North America's most northerly rivers are sensitive to climate change. lenrosen4 Sep 30th, 2013 0 Comment Unlike South America’s Andes Mountains, the Western Cordillera of North America is much more complex containing multiple mountain ranges. And North America is further differentiated by its vast central plain forming a gigantic drainage basin for the Mississippi-Missouri River system draining into the Gulf of Mexico, and a number of Canadian rivers draining into the Arctic Ocean and Hudson’s Bay. Rivers on the east coast cut through the Appalachian Mountains, an ancient range. And finally North America boasts the largest agglomeration of freshwater lakes in the world, remnants of the last Ice Age, draining into the North Atlantic through the St. Lawrence River system. Because there are so many different river systems with individual characteristics we are dividing this topic into two parts. This posting looks at the more northerly rivers that flow west to east and south to north in North America. Our next posting on this subject will look at those rivers flowing into the Pacific, the Eastern seaboard from the Appalachians to the Atlantic, the Colorado River and the high plateau river systems in the Western U.S.

and finally, the second largest drainage system on the planet, the Mississippi-Missouri and its many tributaries. How is climate change changing North America’s rivers? The majority of North America’s rivers are less dependent on glacier sources than on seasonal precipitation that comes in the form of rain in the summer and snow in the winter. The snow pack and build up of winter ice is not characteristic to many rivers in other parts of the world (Russia being the exception). A number of rivers flowing from the Rocky Mountains and other ranges in the Western Cordillera, however, are glacier fed. So let’s begin. Mackenzie River – This is Canada’s longest river and most extensive freshwater drainage basin. It contains three of Canada’s largest freshwater lakes, Great Slave, Great Bear and Lake Athabasca. Its headwaters originate in glaciers in Alberta and British Columbia. From there the river flows north into the Arctic Ocean. Another unique characteristic of the Mackenzie is permafrost. The impact of warming which is forecasted to be greater in the Arctic than at the equator, therefore, will enormously impact the Mackenzie.

Glacial melt will be less a problem than the disappearance of the permafrost and the accelerated release of methane hydrates trapped in the frozen ground. For the native North Americans, the communities found along it many tributaries and lakes, and the wildlife, the changes here will be more significant than anywhere else on the continent. Saskatchewan-Nelson River System – One of the most overlooked watersheds of North America, the Saskatchewan-Nelson flows from the Rocky Mountains in the west to Hudson’s Bay. It includes the North and South Saskatchewan, Bow, Red, Assiniboine and Nelson Rivers as well as Lake of the Woods in Ontario, Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Winnipegosis and Cedar. Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg and Fargo are among the major cities to be found in the watershed. The river basin is Canada’s granary for the world producing wheat, canola, corn and soy bean for domestic consumption and export. Climate change is posing a great threat to the integrity of this watershed . The melting of its glaciated headwaters has been apparent since the mid-2oth century. Just one of those glaciers, the Athabasca has retreated miles from the famous Ice Fields highway that runs between Banff and Jasper in Alberta.

I remember visiting the Athabasca in 1973 with the foot of the glacier meters from the highway. Today it is kilometers away. The net decline amounts to 16 million cubic meters of water annually, and along with declining winter snows, is contributing to a 40% loss in river flow over the last 75 years for the North Saskatchewan. Higher evapo-transpiration rates are predicted on Canada’s Prairies over the next 50 years with average temperatures expected to rise by as much as 3 to 5 Celsius (5.7 to 9 Fahrenheit). For every 1 Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) increase, stream flow on the Saskatchewan is expected to decline by up to 15%. And this is happening despite increases in precipitation on average throughout the watershed. Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River System – It is impossible to ignore this dominating feature of North America (see satellite image below). The Great Lakes basin drains an area greater than 1 million square kilometers (620,000 square miles) and includes the largest freshwater source in the world. Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario are the predominant lakes which flow through the St.

