From the westernmost tip of Lake Superior at Duluth, Minnesota, to the easternmost tip of Lake Ontario at Watertown, New York, the five lakes stretch a thousand miles across the heartland of both the United States and Canada, creating nearly 9,500 miles of ocean-like shores. The lakes also contain an estimated 35,000 islands.
Officially dubbed "the nation's fourth seacoast," the U.S. Great Lakes shoreline alone totals more than 4,500 miles -- longer than the U.S. East and Gulf coasts combined. As seen from space, the Great Lakes constitute one of the most identifiable features of the North American continent as well as our planet Earth.
The North American Great Lakes are unique among the world's large lakes in that their basins are linked together and form one continuous drainage basin. Together, they constitute the greatest freshwater system on Earth, covering an area larger than Texas and about half the size of Alaska. Starting in Lake Superior, the water flows out the lake's southeastern tip down the St. Marys River into Lakes Michigan and Huron, which actually are two halves of one lake. From there, the water flows southward from the southern tip of Lake Huron down the St. Clair River through "little" Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River to Lake Erie. Leaving Lake Erie, it flows north via the Niagara River and over Niagara Falls into Lake Ontario. It then flows northeast down the St. Lawrence River -- the last link in a 2,000-mile-long waterway that ultimately connects Minnesota to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Great Lakes support most ocean size vessels. They do often freeze over in winter, though, as they are fresh water, and this curtails the shipping a lot.
Most people, when seeing one of them for the first time, cannot believe their size. I guess we just don't do a good enough job selling them!
9 comments:
that is so true and thanks for the reminder.
you gave me some idea on images. ;)
oh good good good! love to see what you come up with!
Our largest lake, Lake Eyre, is salt. Most of the time, it's empty. It has no lighthouses. ;)
http://www.parks.sa.gov.au/lakeeyre/about/index.htm
be kind of hard for a ship to go down that lake, eh? Looks like a cool nature area!
I've touched my toes in Lakes Huron, Michigan, Erie & even the cold waters of Superior. Not sure why we missed Ontario but perhaps, someday i'll visit that one also. We sailed on Erie, Huron & Michigan. My favorite is Lake Michigan... she is beautiful. Shirl you are so fortunate to live close enough to visit the beaches & lighthouses of this beautiful lake!!! Your photo of the little Sable lighthouse is gorgeous!!!
ah, Sherle. You're a Great Lakes gal. Good to see you post, and share your realities. {{{hugs}}}
Lake Eyre is weird - dry most of the time but once in a while it gets wet. Then all sorts of amazing creatures appear. They just lie dormant for years under the sand waiting for water.
Erie and Eyre . . . interesting. Very different lakes.
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