upper mid-east region of North America , on the Canada -- United States border , which connect to the Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lawrence River . They consist of Lakes Superior , Michigan , Huron ( or Michigan -- Huron ) , Erie , and Ontario . The Great Lakes is the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area , and second largest by total volume containing 21 % of the world 's surface fresh water by volume . The total surface is 94,250 square miles ( 244,106 km ) , and the total volume ( measured at the low water datum ) is 5,439 cubic miles ( 22,671 km ) , a bit less than the volume of Lake Baikal ( 23,615 km3 ) . Due to their sea - like characteristics ( rolling waves , sustained winds , strong currents , great depths , and distant horizons ) the five Great Lakes have also long been referred to as inland seas . Lake Superior is the second largest lake in the world by area , and Lake Michigan is the largest lake that is entirely within one country . The Great Lakes began to form at the end of the last glacial period around 14,000 years ago , as retreating ice sheets exposed the basins they had carved into the land which then filled with meltwater . The lakes have been a major highway for transportation , migration , and trade , and they are home to a large number of aquatic species . Many invasive species have been introduced due to trade , and some threaten the region 's biodiversity . The surrounding region is called the Great Lakes region , which includes the Great Lakes Megalopolis . Contents ( hide ) 1 Geography 1.1 Bathymetry 1.2 Primary connecting waterways 1.3 Lake Michigan -- Huron 1.4 Other significant bodies of water 1.5 Islands 1.6 Shipping connection to the ocean 1.7 Water levels 2 Name origins 3 Statistics 4 Geology 5 Climate 5.1 Lake effect 6 Ecology 6.1 Fauna 6.2 Flora 6.3 Pollution 7 History 8 Economy 8.1 Shipping 8.2 Drinking water and compact 8.3 Recreation 8.4 Great Lakes passenger steamers 8.5 Shipwrecks 9 Legislation 9.1 Coast Guard live fire exercises 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links Geography ( edit ) A map of the Great Lakes Basin showing the five sub-basins within . Left to right they are : Superior ( magenta ) ; Michigan ( cyan ) ; Huron ( pale green ) ; Erie ( yellow ) ; Ontario ( light coral ) . Though the five lakes reside in separate basins , they form a single , naturally interconnected body of fresh water , within the Great Lakes Basin . The lakes form a chain connecting the east - central interior of North America to the Atlantic Ocean . From the interior to the outlet at the Saint Lawrence River , water flows from Superior to Huron and Michigan , southward to Erie , and finally northward to Lake Ontario . The lakes drain a large watershed via many rivers , and are studded with approximately 35,000 islands . There are also several thousand smaller lakes , often called `` inland lakes , '' within the basin . The surface area of the five primary lakes combined is roughly equal to the size of the United Kingdom , while the surface area of the entire basin ( the lakes and the land they drain ) is about the size of the UK and France combined . Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes that is located entirely within the United States ; the others form a water boundary between the United States and Canada . The lakes are divided among the jurisdictions of the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of Michigan , Wisconsin , Minnesota , Illinois , Indiana , Ohio , Pennsylvania , and New York . Both Ontario and Michigan include in their boundaries portions of four of the lakes : Ontario does not border Lake Michigan , and Michigan does not border Lake Ontario . New York and Wisconsin 's jurisdictions extend into two lakes , and the remaining states into one of the lakes . Bathymetry ( edit ) Lake Erie Lake Huron Lake Michigan Lake Ontario Lake Superior Surface area 9,910 sq mi ( 25,700 km ) 23,000 sq mi ( 60,000 km ) 22,300 sq mi ( 58,000 km ) 7,340 sq mi ( 19,000 km ) 31,700 sq mi ( 82,000 km ) Water volume 116 cu mi ( 480 km ) 850 cu mi ( 3,500 km ) 1,180 cu mi ( 4,900 km ) 393 cu mi ( 1,640 km ) 2,900 cu mi ( 12,000 km ) Elevation 571 ft ( 174 m ) 577 ft ( 176 m ) 577 ft ( 176 m ) 246 ft ( 75 m ) 600.0 ft ( 182.9 m ) Average depth 62 ft ( 19 m ) 195 ft ( 59 m ) 279 ft ( 85 m ) 283 ft ( 86 m ) 483 ft ( 147 m ) Maximum depth 210 ft ( 64 m ) 748 ft ( 228 m ) 925 ft ( 282 m ) 804 ft ( 245 m ) 1,333 ft ( 406 m ) Major settlements Buffalo , NY Erie , PA Cleveland , OH Lorain , OH Toledo , OH Sandusky , OH Alpena , MI Bay City , MI Owen Sound , ON Port Huron , MI Sarnia , ON Chicago , IL Gary , IN Green Bay , WI Sheboygan , WI Milwaukee , WI Kenosha , WI Racine , WI Muskegon , MI Traverse City , MI Hamilton , ON Kingston , ON Mississauga , ON Oshawa , ON Rochester , NY Toronto , ON Duluth , MN Marquette , MI Sault Ste . Marie , MI Sault Ste . Marie , ON Superior , WI Thunder Bay , ON Relative elevations , average depths , maximum depths , and volumes of the Great Lakes . Notes : The area of each rectangle is proportionate to the volume of each lake . All measurements at Low Water Datum . Source : EPA System profile of the Great Lakes . Great Lakes bathymetry . As the surfaces of Lakes Superior , Huron , Michigan , and Erie are all approximately the same elevation above sea level , while Lake Ontario is significantly lower , and because the Niagara Escarpment precludes all natural navigation , the four upper lakes are commonly called the `` upper great lakes '' . This designation , however , is not universal . Those living on the shore of Lake Superior often refer to all the other lakes as `` the lower lakes '' , because they are farther south . Sailors of bulk freighters transferring cargoes from Lake Superior and northern Lake Michigan and Lake Huron to ports on Lake Erie or Ontario commonly refer to the latter as the lower lakes and Lakes Michigan , Huron , and Superior as the upper lakes . This corresponds to thinking of Lakes Erie and Ontario as `` down south '' and the others as `` up north '' . Vessels sailing north on Lake Michigan are considered `` upbound '' even though they are sailing toward its effluent current . Primary connecting waterways ( edit ) Chicago on Lake Michigan is in the western part of the lakes megalopolis , and the site of the waterway linking the lakes to the Mississippi River valley Detroit on the Detroit River links the region 's central metropolitan areas . Toronto on Lake Ontario is in the eastern section of the Great Lakes Megalopolis The Chicago River and Calumet River systems connect the Great Lakes Basin to the Mississippi River System through man - made alterations and canals . The St. Marys River , including the Soo Locks , connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron . The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan to Lake Huron ( which are hydrologically one ) . The St. Clair River connects Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair . The Detroit River connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie . The Niagara River , including Niagara Falls , connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario . The Welland Canal , bypassing the Falls , connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario . The Saint Lawrence River and the Saint Lawrence Seaway connect Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence , which connects to the Atlantic Ocean . Lake Michigan -- Huron ( edit ) Main article : Lake Michigan -- Huron Lakes Huron and Michigan are sometimes considered a single lake , called Lake Michigan -- Huron , because they are one hydrological body of water connected by the Straits of Mackinac . The straits are 5 miles ( 8 km ) wide and 120 feet ( 37 m ) deep ; the water levels -- currently at 577 feet ( 176 m ) -- rise and fall together , and the flow between Michigan and Huron frequently reverses direction . Other significant bodies of water ( edit ) Lake Nipigon , connected to Lake Superior by the Nipigon River , is surrounded by sill - like formations of mafic and ultramafic igneous rock hundreds of meters high . The lake lies in the Nipigon Embayment , a failed arm of the triple junction ( centered beneath Lake Superior ) in the Midcontinent Rift System event , estimated at 1,109 million years ago . Green Bay is an arm of Lake Michigan , located along the south coast of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the east coast of Wisconsin . It is separated from the rest of the lake by the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin , the Garden Peninsula in Michigan , and the chain of islands between them , all of which were formed by the Niagara Escarpment . Lake Winnebago , connected to Green Bay by the Fox River , serves as part of the Fox -- Wisconsin Waterway and is part of a larger system of lakes in Wisconsin known as the Winnebago Pool . Grand Traverse Bay is an arm of Lake Michigan located on Michigan 's west coast , being one of the largest natural harbors in the Great Lakes . The bay has one large peninsula and one major island known as Power Island . Its namesake is derived from when Jacques Marquette crossed the bay from Norwood to Northport calling it La Grande Traversee . Georgian Bay is an arm of Lake Huron , extending northeast from the lake entirely within Ontario . The bay , along with its narrow westerly extensions of the North Channel and Mississagi Strait , is separated from the rest of the lake by the Bruce Peninsula , Manitoulin Island , and Cockburn Island , all of which were also formed by the Niagara Escarpment . Lake Nipissing , connected to Georgian Bay by the French River , contains two volcanic pipes , which are the Manitou Islands and Callander Bay . These pipes were formed by a violent , supersonic