Lawrence River to the North Atlantic. The largest tributary in the system is the Ottawa, entering the St. Lawrence near Montreal, one of the many cities located within the watershed. Duluth and Thunder Bay on Lake Superior, Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo on Lake Erie, Toronto, Kingston and Rochester on Lake Ontario, and Ottawa-Hull, Montreal and Quebec City are the major cities of the watershed which is home to over 40 million. So how is climate change impacting this watershed ? Although the Great Lakes represent a post-Ice Age legacy of a much larger lake that existed until 13,350 years ago, the water contained within them comes from annual precipitation. Any change to the annual accumulation of snow during the winter supplemented by spring, summer and fall rain is, therefore, critical to maintaining lake water levels. And those lake water levels are needed to ensure a freshwater supply to the population that inhabits the watershed. In addition, the Lakes and St. Lawrence River is a transportation corridor for shipping from the Atlantic Ocean to Duluth, Minnesota. The first challenge will be what rising temperatures do to the evapo-transpiration rate. It is expected that as temperatures rise the Lakes will experience lower water levels.

Shorter winters will mean less snow pack to restore lake levels in the spring. Not only will atmospheric temperatures rise, so will the temperature in the lake water. That warming will change the species of plants and animals in the Lakes. Average precipitation may increase on the Prairies but climate change is expected to lower the amount of rain and snow over the region. This will impact water levels further and the natural flushing of the lakes. That means a greater likelihood of freshwater contamination and lower habitat oxygenation, impacting shoreline integrity and wetlands. With lower lake levels shipping will be impacted with ports and harbors forced to do dredging to maintain lake access. In the conclusion of our look at the rivers of North America our focus will move south. So stay tuned for the next installment. Related Posts Target Species: Northern pike and muskies Timing: June and July Tactic: Fish weed beds and long points in Waiska and Izaak Walton bays, both up the St. Marys River toward Lake Superior. Big jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and bucktails work for casters, while many successful pike anglers anchor or slowly drift with a dead smelt or live sucker below a bobber.

Pro Tip: "As summer wears on and the water warms, you'll need to slow troll the deeper weed beds--12- to 18-foot depths," says muskie angler and lure maker Rod Jones. Launch: Charles T. Harvey City Marina; also Bay Mills Casino Shore Fishing: Bay Mills Casino shoreline in protected Waiska Bay. Depending on the time of year, but especially in winter, shorebound anglers here can catch walleyes, northerns, and whitefish. Outdoor Life Target Species: Smallmouth bass Timing: June until ice-up Tactic: The bass season traditionally opens here the first weekend of May and allows anglers--including a large coterie of flyfishermen--to catch and release fish that are on beds until about the first weekend of June. A decades-old regulation allowing bass fishers to keep just one fish of 22 inches or better has created a true trophy fishery. Anglers find fish around rocks and old ore dock pilings, and on large flats. Pro Tip: "Overlooked weed beds are great places to find smallmouths here," says Capt.

Jim Hudson of Hudson's On the Spot Guide Service , "especially when sporadic currents make the weeds lie down, which reduces hiding places for perch and minnows and can make smallmouths start to actively feed." Launch: Second Landing and Kreher Park city ramp in Ashland Shore Fishing: The Hot Pond, a discharge from the power plant in Ashland. OL Isle Royale, Michigan Target Species: Lake trout Timing: June to August Tactic: Ferry out kayaks or canoes from Grand Portage, Minn., and cast spoons, spinners, and curlytail jigs at this national park, which is actually a part of Michigan. Paddle-craft casting is best in June, when fish are shallow. Or watch for good-weather days and run a suitable boat the 22 miles from Grand Portage--about 16 miles of it in unprotected open water. Troll spoons near structure for the potential of catching a really big lake trout--and lots of smaller ones. Pro Tip: "It's really not that big a deal to run across if you watch the weather, especially in July," says Capt.

Don Szczech, a diehard angler who runs the Grand Portage- Isle Royale Transportation Lines ferry service. "If the weather comes up, you have plenty of places to dock the boat within walking distance of campgrounds. Just check in with the ranger station at Windigo." Launch: Grand Portage Shore Fishing: Anywhere on the big lake; also on any of the inland lakes on the island. There are numerous resorts and cabin rentals in the area with favorable daily and weekly rates, many of which feature their own boat docks. OL Target Species: Lake trout Timing: July and August Tactic: Take one of several charter boats out of Marquette, Mich., or buddy up with other suitable craft and make the 40-mile run to this big reef system out in Lake Superior from Big Bay Harbor. Cast spoons and jigs for shallow fish around the Stannard Rock Lighthouse early in the day; hit deeper reefs when the sun gets high. Pro Tip: "You can release those deep fish because it takes so long to bring them up, they're belching bubbles and have had a chance to decompress," says Capt.