eruption of deep - origin . The lake lies in the Ottawa - Bonnechere Graben , a Mesozoic rift valley that formed 175 million years ago . Lake Simcoe , connected to Georgian Bay by the Severn River , serves as part of the Trent -- Severn Waterway , a canal route traversing Southern Ontario between Lakes Ontario and Huron . Lake St. Clair , connected with Lake Huron ( to its north ) by the St. Clair River and with Lake Erie ( to its south ) by the Detroit River . Although it is 17 times smaller in area than Lake Ontario and only rarely included in the listings of the Great Lakes , proposals for its official recognition as a Great Lake are occasionally made , which would affect its inclusion in scientific research projects , etc. , designated as related to `` The Great Lakes '' . Islands ( edit ) South Bass Island in Lake Erie Dispersed throughout the Great Lakes are approximately 35,000 islands . The largest among them is Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron , the largest island in any inland body of water in the world . The second - largest island is Isle Royale in Lake Superior . Both of these islands are large enough to contain multiple lakes themselves -- for instance , Manitoulin Island 's Lake Manitou is the world 's largest lake located on a freshwater island . Shipping connection to the Ocean ( edit ) The Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway make the Great Lakes accessible to ocean - going vessels . However , shifts in shipping to wider ocean - going container ships -- which do not fit through the locks on these routes -- have limited container shipping on the lakes . Most Great Lakes trade is of bulk material , and bulk freighters of Seawaymax - size or less can move throughout the entire lakes and out to the Atlantic . Larger ships are confined to working in the lakes themselves . Only barges can access the Illinois Waterway system providing access to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River . Despite their vast size , large sections of the Great Lakes freeze over in winter , interrupting most shipping from January to March . Some icebreakers ply the lakes , keeping the shipping lanes open through other periods of ice on the lakes . The Great Lakes are also connected by canal to the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Illinois River ( from the Chicago River ) and the Mississippi River . An alternate track is via the Illinois River ( from Chicago ) , to the Mississippi , up the Ohio , and then through the Tennessee -- Tombigbee Waterway ( a combination of a series of rivers and lakes and canals ) , to Mobile Bay and the Gulf . Commercial tug - and - barge traffic on these waterways is heavy . Pleasure boats can also enter or exit the Great Lakes by way of the Erie Canal and Hudson River in New York . The Erie Canal connects to the Great Lakes at the east end of Lake Erie ( at Buffalo , New York ) and at the south side of Lake Ontario ( at Oswego , New York ) . Water levels ( edit ) In 2009 , the lakes contained 84 % of the surface freshwater of North America ; if the water were evenly distributed over the entire continent 's land area , it would reach a depth of 1.5 meters ( 5 feet ) . The source of water levels in the lakes is tied to what was left by melting glaciers when the lakes took their present form . Annually , only about 1 % is `` new '' water originating from rivers , precipitation , and groundwater springs that drain into the lakes . Historically , evaporation has been balanced by drainage , making the level of the lakes constant . While the lake levels have been preserved , intensive human population growth only began in the region in the 20th century and continues today . At least two human water use activities have been identified as having the potential to affect the lakes ' levels : diversion ( the transfer of water to other watersheds ) and consumption ( substantially done today by the use of lake water to power and cool electric generation plants , resulting in evaporation ) . The water level of Lake Michigan -- Huron had remained fairly constant over the 20th century , but has nevertheless dropped more than 6 feet from the record high in 1986 to the low of 2013 . One newspaper reported that the long - term average level has gone down about 20 inches because of dredging and subsequent erosion in the St. Clair River . Lake Michigan -- Huron hit all - time record low levels in 2013 ; according to the US Army Corps of Engineers , the previous record low had been set in 1964 . By April 2015 the water level had recovered to 7 inches ( 17.5 cm ) more than the `` long term monthly average '' . Name Origins ( edit ) Lake Erie From the Erie tribe , a shortened form of the Iroquoian word erielhonan ( long tail ) . Lake Huron The native Wyandot originally referred to the lake by the name karegnondi , a word which has been variously translated as `` Freshwater Sea '' , `` Lake of the Hurons '' , or simply `` lake '' . The first French explorers in the area named the lake after the inhabitants of the area , the Wyandot or `` Hurons '' . Lake Michigan From the Ojibwa word mishi - gami ( great water or large lake ) . Lake Ontario From the Wyandot ( Huron ) word ontarí'io ( lake of shining waters ) . Lake Superior English translation of the French term lac supérieur ( upper lake ) , referring to its position north of Lake Huron . The indigenous Ojibwe call it gichi - gami ( from Ojibwe gichi big , large , great ; gami water , lake , sea . Popularized in French - influenced transliteration as Gitchigumi as in Gordon Lightfoot 's 1976 story song , The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald , or Gitchee Gumee as in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 's 1855 epic poem , The Song of Hiawatha ) . Statistics ( edit ) The Great Lakes contained 21 % of the world 's surface fresh water around the year 2000 : 5,472 cubic miles ( 22,810 km ) , or 6.0 × 10 U.S. gallons ( 2.3 × 10 liters ) . This is enough water to cover the 48 contiguous U.S. states to a uniform depth of 9.5 feet ( 2.9 m ) . Although the lakes contain a large percentage of the world 's fresh water , the Great Lakes supply only a small portion of U.S. drinking water on a national basis . The total surface area of the lakes is approximately 94,250 square miles ( 244,100 km ) -- nearly the same size as the United Kingdom , and larger than the U.S. states of New York , New Jersey , Connecticut , Rhode Island , Massachusetts , Vermont , and New Hampshire combined . The Great Lakes coast measures approximately 10,500 miles ( 16,900 km ) ; however , the length of a coastline is impossible to measure exactly and is not a well - defined measure ( see Coastline paradox ) . Of the total 10,500 miles ( 16,900 km ) of shoreline , Canada borders approximately 5,200 miles ( 8,400 km ) , while the remaining 5,300 miles ( 8,500 km ) are bordered by the United States . Michigan has the longest shoreline of the United States , bordering roughly 3,288 miles ( 5,292 km ) of shoreline , followed by Wisconsin ( 820 miles ( 1,320 km ) ) , New York ( 473 miles ( 761 km ) ) , and Ohio ( 312 miles ( 502 km ) ) . Traversing the shoreline of all the lakes would cover a distance roughly equivalent to travelling half - way around the world at the equator . Geology ( edit ) A diagram of the formation of the Great Lakes Map of Glacial Lake Algonquin and its Correlatives ( USGS 1915 ) It has been estimated that the foundational geology that created the conditions shaping the present day upper Great Lakes was laid from 1.1 to 1.2 billion years ago , when two previously fused tectonic plates split apart and created the Midcontinent Rift , which crossed the Great Lakes Tectonic Zone . A valley was formed providing a basin that eventually became modern day Lake Superior . When a second fault line , the Saint Lawrence rift , formed approximately 570 million years ago , the basis for Lakes Ontario and Erie were created , along with what would become the Saint Lawrence River . The Great Lakes are estimated to have been formed at the end of the last glacial period ( the Wisconsin glaciation ended 10,000 to 12,000 years ago ) , when the Laurentide Ice Sheet receded . The retreat of the ice sheet left behind a large amount of meltwater ( see Lake Algonquin and Lake Chicago ) that filled up the basins that the glaciers had carved , thus creating the Great Lakes as we know them today . Because of the uneven nature of glacier erosion , some higher hills became Great Lakes islands . The Niagara Escarpment follows the contour of the Great Lakes between New York and Wisconsin . See also Glacial Lake Iroquois and Champlain Sea . Land below the glaciers `` rebounded '' as it was uncovered . Because the glaciers covered some areas longer than others , this glacial rebound occurred at different rates . Climate ( edit ) The Great Lakes have a humid continental climate , Köppen climate classification Dfa ( in southern areas ) and Dfb ( in northern parts ) with varying influences from air masses from other regions including dry , cold Arctic systems , mild Pacific air masses from the West , and warm , wet tropical systems from the south and the Gulf of Mexico . The lakes themselves also have a moderating effect on the climate ; they can also increase precipitation totals and produce lake effect snowfall . Lake effect ( edit ) Main article : Lake - effect snow The location of common lake effect bands on the Great Lakes The most well - known winter effect of the Great Lakes on regional weather is the lake effect in snowfall , which is sometimes very localized . Even late in winter , the lakes often have no icepack in the middle . The prevailing winds from the west pick up the air and moisture from the lake surface , which is slightly warmer in relation to the cold surface winds above . As the slightly warmer , moist air passes over the colder land surface , the moisture often produces concentrated , heavy snowfall that sets up in bands or `` streamers '' . This is similar to the effect of warmer air dropping snow as it passes over mountain ranges . During freezing weather with high winds , the `` snow belts '' receive regular snow fall from this localized weather pattern , especially along the eastern shores of the lakes . Snow belts are found in Wisconsin , Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania , and New York , United States ; and Ontario , Canada . The lakes also moderate seasonal temperatures to some degree , but not with as large an influence as do large oceans ; they absorb heat and cool the air in summer , then slowly radiate that heat in autumn . They protect against frost during transitional weather , and keep the summertime temperatures cooler than further inland . This effect can be very localized and overridden by offshore wind patterns . This temperature buffering produces areas known as `` fruit belts '' , where fruit can be produced that is typically grown much farther south . For instance , Western Michigan has apple and cherry orchards , and vineyards cultivated adjacent to the lake shore as far north as the Grand Traverse Bay and Nottawasaga Bay in central Ontario . The eastern shore of Lake Michigan and the southern shore of Lake Erie have many successful wineries because of the moderating effect , as does the Niagara Peninsula between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario . A similar phenomenon allows wineries to flourish in the Finger Lakes region of New York , as well as in Prince Edward County , Ontario on Lake Ontario 's northeast shore . Related to the lake effect is the regular occurrence of fog over medium - sized areas , particularly along the shorelines of the lakes . This is most noticeable along Lake Superior 's shores . The Great Lakes have been observed to help intensify storms , such as Hurricane Hazel in 1954 , and the 2011 Goderich , Ontario tornado , which moved onshore as a tornadic waterspout . In 1996 a rare tropical or subtropical storm was observed forming in Lake Huron , dubbed the 1996 Lake Huron cyclone . Rather large severe thunderstorms covering wide areas are well known in the Great Lakes during mid-summer ; these Mesoscale convective complexs or MCCs can cause damage to wide swaths of forest and shatter glass in city buildings . These storms mainly occur during the night , and the systems sometimes have small embedded tornadoes , but more often straight - line winds accompanied by intense lightning . Ecology ( edit ) Generalized schematic of Great Lakes waterline ecosystem Historically , the Great Lakes , in addition to their lake ecology , were surrounded by various forest ecoregions ( except in a relatively small area of southeast Lake Michigan where savanna or prairie occasionally intruded ) . Logging , urbanization , and agriculture uses have changed that relationship . In the early 21st century , Lake Superior 's shores are 91 % forested , Lake Huron 68 % , Lake Ontario 49 % , Lake Michigan 41 % , and Lake Erie , where logging and urbanization has been most extensive , 21 % . Some of these forests are second or third growth ( i.e. they have been logged before , changing their composition ) . At least 13 wildlife species are documented as becoming extinct since the arrival of Europeans , and many more are threatened or endangered . Meanwhile , exotic and invasive species have also been introduced . Fauna ( edit ) See also : Category : Fauna of the Great Lakes region ( North America ) , Category : Fish of the Great Lakes , and Asian carp in North America Lake sturgeon , the largest native fish in the Great Lakes and the subject of extensive commercial fishing in the 19th and 20th centuries is listed as a threatened species The organisms living on the bottom of shallow waters are similar to those found in smaller lakes . The deep waters , however , contain organisms found only in deep , cold lakes of the northern latitudes . These include the delicate opossum shrimp ( order mysida ) , the deepwater scud ( a crustacean of the order amphipoda ) , two types of copepods , and the deepwater sculpin ( a spiny , large - headed fish ) . The Great Lakes are an important source of fishing . Early European settlers were astounded by both the variety and quantity of fish ; there were 150 different species in the Great Lakes . Throughout history , fish populations were the early indicator of the condition of the Lakes and have remained one of the key indicators even in the current era of sophisticated analyses and measuring instruments . According to the bi-national ( U.S. and Canadian ) resource book , The Great Lakes : An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book : `` The largest Great Lakes fish harvests were recorded in 1889 and 1899 at some 67,000 tonnes ( 66,000 long tons ; 74,000 short tons ) ( 147 million pounds ) . '' By 1801 , the New York Legislature found it necessary to pass regulations curtailing obstructions to the natural migrations of Atlantic salmon from Lake Erie into their spawning channels . In the early 19th century , the government of Upper Canada found it necessary to introduce similar legislation prohibiting the use of weirs and nets at the mouths of Lake Ontario 's tributaries . Other protective legislation was passed , as well , but enforcement remained difficult . On both sides of the Canada -- United States border , the proliferation of dams and impoundments have multiplied , necessitating more regulatory efforts . Concerns by the mid-19th century included obstructions in the rivers which prevented salmon and lake sturgeon from reaching their spawning grounds . The Wisconsin Fisheries Commission noted a reduction of roughly 25 % in general fish harvests by 1875 . The states have removed dams from rivers where necessary . Overfishing has been cited as a possible reason for a decrease in population of various whitefish , important because of their culinary desirability and , hence , economic consequence . Moreover , between 1879 and 1899 , reported whitefish harvests declined from some 24.3 million pounds ( 11 million kg ) to just over 9 million pounds ( 4 million kg ) . By 1900 , commercial fishermen on Lake Michigan were hauling in an average of 41 million pounds of fish annually . By 1938 , Wisconsin 's commercial fishing operations were motorized and mechanized , generating jobs for more than 2,000 workers , and hauling 14 million pounds per year . The population of giant freshwater mussels was eliminated as the mussels were harvested for use as buttons by early Great Lakes entrepreneurs . Since 2000 , the invasive quagga mussel has smothered the bottom of Lake Michigan almost from shore to shore , and their numbers are estimated at 900 trillion . The influx of parasitic lamprey populations after the development of the Erie Canal and the much later Welland Canal led to the two federal governments of the US and Canada working on joint proposals to control it . By the mid-1950s , the lake trout populations of Lakes Michigan and Huron were reduced , with the lamprey deemed largely to blame . This led to the launch of the bi-national Great Lakes Fishery Commission . Cliffs at Palisade Head on Lake Superior in Minnesota near Silver Bay . The Great Lakes : An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book ( 1972 ) noted : `` Only pockets remain of the once large commercial fishery . '' But , water quality improvements realized during the 1970s and 1980s , combined with successful salmonid stocking programs , have enabled the growth of a large recreational fishery . The last commercial fisherman left Milwaukee in 2011 because of overfishing and anthropogenic changes to the biosphere . Since the 19th century an estimated 160 new species have found their way into the Great Lakes ecosystem ; many have become invasive ; the overseas ship ballast and ship hull parasitism are causing severe economic and ecological impacts . According to the Inland Seas Education Association , on average a new species enters the Great Lakes every eight months . A zebra mussel - encrusted vector - averaging current meter from Lake Michigan . Introductions into the Great Lakes include the zebra mussel , which was first discovered in 1988 , and quagga mussel in 1989 . The mollusks are efficient filter feeders , competing with native mussels and reducing available food and spawning grounds for fish . In addition , the mussels may be a nuisance to industries by clogging pipes . The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that the economic impact of the zebra mussel could be about $5 billion over the next decade . The alewife first entered the system west of Lake Ontario via 19th - century canals . By the 1960s , the small silver fish had become a familiar nuisance to beach goers across Lakes Michigan , Huron , and Erie . Periodic mass dieoffs result in vast numbers of the fish washing up on shore ; estimates by various governments have placed the percentage of Lake Michigan 's biomass , which was made up of alewives in the early 1960s , as high as 90 % . In the late 1960s , the various state and federal governments began stocking several species of salmonids , including the native lake trout as well as non-native chinook and coho salmon ; by the 1980s , alewife populations had dropped drastically . The ruffe , a small percid fish from Eurasia , became the most abundant fish species in Lake Superior 's Saint Louis River within five years of its detection in 1986 . Its range , which has expanded to Lake Huron , poses a significant threat to the lower lake fishery . Five years after first being observed in the St. Clair River , the round goby can now be