Mark Martin, a walleye pro and guide who fishes the Rock for fun out of his 21-foot Lund. "I like a 3-ounce Northland bucktail jig tipped with a 4-inch Power Bait twister tail and a sucker fillet." Launch: Big Bay Harbor, northwest of Marquette Michigan Target Species: Splake (brookie/laker hybrid, pictured bottom) Timing: September through November Tactic: Anglers troll stickbaits in depths of 8 to 15 feet around the edges of this remote harbor, nearly the most northerly point in Michigan's U.P. Pro Tip: "Cast Junior ThunderSticks, X-Raps, and Husky Jerks and retrieve them fast, jerkbait-style, like you're bass fishing," says Capt. Larry Smith of Fish On II Charters (906-289-4481). "My favorite color is firetiger. Splake are aggressive and will come a long way for an erratic-acting lure." Launch: MDNR Launch at Copper Harbor Shore Fishing: Fort Wilkins State Park at Fanny Hoe Creek.

Outdoor Life Lake Michigan Fish managers are cautiously optimistic that 2012 will be a second straight year of bigger salmon and trout production, as 2010 saw an outstanding year-class of alewives, the preferred forage. While coldwater species often get top billing, smallmouth bass populations keep increasing and spreading throughout Lake Michigan, fueled by firmly established gobies, a favorite food. Some unheralded species, such as yellow perch, northerns, and carp, are also available at various ports, as are lake trout, a popular target on both the Michigan and Wisconsin sides of the lake. OL Target Species: Yellow perch Timing: June and August (season closed in July) Tactic: Control drift with an electric trolling motor or small gas outboard, using locally made Mik Lurch spinners tipped with pieces of crayfish or shrimp, above weed beds in protected waters around Navy Pier and Chicago Harbor--¼-ounce sinkers are usually just right to keep baits about a foot above the weeds. Anchor and cast when you find a concentration of fish. Pro Tip: "Don't get stuck in a pack of boats playing monkey see, monkey do," says Capt. Ralph Steiger of Ralph Steiger Charters .

"Move around and try different areas. You're either a hero or a zero when you're perch fishing." Launch: Burnham Harbor or Diversey Harbor; Steiger says you can be ticketed for towing a boat on Lake Shore Drive Shore Fishing: Off Navy Pier, on breakwalls and in harbors, can be especially good in August. OL St. Joseph, Michigan Target Species: Summer-run steelhead Timing: From June to mid-August, when sustained east winds draw cold water near shore. The St. Joseph River is usually too warm for their liking, and the fish stage at its mouth. Tactic: Troll large orange spoons and rattling, shallow-diving crankbaits near pier heads. Fewer is better; once word spreads of the steelies' appearance, lots of boats pack into a small area. Pro Tip: "A Dipsy Diver on either side of the boat, fished on 30-pound-test mono with a 20-pound-test leader to a spoon works great. Let out just 30 feet or so," says Capt. Tim Shaffer of Headhunter Charters . "You need mono because it stretches.

Fish hit so hard they'll bust a braided line, sometimes even a wire line." Launch: Michigan DNR Ramp upstream on the river's north side; St. Joseph Municipal Ramp on the south bank Shore Fishing: Fishing with freshly caught live alewives is excellent off piers. OL Target Species: King salmon Timing: August Tactic: When fish are in 60 feet or less of water, find cold water, bait, and fish along the shelf out front. Fish cut-face lures such as a Luhr Jensen J-Plug and a Silver Horde Ace Hi, or the locally made Scarpace Plug (which accepts a fillet of herring or alewife). Use large flashers and herring when fish are deeper. Pro Tip: "Follow the fish, which means follow cold water," says Capt. Mark Chmura of Pier Pressure Charters . "Wind and current can move the fish pretty far from day to day. You might catch them in 8 feet of water along the beach, or way deep outside of the shelf, if that's where the colder water is." Launch: Manistee Municipal Marina; South Breakwater Ramp; Seng's Marina Shore Fishing: Piers and break walls offer ample access.