found in all of the Great Lakes . The goby is considered undesirable for several reasons : it preys upon bottom - feeding fish , overruns optimal habitat , spawns multiple times a season , and can survive poor water quality conditions . Several species of exotic water fleas have accidentally been introduced into the Great Lakes , such as the spiny waterflea , Bythotrephes longimanus , and the fishhook waterflea , Cercopagis pengoi , potentially having an effect on the zooplankton population . Several species of crayfish have also been introduced that may contend with native crayfish populations . More recently an electric fence has been set up across the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in order to keep several species of invasive Asian carp out of the area . These fast - growing planktivorous fish have heavily colonized the Mississippi and Illinois river systems . The sea lamprey , which has been particularly damaging to the native lake trout population , is another example of a marine invasive species in the Great Lakes . Invasive species , particularly zebra and quagga mussels , may be at least partially responsible for the collapse of the deepwater demersal fish community in Lake Huron , as well as drastic unprecedented changes in the zooplankton community of the lake . Flora ( edit ) See also : Flora of the Great Lakes region , and Index : Trees of the Great Lakes region . Native habitats and ecoregions in the Great Lakes region include : Eastern forest - boreal transition Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests Southern Great Lakes forests Central forest - grasslands transition Upper Midwest forest - savanna transition Western Great Lakes forests Central Canadian Shield forests Laurentian Mixed Forest Province Beech - maple forest Habitats of the Indiana Dunes Plant lists include : List of Michigan flowers List of Minnesota wild flowers List of Minnesota trees Logging Logging of the extensive forests in the Great Lakes region removed riparian and adjacent tree cover over rivers and streams , which provide shade , moderating water temperatures in fish spawning grounds . Removal of trees also destabilized the soil , with greater volumes washed into stream beds causing siltation of gravel beds , and more frequent flooding . Running cut logs down the tributary rivers into the Great Lakes also dislocated sediments . In 1884 , the New York Fish Commission determined that the dumping of sawmill waste ( chips and sawdust ) had impacted fish populations . Pollution ( edit ) The first U.S. Clean Water Act , passed by a Congressional override after being vetoed by US President Richard Nixon in 1972 , was a key piece of legislation , along with the bi-national Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement signed by Canada and the U.S. A variety of steps taken to process industrial and municipal pollution discharges into the system greatly improved water quality by the 1980s , and Lake Erie in particular is significantly cleaner . Discharge of toxic substances has been sharply reduced . Federal and state regulations control substances like PCBs . The first of 43 `` Great Lakes Areas of Concern '' to be formally `` de-listed '' due to successful cleanup was Ontario 's Collingwood Harbour in 1994 ; Ontario 's Severn Sound followed in 2003 . Presque Isle Bay in Pennsylvania is formally listed as in recovery , as is Ontario 's Spanish Harbour . Dozens of other Areas of Concern have received partial cleanups such as the Rouge River ( Michigan ) and Waukegan Harbor ( Illinois ) . Until 1970 , mercury was not listed as a harmful chemical , according to the United States Federal Water Quality Administration . Within the past ten years mercury has become more apparent in water tests . Mercury compounds have been used in paper mills to prevent slime from forming during their production , and chemical companies have used mercury to separate chlorine from brine solutions . Studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency have shown that when the mercury comes in contact with many of the bacteria and compounds in the fresh water , it forms the compound methyl mercury , which has a much greater impact on human health than elemental mercury due to a higher propensity for absorption . This form of mercury is not detrimental to a majority of fish types , but is very detrimental to people and other wildlife animals who consume the fish . Mercury has been known for health related problems such as birth defects in humans and animals , and the near extinction of eagles in the Great Lakes region . The amount of raw sewage dumped into the waters was the primary focus of both the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and federal laws passed in both countries during the 1970s . Implementation of secondary treatment of municipal sewage by major cities greatly reduced the routine discharge of untreated sewage during the 1970s and 1980s . The International Joint Commission in 2009 summarized the change : `` Since the early 1970s , the level of treatment to reduce pollution from waste water discharges to the Great Lakes has improved considerably . This is a result of significant expenditures to date on both infrastructure and technology , and robust regulatory systems that have proven to be , on the whole , quite effective . '' The commission reported that all urban sewage treatment systems on the U.S. side of the lakes had implemented secondary treatment , as had all on the Canadian side except for five small systems . However contrary to federal laws in both countries , those treatment system upgrades have not yet eliminated Combined sewer Overflow events . This describes when older sewerage systems , which combine storm water with sewage into single sewers heading to the treatment plant , are temporarily overwhelmed by heavy rainstorms . Local sewage treatment authorities then must release untreated effluent , a mix of rainwater and sewage , into local water bodies . While enormous public investments such as the Deep Tunnel projects in Chicago and Milwaukee have greatly reduced the frequency and volume of these events , they have not been eliminated . The number of such overflow events in Ontario , for example , is flat according to the International Joint Commission . Reports about this issue on the U.S. side highlight five large municipal systems ( those of Detroit , Cleveland , Buffalo , Milwaukee and Gary ) as being the largest current periodic sources of untreated discharges into the Great Lakes . Phosphate detergents were historically a major source of nutrient to the Great Lakes algae blooms in particular in the warmer and shallower portions of the system such as Lake Erie , Saginaw Bay , Green Bay , and the southernmost portion of Lake Michigan . By the mid-1980s , most jurisdictions bordering the Great Lakes had controlled phosphate detergents , resulting in sharp reductions in the frequency and extent of the blooms . In 2013 , news of a garbage patch of plastic pollution in the lakes was reported . History ( edit ) A woodcut of Le Griffon Several Native American tribes inhabited the region since at least 1000 BC , after the end of the Wisconsin glaciation . The peoples of the Great Lakes traded with the Hopewell culture from around 1000 AD , as copper nuggets have been extracted from the region , and fashioned into ornaments and weapons in the mounds of Southern Ohio . The brigantine Le Griffon , which was commissioned by René - Robert Cavelier , Sieur de La Salle , was built at Cayuga Creek , near the southern end of the Niagara River , and became the first known sailing ship to travel the upper Great Lakes on August 7 , 1679 . The Rush -- Bagot Treaty signed in 1818 , after the War of 1812 and the later Treaty of Washington eventually led to a complete disarmament of naval vessels in the Great Lakes . Nonetheless , both nations maintain coast guard vessels in the Great Lakes . During settlement , the Great Lakes and its rivers were the only practical means of moving people and freight . Barges from middle North America were able to reach the Atlantic Ocean from the Great Lakes when the Welland canal opened in 1824 and the later Erie Canal opened in 1825 . By 1848 , with the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal at Chicago , direct access to the Mississippi River was possible from the lakes . With these two canals an all - inland water route was provided between New York City and New Orleans . The main business of many of the passenger lines in the 19th century was transporting immigrants . Many of the larger cities owe their existence to their position on the lakes as a freight destination as well as for being a magnet for immigrants . After railroads and surface roads developed , the freight and passenger businesses dwindled and , except for ferries and a few foreign cruise ships , has now vanished . The immigration routes still have an effect today . Immigrants often formed their own communities and some areas have a pronounced ethnicity , such as Dutch , German , Polish , Finnish , and many others . Since many immigrants settled for a time in New England before moving westward , many areas on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes also have a New England feel , especially in home styles and accent . The Eastland leaving Chicago , ca . 1909 Since general freight these days is transported by railroads and trucks , domestic ships mostly move bulk cargoes , such as iron ore , coal and limestone for the steel industry . The domestic bulk freight developed because of the nearby mines . It was more economical to transport the ingredients for steel to centralized plants rather than try to make steel on the spot . Grain exports are also a major cargo on the lakes . In the 19th century and early 20th centuries , iron and other ores such as copper were shipped south on ( downbound ships ) , and supplies , food , and coal were shipped north ( upbound ) . Because of the location of the coal fields in Pennsylvania and West Virginia , and the general northeast track of the Appalachian Mountains , railroads naturally developed shipping routes that went due north to ports such as Erie , Pennsylvania and Ashtabula , Ohio . Because the lake maritime community largely developed independently , it has some distinctive vocabulary . Ships , no matter the size , are called boats . When the sailing ships gave way to steamships , they were called steamboats -- the same term used on the Mississippi . The ships also have a distinctive design ( see Lake freighter ) . Ships that primarily trade on the lakes are known as lakers . Foreign boats are known as salties . One of the more common sights on the lakes has been since about 1950 the 1,000 ‐ by ‐ 105 - foot ( 305 - by - 32 - meter ) , 78,850 - long - ton ( 80,120 - metric - ton ) self - unloader . This is a laker with a conveyor belt system that can unload itself by swinging a crane over the side . Today , the Great Lakes fleet is much smaller in numbers than it once was because of the increased use of overland freight , and a few larger ships replacing many small ones . During World War II , the risk of submarine attacks against coastal training facilities motivated the United States Navy to operate two aircraft carriers on the Great Lakes , USS Sable ( IX - 81 ) and USS Wolverine ( IX - 64 ) . Both served as training ships to qualify naval aviators in carrier landing and takeoff . Lake Champlain briefly became the sixth Great Lake of the United States 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 Senate voted to revoke the designation on March 24 ( although New York and Vermont universities would continue to receive funds to monitor and study the lake ) . In the early years of the 21st century , water levels in the Great Lakes were a concern . Researchers at the Mowat Centre said that low levels could cost $19 bn by 2050 . Economy ( edit ) Photograph of Lakes Ontario , Erie and Huron plus the Finger Lakes of upstate New York , June 14 , 2012 , taken aboard the International Space Station , with lake names added Shipping ( edit ) Except when the water is frozen during winter , more than 100 lake freighters operate continuously on the Great Lakes , which remain a major water transport corridor for bulk goods . The Great Lakes Waterway connects all the lakes ; the smaller Saint Lawrence Seaway connects the lakes to the Atlantic oceans . Some lake freighters are too large to use the Seaway , and only operate on the Waterway and lakes . In 2002 , 162 million net tons of dry bulk cargo were moved on the Lakes . This was , in order of volume : iron ore , grain and potash . The iron ore and much of the stone and coal are used in the steel industry . There is also some shipping of liquid and containerized cargo but most container ships can not pass the locks on the Saint Lawrence Seaway because the ships are too wide . Only four bridges are on the Great Lakes other than Lake Ontario because of the cost of building structures high enough for ships to pass under . The Blue Water Bridge is , for example , more than 150 feet high and more than a mile long . Drinking water and Compact ( edit ) Main article : Great Lakes Compact The Great Lakes are used to supply drinking water to tens of millions of people in bordering areas . This valuable resource is collectively administered by the state and provincial governments adjacent to the lakes , who have agreed to the Great Lakes Compact to regulate water supply and use . Recreation ( edit ) Escanaba 's Ludington Park in Michigan Tourism and recreation are major industries on the Great Lakes . A few small cruise ships operate on the Great Lakes including a couple of sailing ships . Sport fishing , commercial fishing , and Native American fishing represent a U.S. $4 billion a year industry with salmon , whitefish , smelt , lake trout , bass and walleye being major catches . Many other water sports are practiced on the lakes such as yachting , sea kayaking , diving , kitesurfing , powerboating , and lake surfing . The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River . Great Lakes passenger steamers ( edit ) Main article : Great Lakes passenger steamers From 1844 through 1857 , palace steamers carried passengers and cargo around the Great Lakes . In the first half of the 20th century large luxurious passenger steamers sailed the lakes in opulence . The Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company had several vessels at the time and hired workers from all walks of life to help operate these vessels . Several ferries currently operate on the Great Lakes to carry passengers to various islands , including Isle Royale , Drummond Island , Pelee Island , Mackinac Island , Beaver Island , Bois Blanc Island ( Ontario ) , Bois Blanc Island ( Michigan ) , Kelleys Island , South Bass Island , North Manitou Island , South Manitou Island , Harsens Island , Manitoulin Island , and the Toronto Islands . As of 2007 , four car ferry services cross the Great Lakes , two on Lake Michigan : a steamer from Ludington , Michigan , to Manitowoc , Wisconsin , and a high speed catamaran from Milwaukee to Muskegon , Michigan , one on Lake Erie : a boat from Kingsville , Ontario , or Leamington , Ontario , to Pelee Island , Ontario , then onto Sandusky , Ohio , and one on Lake Huron : the M.S. Chi - Cheemaun runs between Tobermory and South Baymouth , Manitoulin Island , operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Company . An international ferry across Lake Ontario Rochester , New York , to Toronto ran during 2004 and 2005 , but is no longer in operation . Shipwrecks ( edit ) The large size of the Great Lakes increases the risk of water travel ; storms and reefs are common threats . The lakes are prone to sudden and severe storms , in particular in the autumn , from late October until early December . Hundreds of ships have met their end on the lakes . The greatest concentration of shipwrecks lies near Thunder Bay ( Michigan ) , beneath Lake Huron , near the point where eastbound and westbound shipping lanes converge . The Lake Superior shipwreck coast from Grand Marais , Michigan , to Whitefish Point became known as the `` Graveyard of the Great Lakes '' . More vessels have been lost in the Whitefish Point area than any other part of Lake Superior . The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve serves as an underwater museum to protect the many shipwrecks in this area . The first ship to sink in Lake Michigan was Le Griffon , also the first ship to sail the Great Lakes . Caught in a 1679 storm while trading furs between Green Bay and Michilimacinac , she was lost with all hands aboard . Its wreck may have been found in 2004 , but a wreck subsequently discovered in a different location was also claimed in 2014 to be Le Griffon . The largest and last major freighter wrecked on the lakes was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald , which sank on November 10 , 1975 , just over 17 miles ( 30 km ) offshore from Whitefish Point on Lake Superior . The largest loss of life in a shipwreck out on the lakes may have been that of Lady Elgin , wrecked in 1860 with the loss of around 400 lives on Lake Michigan . In an incident at a Chicago dock in 1915 , the SS Eastland rolled over while loading passengers , killing 841 . In August 2007 , the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced that it had found the wreckage of Cyprus , a 420 - foot ( 130 m ) long , century - old ore carrier . Cyprus sank during a Lake Superior storm on October 11 , 1907 , during its second voyage while hauling iron ore from Superior , Wisconsin , to Buffalo , New York . The entire crew of 23 drowned , except one , Charles Pitz , who floated on a life raft for almost seven hours . In June 2008 , deep sea divers in Lake Ontario found the wreck of the 1780 Royal Navy warship HMS Ontario in what has been described as an `` archaeological miracle '' . There are no plans to raise her as the site is being treated as a war grave . In June 2010 , L.R. Doty was found in Lake Michigan by an exploration diving team led by dive boat Captain Jitka Hanakova from her boat the Molly V . The ship sank in October 1898 , probably attempting to rescue a small schooner , Olive Jeanette , during a terrible storm . Still missing are the two last warships to sink in the Great Lakes , the French minesweepers , Inkerman and Cerisoles , which vanished in Lake Superior during a blizzard in 1918 . 