Cast glow spoons and deep-diving stickbaits at night. OL Target Species: Pike Timing: Late August to November Tactic: Small-boat anglers can troll big stickbaits such as No. 18 Floating Rapalas, or cast spinnerbaits or crankbaits along the protected shipping channel connecting Lake Michigan with the bay of Green Bay. Pro Tip: "For bigger fish--but usually fewer fish--try bottom-rigging big sucker minnows," says Capt. Dale Stroschein of Wacky Walleye Guide Service . "Or trailer up and launch at Rowley's Bay and fish around Washington Island." Launch: Sawyer Park Boat Landing Shore Fishing: Old railroad bridge landfill at the Michigan Street Bridge; Sunset Park. OL St. James, Beaver Island, Michigan Target Species: Carp Timing: June and July Tactic: Flyfish the massive flats around the 12 islands in the Beaver Island Archipelago for carp patrolling shallow, ultra-clear water. Pro Tip: "Crayfish and goby imitators are the deal," says Capt. Kevin Morlock of Indigo Guide Service .

Launch: Ferry shallow-draft boats and tow vehicles across from Charlevoix Shore Fishing: The smaller islands are best in July and are only accessible by boat. Outdoor Life Lake Huron The crash of alewife populations in Lake Huron less than a decade ago certainly put a hurt on the once terrific chinook salmon fishery, but it's been a boon to populations of walleyes and yellow perch that no longer have to compete with the silver baitfish for food. Shiner numbers have also rebounded, which means bigger perch and walleyes have food to eat. Huron is a top lake trout water and still offers catchable numbers of silver fish--including an outstanding Atlantic salmon fishery--as well as world-class muskie fishing in the North Channel and Georgian Bay. Target Species: Smallmouth bass Timing: From the season opener in late June through August Tactic: Jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and tubes up close to shore work as soon as the season opens, but drop-shotting soft-plastic goby imitators in depths of up to 50 feet takes over as the top tactic later in the summer.

Pro Tip: "Probably the biggest mistake a lot of bass anglers make is to get too comfortable fishing the shoreline and shallows," says tournament angler Josh Choronzey. "When west winds push warm water in, you've got to move out deep." Launch: Stokes Bay Shore Fishing: Bass fish right at the government dock in Stokes Bay. OL Target Species: Mixed-bag salmon, trout, and walleyes Timing: June Tactic: Out of Rogers City, head south toward Swan Bay and Adams Point, targeting water from 45 to 70 feet deep. A spread of standard-size trolling spoons with a metal dodger trailing a Gitzit-style tube lure with silver flake catches lakers and kings; walleyes will hit spoons. On calm days, head offshore into 200 feet of water for steelhead, and concentrate on the top 30 feet of the water column. Pro Tip: "Use planer boards and keep everything away from the boat--our water is gin-clear, which tends to make for wary fish," says Capt. Rick Colonna of TLC Sport Fishing Charter Service .

"Don't be afraid to go into shallow water, because the fish often chase shiners up shallow." Launch: Rogers City Shore Fishing: Catch the occasional salmon from shore; cast at night for walleyes at the municipal marina. OL Target Species: Atlantic salmon and more Timing: June Tactic: The area has the highest density of Atlantics in the Great Lakes, thanks to an ongoing stocking program by Lake Superior State University. Anglers can head from the marina at DeTour out to 80-foot depths and troll south toward the lighthouse, keeping lures stretched well back behind the boat in the upper 40 feet of water. Pro Tip: "Go fast--even the lakers hit at 4 miles per hour," says Capt. Tony Wolte of Frostbite Charters (616-836-8452), who trailers a 22-foot Crestliner up from southern Michigan each June just to fish for the acrobatic Atlantics. "Use SlideDivers to get your lures well behind the boat.