78 lives were lost making it the largest loss of life in Lake Superior and the greatest unexplained loss of life in the Great Lakes . Related articles List of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes Index : Shipwrecks in the Great Lakes Great Storms of the North American Great Lakes Great Lakes Storm of 1913 Legislation ( edit ) Various national , state , provincial , and municipal jurisdictions govern the Great Lakes In 1872 , a treaty gave access to the St. Lawrence River to the United States , and access to Lake Michigan to the Dominion of Canada . The International Joint Commission was established in 1909 to help prevent and resolve disputes relating to the use and quality of boundary waters , and to advise Canada and the United States on questions related to water resources . Concerns over diversion of Lake water are of concern to both Americans and Canadians . Some water is diverted through the Chicago River to operate the Illinois Waterway but the flow is limited by treaty . Possible schemes for bottled water plants and diversion to dry regions of the continent raise concerns . Under the U.S. `` Water Resources Development Act '' , diversion of water from the Great Lakes Basin requires the approval of all eight Great Lakes governors through the Great Lakes Commission , which rarely occurs . International treaties regulate large diversions . In 1998 , the Canadian company Nova Group won approval from the Province of Ontario to withdraw 158,000,000 U.S. gallons ( 600,000 m ) of Lake Superior water annually to ship by tanker to Asian countries . Public outcry forced the company to abandon the plan before it began . Since that time , the eight Great Lakes Governors and the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec have negotiated the Great Lakes - Saint Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement and the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact that would prevent most future diversion proposals and all long - distance ones . The agreements strengthen protection against abusive water withdrawal practices within the Great Lakes basin . On December 13 , 2005 , the Governors and Premiers signed these two agreements , the first of which is between all ten jurisdictions . It is somewhat more detailed and protective , though its legal strength has not yet been tested in court . The second , the Great Lakes Compact , has been approved by the state legislatures of all eight states that border the Great Lakes as well as the U.S. Congress , and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 3 , 2008 . The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative , described as `` the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades , '' was funded at $475 million in the U.S. federal government 's Fiscal Year 2011 budget , and $300 million in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget . Through the program a coalition of federal agencies is making grants to local and state entities for toxics cleanups , wetlands and coastline restoration projects , and invasive species - related projects . Coast Guard live fire exercises ( edit ) In 2006 , the United States Coast Guard ( USCG ) proposed a plan to designate 34 areas in the Great Lakes , at least 5 mi ( 8 km ) offshore , as permanent safety zones for live fire machine gun practice . In August 2006 , the plan was published in the Federal Register . The USCG reserved the right to hold target practice whenever the weather allowed with a two - hour notice . These firing ranges would be open to the public when not in use . In response to requests from the public , the Coast Guard held a series of public meetings in nine U.S. cities to solicit comment . During these meetings many people voiced concerns about the plan and its impact on the environment . On December 18 , 2006 , the Coast Guard announced its decision to withdraw the entire proposal . Officials said they would look into alternative ammunition , modifying the proposed zones and have more public dialogue before proposing a new plan . See also ( edit ) Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 Eastern Continental Divide Great Lakes census statistical areas Great Lakes Megalopolis Great Lakes Protection Fund Great Lakes WATER Institute Great Lakes Waterway Great Recycling and Northern Development Canal List of cities on the Great Lakes List of municipalities on the Great Lakes Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge Muskellunge Northern pike Populated islands of the Great Lakes Seiche Snowbelt Sixty Years ' War for control of the Great Lakes Valparaiso Moraine The Great Lakes Book Project References ( edit ) Jump up ^ Waples , James T. ( 2008 ) . `` The Laurentian Great Lakes '' ( PDF ) . North American Continental Margins . Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory : 73 -- 81 . Jump up ^ `` Great Lakes -- U.S. EPA '' . Epa.gov . June 28 , 2006 . Retrieved February 19 , 2011 . Jump up ^ `` LUHNA Chapter 6 : Historical Landcover Changes in the Great Lakes Region '' . Biology.usgs.gov . November 20 , 2003 . Archived from the original on January 11 , 2012 . Retrieved February 19 , 2011 . Jump up ^ Ghassemi , Fereidoun ( 2007 ) . Inter-basin water transfer . Cambridge : Cambridge University Press . ISBN 0 - 521 - 86969 - 2 . ^ Jump up to : `` Great Lakes : Basic Information : Physical Facts '' . United States Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) . May 25 , 2011 . Archived from the original on May 29 , 2012 . Retrieved November 9 , 2011 . Jump up ^ Williamson , James ( 2007 ) . The inland seas of North America : and the natural and industrial productions ... John Duff Montreal Hew Ramsay Toronto AH Armour and Co . Retrieved January 5 , 2014 . Jump up ^ `` The Top Ten : The Ten Largest Lakes of the World '' . infoplease.com . Jump up ^ Rosenberg , Matt . `` Largest Lakes in the World by Area , Volume and Depth '' . About.com Education . Jump up ^ Hough , Jack ( 1970 ) ( 1763 ) . `` Great Lakes '' . The Encyclopædia Britannica ( Hardcover ) format = requires url = ( help ) . 10 ( Commemorative Edition for Expo'70 ed . ) . Chicago : William Benton . p. 774 . ISBN 0 - 85229 - 135 - 3 . Jump up ^ `` Large Lakes of the World '' . factmonster.com . ^ Jump up to : Cordell , Linda S. ; Lightfoot , Kent ; McManamon , Francis ; Milner , George ( 2008 ) . Archaeology in America : An Encyclopedia : An Encyclopedia . ABC - CLIO . p. 1 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 313 - 02189 - 3 . Jump up ^ Great Lakes . America 2050 . Retrieved on December 7 , 2016 . ^ Jump up to : Tom Bennett ( February 1 , 1999 ) . State of the Great Lakes : 1997 Annual Report . DIANE Publishing . p. 1991 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 7881 - 4358 - 8 . Jump up ^ Likens , Gene E. ( May 20 , 2010 ) . Lake Ecosystem Ecology : A Global Perspective . Academic Press . p. 326 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 12 - 382003 - 7 . ^ Jump up to : Grady , Wayne ( 2007 ) . The Great Lakes . Vancouver : Greystone Books and David Suzuki Foundation . pp. 13 , 21 -- 26 , 42 -- 43 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 55365 - 197 - 0 . ^ Jump up to : `` Great Lakes Atlas : Factsheet # 1 '' . United States Environmental Protection Agency . March 9 , 2006 . Retrieved December 3 , 2007 . ^ Jump up to : `` Great Lakes Map '' . Michigan Department of Environmental Quality . Archived from the original on November 27 , 2011 . Retrieved November 27 , 2011 . Jump up ^ See List of cities on the Great Lakes for a complete list . Jump up ^ National Geophysical Data Center ( 1999 ) . Bathymetry of Lake Erie and Lake Saint Clair . National Geophysical Data Center , NOAA . doi : 10.7289 / V5KS6PHK Jump up ^ National Geophysical Data Center ( 1999 ) . Bathymetry of Lake Huron . National Geophysical Data Center , NOAA . doi : 10.7289 / V5G15XS5 Jump up ^ National Geophysical Data Center ( 1999 ) . Bathymetry of Lake Michigan . National Geophysical Data Center , NOAA . doi : 10.7289 / V5B85627 Jump up ^ National Geophysical Data Center ( 1999 ) . Bathymetry of Lake Ontario . National Geophysical Data Center , NOAA . doi : 10.7289 / V56H4FBH Jump up ^ National Geophysical Data Center ( 1999 ) . Bathymetry of Lake Superior . National Geophysical Data Center , NOAA . ( the general reference to NGDC because this lake was never published , compilation of Great Lakes Bathymetry at NGDC has been suspended ) . Jump up ^ National Geophysical Data Center ( 1999 ) . Global Land One - kilometer Base Elevation ( GLOBE ) v. 1 . Hastings , D. and P.K. Dunbar . National Geophysical Data Center , NOAA . doi : 10.7289 / V52R3PMS Jump up ^ W. Bruce Bowlus ( 2010 ) . Iron Ore Transport on the Great Lakes : The Development of a Delivery System to Feed American Industry . McFarland . p. 215 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 8655 - 7 . Jump up ^ `` Michigan and Huron : One Lake or Two ? '' Pearson Education , Inc : Information Please Database , 2007 . Jump up ^ Wright , John W. , ed. ( 2006 ) . The New York Times Almanac ( 2007 ed . ) . New York , New York : Penguin Books . p. 64 . ISBN 0 - 14 - 303820 - 6 . Jump up ^ Home . Peninsula Township . Retrieved on December 7 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Citation needed May 2016 Jump up ^ Background Geology of the North Bay area . Archived July 24 , 2010 , at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on September 24 , 2007 Jump up ^ Lake St. Clair summary report . Great Lakes.net . Retrieved on December 2 , 2007 . Jump up ^ `` Chapter 1 : Introduction to Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River '' . U.S. government U.S. Army . June 2004 . Archived from the original on January 10 , 2009 . Retrieved June 8 , 2008 . Jump up ^ `` Movement Would Thrust Greatness on Lake St. Clair '' , Los Angeles Times , October 20 , 2002 Jump up ^ Dunn , Gary A ( July 1 , 1996 ) . Insects of the Great Lakes Region . University of Michigan Press . p. 3 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 472 - 06515 - 8 . Jump up ^ Huber , Norman King ; Geological Survey ( U.S. ) ; United States . National Park Service ( 1975 ) . The geologic story of Isle Royale National Park . Department of the Interior , Geological Survey : for sale by the Superintendent of Documents , U.S. Government Printing Office . p. 41 . Jump up ^ Manivanan , R. ( January 1 , 2008 ) . Water Quality Modeling : Rivers , Streams , and Estuaries . New India Publishing . p. 114 . ISBN 978 - 81 - 89422 - 93 - 6 . Jump up ^ Robert McCalla ( January 1 , 1994 ) . Water Transportation in Canada . Formac Publishing Company . pp. 159 -- 162 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 88780 - 247 - 8 . Jump up ^ Coastal Sediments ' 07 . ASCE Publications . January 1 , 2007 . p. 2215 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 7844 - 7194 - 4 . Retrieved April 16 , 2013 . Jump up ^ United States . Bureau of the Census ( 1908 ) . Transportation by water . 1906 . Govt . Print . Off . p. 220 . Jump up ^ 05 , US EPA , REG . `` The Great Lakes - US EPA '' . US EPA . Jump up ^ `` State of the Great Lakes 2009 Highlights ( PDF ) '' . Environment Canada and USEPA . pp. 7 -- 8 . Retrieved July 7 , 2013 . Jump up ^ Bolsenga , Stanley J. ; Herdendorf , Charles E. ( 1993 ) . Lake Erie and Lake Saint Clair Handbook . Wayne State University Press . p. 67 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8143 - 2470 - 7 . ^ Jump up to : jsonline.com : Lakes Michigan , Huron hit record low water level February 5 , 2013 Jump up ^ `` Weekly Great Lakes Water Level Update '' ; Detroit District , Corps of Engineers , Department of the Army ( April 17 , 2005 ) Jump up ^ Room , A. ( 2006 ) . Placenames of the World : Origins And Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries , Cities , Territories , Natural Features And Historic Sites . McFarland . p. 150 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 2248 - 7 . Jump up ^ Sioui , Georges E. ( 1999 ) . Huron - Wendat . Jane Brierley . UBC Press , 2000 ; ISBN 0 - 7748 - 0715 - 6 . ISBN 9780774807159 . Retrieved March 12 , 2009 . Jump up ^ Fonger , Ron ( May 3 , 2007 ) . `` Genesee , Oakland counties adopt historic name for water group '' . The Flint Journal . Retrieved December 6 , 2011 . Jump up ^ Room , A. ( 2006 ) . Placenames of the World : Origins And Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries , Cities , Territories , Natural Features And Historic Sites . McFarland . p. 171 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 2248 - 7 . Jump up ^ Weiland , Matt ; Wilsey , Sean ( October 19 , 2010 ) . State by State . HarperCollins . p. 226 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 06 - 204357 - 3 . Jump up ^ Ylvisaker , Anne ( 2004 ) . Lake Ontario . Capstone . p. 12 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 7368 - 2211 - 4 . Jump up ^ Cayton , Andrew R.L. ; Sisson , Richard ; Zacher , Chris ( November 8 , 2006 ) . The American Midwest : An Interpretive Encyclopedia . Indiana University Press . p. 161 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 253 - 00349 - 2 . Jump up ^ Taylor , William W. ; Schechter , Michael G. ; Wolfson , Lois G. ( October 25 , 2007 ) . Globalization : Effects on Fisheries Resources . Cambridge University Press . p. 85 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 139 - 46834 - 3 . Jump up ^ `` Shorelines of the Great Lakes '' . Michigan Department of Environmental Quality . Archived from the original on July 14 , 2014 . Retrieved July 8 , 2014 . Jump up ^ Van Schmus , W.R. ; Hinze , W.J. ( May 1985 ) . `` The Midcontinent Rift System '' ( PDF ) . Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences . 13 ( 1 ) : 345 -- 83 . doi : 10.1146 / annurev. ea. 13.050185. 002021 . Retrieved October 6 , 2008 . Jump up ^ Larson , Grahame ; Schaetzl , R. ( 2001 ) . `` Origin and evolution of the Great Lakes '' ( PDF ) . Journal of Great Lakes Research . Internat . Assoc . Great Lakes Res. 27 ( 4 ) : 518 -- 546 . doi : 10.1016 / S0380 - 1330 ( 01 ) 70665 - X . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 31 , 2008 . Retrieved March 4 , 2009 . Jump up ^ `` Lake levels report weighs Great Lakes basin 's glacial legacy '' . Great Lakes Echo . June 8 , 2009 . Retrieved February 19 , 2011 . ^ Jump up to : `` Natural Processes in the Great Lakes '' . The Great Lakes : An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book . Environmental Protection Agency . July 24 , 2008 . Retrieved November 27 , 2011 . Jump up ^ `` Great Lakes Water Levels Sensitive To Climate Change '' . Science Daily . January 14 , 2009 . Retrieved April 14 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Glossary -- NOAA 's National Weather Service '' . Jump up ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . `` Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon Web Site '' . fws.gov . Jump up ^ Beeton , Alfred . `` Great Lakes '' . Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved January 31 , 2016 . ^ Jump up to : Anon ( 1972 ) . The Great Lakes : An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book . Bi-national ( U.S. and Canadian ) resource book . Jump up ^ Margaret Beattie Bogue ( June 28 , 2001 ) . Fishing the Great Lakes : An Environmental History , 1783 -- 1933 . Univ of Wisconsin Press . p. 180 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 299 - 16763 - 9 . Jump up ^ Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission . Special report ... of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission . The Commission . p. 23 . ^ Jump up to : Macdonald , David ; Service , Katrina , eds . ( March 12 , 2009 ) . Key Topics in Conservation Biology . John Wiley & Sons . p. 188 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 4443 - 0906 - 5 . ^ Jump up to : The lake left me . It 's gone. , JS Online , August 13 , 2011 Jump up ^ United States . Environmental Protection Agency ( 1998 ) . EPA , Great Minds ? , Great Lakes ! , Lake Guardian , Do n't Miss The Boat With Environmental Education , March 1997 . s.n.p. 7 . Jump up ^ `` New EPA rules to target invasive species ; Invaders have plagued Great Lakes for years '' . The Blade . Retrieved January 25 , 2009 . ^ Jump up to : `` Our Threatened Great Lakes '' . Inland Seas Education Association . Archived from the original on April 3 , 2013 . Retrieved November 30 , 2007 . Jump up ^ `` Great Lakes Aquatic Nuisance Species '' . Great Lakes Commission . March 27 , 2007 . Retrieved November 30 , 2007 . Jump up ^ Smith , Paul ( February 24 , 2009 ) . `` Gobies up , alewives down in Lake Michigan '' . Journal Sentinel . Retrieved August 6 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Predicting Invasive Species in the Great Lakes '' . U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . Retrieved August 6 , 2010 . Jump up ^ Glassner - Shwayder , Katherine ( July 2000 ) . `` Briefing Paper : Great Lakes Nonindigenous Invasive Species '' ( PDF ) . Great Lakes Nonindigenous Invasive Species Workshop . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on December 27 , 2005 . Retrieved August 6 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Asian Carp Risk Assessment for Canada by Fisheries and Oceans Canada '' ( PDF ) . CSAS . Retrieved August 6 , 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus 1758 '' . USGS . Retrieved August 6 , 2010 . Jump up ^ Riley , S.C. ; Roseman , Edward F. ; Nichols , S. Jerrine ; O'Brien , Timothy P. ; Kiley , Courtney S. ; Schaeffer , Jeffrey S. ( 2008 ) . `` Deepwater demersal fish community collapse in Lake Huron '' ( PDF ) . Transactions of the American Fisheries Society . 137 ( 6 ) : 1879 -- 90 . doi : 10.1577 / T07 - 141.1 . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on June 3 , 2013 . Jump up ^ Barbiero , R.P. ; Barbiero , Richard P. ; Balcer , Mary ; Rockwell , David C. ; Tuchman , Marc L. ( 2009 ) . `` Recent shifts in the crustacean zooplankton community of Lake Huron '' . Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences . 66 ( 5 ) : 816 -- 828 . doi : 10.1139 / F09 - 036 . Jump up ^ Dempsey , Dave ( April 1 , 2004 ) . On the Brink : The Great Lakes in the 21st Century . Michigan State University Press . p. 48 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 87013 - 705 - 1 . Jump up ^ `` Evolution of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement '' , Paul Muldoon and Lee Botts , Michigan State University Press , 2005 Jump up ^ Recovery of Lake Erie Walleye a Success Story . Department of Natural Resources State of Michigan , U.S. ( June 8 , 2006 ) Jump up ^ `` Our Great Lakes '' ( PDF ) . binational.net . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on December 27 , 2005 . Jump up ^ Milestone in Waukegan Harbor PCB Cleanup . Illinois Environmental Protection Agency , U.S. ( Spring 1997 ) Jump up ^ `` Mercury Spills '' . Idph.state.il.us . Retrieved February 19 , 2011 . Jump up ^ `` Lake Erie Water Quality Past Present and Future '' ( PDF ) . Retrieved December 4 , 2013 . ^ Jump up to : `` 14th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality '' ( PDF ) . Jump up ^ New Report : Solving Region 's Sewage Crisis Will Create Jobs , Restore Great Lakes . Healthylakes.org ( August 9 , 2010 ) . Retrieved on December 7 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Knud - Hansen , Chris ( February 1994 ) Historical Perspecivie Of The Phosphate Detergent Conflict . Working Paper 94 - 54 . Colorado.edu . Retrieved on December 7 , 2016 . Jump up ^ New Concerns About Plastic Pollution in Great Lakes ' Garbage Patch ' National Geographic . April 2013 . Jump up ^ Woodford , Arthur M. ( 1991 ) . Charting the Inland Seas : A History of the U.S. Lake Survey . Wayne State University Press . p. 4 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8143 - 2499 - 8 . Jump up ^ Bernstein , Peter L. ( 2010 ) . Wedding of the Waters : The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation . W.W. Norton . p. 349 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 393 - 32795 - 3 . Jump up ^ Danzer , Gerald A. ( 2011 ) . Illinois : A History in Pictures . University of Illinois Press . p. 90 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 252 - 03288 - 2 . Jump up ^ Wharton , George . `` Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature -- Burns Harbor '' . Boatnerd . Retrieved August 6 , 2010 . Jump up ^ Gonzalez , Therese ( 2008 ) . Great Lakes Naval Training Station . Arcadia Publishing . p. 71 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 7385 - 5193 - 7 . Jump up ^ Lake Champlain , The Sixth Great Lake ? -- Geography -- 03 / 02 / 98 . Geography.about.com ( March 6 , 1998 ) . Retrieved on July 12 , 2013 . Jump up ^ Seelye , Katharine Q. ( March 25 , 1998 ) . `` Lakes Are Born Great , 5 Sniff , So Upstart Is