Smaller spoons, such as regular-size Stingers, have worked in the past because the bait has been pretty small that time of year." Launch: DeTour Village Shore Fishing: Smallmouths, pike, and perch can be caught from area docks. OL Target Species: Whitefish Timing: June and July Tactic: These deep-water denizens come into 20- to 40-foot depths between these two ports during the lake-fly hatch in early summer. Trollers rely on very small spoons, such as Wolverine Micro Streaks, off downriggers and leadcore line. Pro Tip: "You've got to use light line--anything heavier than a 12-pound fluorocarbon leader and you won't get bit," says Capt. Dan Cruchon of Stormy Chinook Charter .

Launch: Either Port Austin or Grindstone City public ramps OL Target Species: Walleyes Timing: Last half of May through first half of July Tactic: Troll 20-, 30-, and 40-yard sections of leadcore behind planer boards trailing small spoons around a large piece of structure called The Cigar, about 3 ½ miles east of Linwood, looking for the high and willing walleyes actively feeding higher in the water column. Pro Tip: "The nice thing about a leadcore presentation with spoons is that you can run 2.2 to 2.4 miles per hour looking for active fish," says Capt. Jeff Godi of Michigan-X Charters . "The small Stinger Scorpion spoon in the Plum Crazy pattern is my top choice. Troll with the wind--you get better action on the spoons and it's easier to handle boards out to the side when you're going with the wind." Launch: Linwood Beach Marina Shore Fishing: There are lots of panfish around the marina. OL Target Species: Muskies Timing: Fall Tactic: Launch your boat just south of Trans-Canada Highway 17.

A recent Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources survey showed a strong muskie population here. Pro Tip: "Where the Serpent River drains into the North Channel, there's good habitat and we found some great muskies," says Arunas Liskauskas, management biologist for the MNR's Northern Great Lakes Management Unit. "I think it's a viable population." Launch: Serpent Harbour Outdoor Life Lake Erie Lake Erie's fish managers are feeling nothing but positive about fishing prospects. An unusually warm, calm, early spring has already produced big walleyes and perch, as well as another remarkable run of steelhead up tributaries--Ontario and the four states that abut Lake Erie stock 2 million steelies a year. "Walleye populations are a bit below historic averages, but we're looking for anglers to have some great fishing this year," says Roger Knight, Lake Erie Fisheries administrator. Knight says he expects perch and smallmouth anglers to do well in 2012, too. OL Target Species: Walleyes Timing: June Tactic: Troll shallow stickbaits at night 15 to 60 feet behind lighted planer boards along the shoreline in 6 to 18 feet of water.

Pro Tip: "On most nights, if you're not pulling fish, don't hesitate to move shallower--we've caught them in as little as 5 feet of water," says Capt. Marc Bottone of My Bonnie Charters . "Keep your navigation lights on for safety, but avoid shining too much light in the clear water. Wear a headlamp when netting fish." Launch: Lorain Municipal Pier Launch Ramp Shore Fishing: Lorain Harbor sea wall at night. OL Target Species: Steelhead Timing: July through mid-August Tactic: Troll fast in 45- to 65-foot depths within 4 miles of shore with spoons running 20 to 50 feet down. Small Stinger Scorpions and Wolverine Tackle's Streak Juniors and regular-size Warriors all work well. Anglers catch walleyes now, too, especially if they slow down. Pro Tip: "Look for debris on the water and especially for birds--where there are birds feeding, there are almost always steelhead," says Capt. Matt Sell, a Lake Erie and Detroit River walleye guide who takes a busman's holiday to target the silver leapers here.

"I go from 3 to 3.5 mph with two downriggers and two Dipsy Divers. My best spoon is the Super Chicken from Warrior, which has a yellow edge and flame pink and black stripes on a copper blank." Launch: Erieau, a couple of hours from the border crossing at Detroit Shore Fishing: Perch and smallmouths are accessible to shore anglers around the harbor. OL Target Species: Smallmouth bass Timing: July, August, and October Tactic: Look for isolated main-lake humps and long points in water ranging from 20 to 50 feet deep, many within a mile or two of the launch site in Buffalo. A mapping chip from Navionics or LakeMaster is a good tool. Seneca Shoals and Meyers Reef are popular spots within a few miles of Buffalo. Fall provides better opportunity for bigger fish, but the weather is more iffy. Pro Tip: "Drop-shot soft-plastic goby imitations or drag tubes," says Capt. Terry Jones of First Class Bass Charters .