Ousted '' . The New York Times . Retrieved November 14 , 2013 . Jump up ^ Julie Bosman . `` G + M : `` Creeping up on unsuspecting shores : The Great Lakes '' 28 Jun 2014 `` . Theglobeandmail.com . Retrieved June 29 , 2014 . Jump up ^ `` '' Great Lakes low water levels could cost $19 B by 2050 `` '' . cbc.ca . Retrieved June 29 , 2014 . ^ Jump up to : `` Chapter 4 : The Watery Boundary '' . United Divide : A Linear Portrait of the USA / Canada Border . The Center for Land Use Interpretation . Winter 2015 . Jump up ^ `` Great Lake Seaway Cargoes - American Great Lakes Ports Association '' . www.greatlakesports.org . Jump up ^ Grover , Velma I. ; Krantzberg , Gail ( 2012 ) . Great Lakes : Lessons in Participatory Governance . CRC Press . p. 334 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 57808 - 769 - 3 . Jump up ^ `` Great Lakes Circle Tour '' . Great-lakes.net . July 5 , 2005 . Retrieved February 19 , 2011 . Jump up ^ Thompson , Mark L. ( 1991 ) . Steamboats & Sailors of the Great Lakes . Wayne State University Press . p. 210 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8143 - 2359 - 5 . Jump up ^ Strand , Kathryn Koutsky ; Koutsky , Linda ( 2006 ) . Minnesota Vacation Days : An Illustrated History . Minnesota Historical Society . p. 34 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 87351 - 526 - 9 . Jump up ^ Toast of the Town : The Life and Times of Sunnie Wilson . Wayne State University Press . May 23 , 2005 . p. 30 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8143 - 2696 - 1 . Jump up ^ `` MS Chi - Cheemaun About Us '' . Ontario Ferries . Archived from the original on November 29 , 2014 . Retrieved June 29 , 2014 . Jump up ^ Stonehouse , Frederick ( 1985 , 1998 ) . Lake Superior 's Shipwreck Coast , p. 267 , Avery Color Studios , Gwinn , Michigan , U.S.A. ISBN 0 - 932212 - 43 - 3 Jump up ^ Matile , Roger ( April 11 , 2004 ) `` Has a famed Great Lakes mystery been solved ? '' Archived January 1 , 2016 , at the Wayback Machine . Ledger - Sentinel , Oswego , Illinois . Jump up ^ France claims historic Great Lakes wreck , Randy Boswell , Canwest News Service , February 17 , 2009 . Jump up ^ Explorer says Griffin shipwreck may be found , Associated Press , June 24 , 2014 . Jump up ^ `` Century - old shipwreck discovered '' . Associated Press . September 10 , 2007 . Retrieved December 3 , 2007 . Jump up ^ `` Divers find 1780 British warship '' . BBC News . June 14 , 2008 . Retrieved June 15 , 2008 . Jump up ^ `` L.R. Doty , ship that sank in Lake Michigan 112 years ago , found largely intact near Milwaukee '' . Star Tribune . Minneapolis - St. Paul , Minnesota , . June 24 , 2010 . Archived from the original on June 27 , 2010 . Retrieved June 28 , 2010 . Jump up ^ Bowlus , W. Bruce ( 2010 ) . Iron Ore Transport on the Great Lakes : The Development of a Delivery System to Feed American Industry . McFarland . pp. 227 , n. 35 . ISBN 9780786486557 . Jump up ^ `` Federal Statute on Great Lakes . Water Diversions . Water Resources Development Act '' . Archived from the original on October 29 , 2007 . Retrieved October 29 , 2007 . CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) . dnr.state.oh.us Jump up ^ `` Great Lakes -- St '' ( PDF ) . Retrieved February 19 , 2011 . Jump up ^ Agreement . Great Lakes - St Lawrence River Basin Water Resources . cglg.org . December 13 , 2005 Jump up ^ Back to Water Conservation . www.greatlakes.org Jump up ^ `` Great Lakes Restoration Initiative home page '' . Archived from the original on February 6 , 2016 . Jump up ^ Jones , Meg ( November 8 , 2006 ) . `` Trading shots on bullets '' . Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Archived from the original on September 29 , 2007 . Retrieved December 2 , 2007 . Jump up ^ Lydersen , Kari ( December 19 , 2006 ) . `` Coast Guard Target - Practice Plan Misfires '' . Washington Post . Retrieved December 2 , 2007 . Jump up ^ Weisberg , Deborah ( December 24 , 2006 ) . `` Fishing : Coast Guard reloads on firing range '' . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Retrieved December 2 , 2007 . Further reading ( edit ) Peter Annin ( 2006 ) . The Great Lakes Water Wars . Island Press . ISBN 978 - 1 - 61091 - 077 - 4 . Beltran , R. et al . The Great Lakes : An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book . ( United States Environmental Protection Agency and Government of Canada , 1995 , ISBN 0 - 662 - 23441 - 3 ) . Coon , W.F. and R.A. Sheets . Estimate of Ground Water in Storage in the Great Lakes Basin ( Scientific Investigations Report 2006 - 5180 ) . Department of the Interior , U.S. Geological Survey , 2006 . Helen Hornbeck Tanner ( 1987 ) . Atlas of Great Lakes Indian History . University of Oklahoma Press . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8061 - 2056 - 0 . Riley , John L. ( 2013 ) The Once and Future Great Lakes Country : An Ecological History ( McGill - Queen 's University Press 516 pages ; traces environmental change in the region since the last ice age . Holling , Holling Clancy Paddle to the Sea ( ISBN 0 - 395 - 15082 - 5 ) , an illustrated children 's book about the Great Lakes and their environment . Beautiful and educational . External links ( edit ) Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Great Lakes . Wikimedia Commons has media related to Great Lakes . `` Great Lakes '' . New International Encyclopedia . 1905 . `` How the Great Lakes Were Built '' . Popular Science Monthly . 49 . June 1896 . Great Lakes website of the Canadian Department of the Environment Great Lakes website of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Binational website of USEPA and Environment Canada for Great Lakes Water Quality Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory website ( an arm of the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ) Great Lakes Information Network , sponsored by the Great Lakes Commission , an official American interstate compact agency . Great Lakes Echo , a publication covering Great Lakes environmental issues Maritime History of the Great Lakes , digital library covering Great Lakes history . Dynamically updated data Surface temperatures Water levels Currents Ship locations Water levels since 1918 ( hide ) Great Lakes of North America Main lakes Erie Huron Michigan Ontario Superior Secondary lakes Nipigon Nipissing St. Clair Simcoe Winnebago Bays and Waterways Detroit River Erie Canal French River Georgian Bay Great Lakes Waterway Green Bay Lake George Lake Kagawong Lake Manitou Lake Nicolet Manitou Passage Lake Mindemoya Munuscong Lake Niagara River Nipigon River North Channel Potagannissing Bay St. Clair River Saint Lawrence River Saint Lawrence Seaway St. Marys River Sault Ste . Marie Canal Soo Locks Straits of Mackinac Trent -- Severn Waterway Welland Canal Islands Detroit River Michigan ( state ) ( in Lake Huron , part of Isle Royale National Park ) Ontario Historic geology Lake Agassiz Lake Chicago Lake Maumee Mackinac Falls Midcontinent Rift System Niagara Escarpment Wisconsin glaciation Government Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers Great Lakes Commission Great Lakes Fishery Commission International Joint Commission Related topics Basin Bays of the Great Lakes Great Lakes region Great Lake ships Lake - effect snow Lake Michigan -- Huron Marine protected areas Megalopolis Native American tribes ( US ) Quebec City -- Windsor Corridor Settlements Great Lakes museum and historic ships Lake freighter Tall ships Great Lakes Areas of Concern Great Lakes Treaties Coordinates : 45 ° 45 ′ N 84 ° 0 ′ W  /  45.750 ° N 84.000 ° W  / 45.750 ; - 84.000 VIAF : 4146825128507631856 GND : 4022167 - 2 NDL : 00562523 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Lakes&oldid=838127547 '' Categories : Great Lakes Eastern Canada Great Lakes region ( U.S. ) Lake groups Hidden categories : Pages using citations with format and no URL Webarchive template wayback links CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Use mdy dates from November 2017 Articles containing French - language text Wikipedia articles needing clarification from September 2012 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2012 Articles with unsourced statements from December 2013 Pages using div col with deprecated parameters Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the New International Encyclopedia Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from Popular Science Monthly Coordinates on Wikidata Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Адыгэбзэ Afrikaans Alemannisch አማርኛ Aragonés ܐܪܡܝܐ অসমীয়া Asturianu Azərbaycanca বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца )  भोजपुरी Български Boarisch Bosanski Brezhoneg Буряад Català Чӑвашла Čeština Corsu Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Emiliàn e rumagnòl Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Fiji Hindi Føroyskt Français Frysk Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hornjoserbsce Hrvatski Ilokano Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Íslenska Italiano עברית ಕನ್ನಡ ქართული Қазақша Kiswahili Kurdî Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių La . lojban . Magyar मैथिली Македонски മലയാളം मराठी მარგალური مصرى Bahasa Melayu Mirandés Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands नेपाली नेपाल भाषा 日本 語 Нохчийн Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Piemontèis Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русиньскый Русский Саха тыла Scots Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Taqbaylit Tarandíne తెలుగు ไทย Türkçe Türkmençe Українська اردو Vèneto Vepsän kel ' Tiếng Việt Võro Winaray 吴语 ייִדיש 粵語 Žemaitėška 中文 Kabɩyɛ 114 more Edit links This page was last edited on 25 April 2018 , at 02 : 57 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia

Question: which is the largest great lake in north america