"A key in summertime is current--move close to the Niagara River and you can find a great shallow-water bite on jerkbaits and spinnerbaits." Launch: Buffalo Small Boat Harbor Shore Fishing: Seawalls around the Small Boat Harbor. OL Target Species: Smallmouths and perch Timing: July and August Tactic: In July, casting and dragging Gitzit-style tubes in just 6 to nearly 30 feet of water works. Live softshell crayfish are a sure thing; however, they cost $5 a dozen and sheepshead and gobies love them too. It's not unusual to go through $100 worth of soft crays in a day here. Pro Tip: "I like to drift until we contact some fish, then anchor," says Capt. Pete Scheid of Captain Hook Fishing Charters , who takes anglers into Canadian waters from Marblehead, Ohio.

"July offers the most stable weather; you can double on smallmouths and perch in August, and if you want to get serious and go after big smallies, come in September and October." Launch: Anglers with boats who want to stay on rustic Pelee Island can ferry across from Leamington, Ontario, or Sandusky, Ohio. Pelee is less than 8 miles from Catawba Point in Ohio. OL Target Species: Steelhead Timing: October and November Tactic: Troll small stickbaits and downsized spoons in the upper 10 feet of Presque Isle Bay, which offers protected fishing for small boats. Although steelhead dominate the catch, it's common to hook bass, northerns, and the occasional muskie. Pro Tip: "Look for colored or stained water and bait--you'll see birds dive-bombing on emerald shiners to show you where steelhead are," says Capt. Pete Alex of Vision Quest Sport Fishing . Launch: Chesnut Street Ramp or Presque Isle Park Shore Fishing: There's lots of seawall, pier, and shore access for spoon and spinner flingers.

Outdoor Life Lake Ontario The smallest Great Lake produces the largest king salmon every year, a fact the New York Department of Environmental Conservation believes can be attributed to planting lower numbers of the voracious chinook and continued spawning success of alewives and other prey fish. The abundance of bait was so high in 2011 that many three-year-old kings weighing 25 pounds or better were caught late in the season, leading to a lot of conjecture among anglers that the lake record of 47 pounds would fall this year. Lots of bait helps other predators grow big, too. OL Target Species: King salmon Timing: Late June to mid-July Tactic: Target kings over 150 to 400 feet of water (less than 4 miles from shore) with a mixture of flasher/flies and spoons. Keep lures in a 30-foot vertical band, some as much as 20 feet above the thermocline. Pro Tip: "Find the cold-water break down below, where it drops to 39 degrees. Drop one line below it and keep the rest above," says Capt.

Bob Cinelli of Bob Cinelli Sportfishing Charters (716-860-9774). "Parallel shore on your troll--the kings are often in a half-mile-wide band of current." Midsummer fishing is productive; however, fishing for stud kings continues into the fall, when 40s are common. Launch: Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott Shore Fishing: Pier anglers can catch largemouth bass, panfish, eels, and pike at Eighteen Mile Creek. OL Target Species: Brown trout Timing: July and August Tactic: Brown trout stack up where the thermocline intersects structure, not far from shore. Troll with downriggers and Dipsy Divers with trailing spoons. Pro Tip: "An array of Stingers and other lightweight trolling spoons fished right at the thermocline and as close to the structure as possible is how we catch 'em," says Capt. Ernie Lantiegne of Fish Doctor Charters . "Be ready to make tight turns along the structure." Launch: Wright's Landing Marina Shore Fishing: The Oswego River holds channel catfish, smallmouths, and walleyes.

A cement walkway with railings runs along the west side of the river, offering easy access. OL Target Species: Giant walleyes Timing: Late October to December Tactic: Walleyes start migrating into the Bay of Quinte from Lake Ontario in late October, with big ones showing by mid-November. Troll the top 30 feet of water. Walleyes here won't raise a local angler's eyebrows until they are 14 pounds. Top lures include Reef Runners. Pro Tip: "My best lure last season was a Jointed Storm ThunderStick 250 feet behind a planer board, probably running at a 12-foot depth," says Scott Wolcott of Bay of Quinte Charters . "I think a lot of people run lures too deep." Launch: Picton Harbor Shore Fishing: Anglers casting stickbaits at night in Picton Harbor sometimes catch more than daytime trollers do. OL Target Species: Browns, steelhead, lakers, salmon, walleyes, and smallmouths Timing: October to December Tactic: Try three-way rigging minnows or banana baits such as Kwikfish and Lindy River Rockers.

Pro Tip: "When you're marking bait and seeing a lot of birds feeding, you know you've reached the right spot." says Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Region Charter Service . Launch: Fort Niagara State Park; public ramp in Lewiston Shore Fishing: Several access points on the Niagara River allow anglers to target steelhead, lakers, and browns. OL The Great Lakes Facts The Great Lakes Facts The Great Lakes Facts The Great Lakes are located in northeastern North America. They are a series of five interconnected lakes on the United States-Canada border. These freshwater lakes connect via the Saint Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean. The Great Lakes include Lake Superior, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes formed approximately 10,000 years ago, following the last glacial period, as ice sheets carved the lakes and the ice melted and filled the basins. The Great Lakes have served as a major transportation route for trade. There are many different species of fish living in these lakes. Interesting The Great Lakes Facts: The Great Lakes cover an area of approximately 94,000 square miles. Combined they contain approximately 5,500 cubic miles of water.

The Great Lakes contain approximately 84% of North America's fresh surface water supply. They contain approximately 21% of the world's total fresh surface water supply. Approximately 25 million Americans and 8.5 million Canadians live at the basin of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are susceptible to pollution from farm run off which often includes chemicals used in agriculture. The Great Lakes are susceptible to pollution from city waste, industrial disposal leaching, as well as atmospheric pollutants that come down in rain and snow and dust. Lake Superior has the largest volume of all the Great Lakes. It is the coldest and deepest and because it has a cooler climate and poor soil conditions it is the least polluted. Lake Michigan is the second largest of the Great Lakes. It is located completely within the United States. It is the only one of the Great Lakes to be completely within one country. Lake Huron, by volume, is the third largest of the Great Lakes. Lake Huron also includes Georgian Bay. Lake Huron is popular with cottagers because it has shallow sandy beaches and rocky beaches suitable for swimming, boating, fishing, and other water activities. Lake Erie is the smallest Great Lake in terms of volume, but the fourth largest in area.

It is also the shallowest and is affected by pollution much more than the other lakes because it has so many cities on its shores. In the Lake Erie basin are 17 cities with more than 50,000 residents. Lake Ontario is smaller in area than Lake Erie but is deeper and contains a higher volume of water. The Canadian side is highly urbanized while the U.S. side is less populated and less farmed. Lake Superior contains enough water that it could cover all of the North and South American continents in one foot of water. It is believed that Lake Superior is home to about 100 million lake trout. Some believe that Lake Erie is home to a 30 to 40 foot monster they call Bessie. People have been spotting the monster since 1793. The largest salt mine in the world is the Goderich Mine which runs partially under Lake Huron. Lake Michigan's shores are home to the largest fresh water sand dunes in the world. Canada's province of Ontario was named after Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario was not named after the province. The first time Babe Ruth hit a home run the ball landed in Lake Ontario. It is believed that the ball is still in Lake Ontario today.

Related Links: Indian Country Wisconsin - Great Lakes History: A General View Black Hawk Tens-qua-ta-wa The Great Lakes is a chain of inland lakes -- Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior -- stretching from New York to Minnesota. Because they comprise such a large waterway, they have played a vital role in the lives and histories of Indian peoples who have resided along their shores for millennia. Most Indian groups living in the Great Lakes region for the last five centuries are of the Algonkian language family. This includes such present-day Wisconsin tribes as the Menominee, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi. Some tribes--such as the Stockbridge-Munsee and the Brothertown--are also Algonkian-speaking tribes who relocated from the eastern seaboard to the Great Lakes region in the nineteenth century. The Oneida who live near Green Bay belong to the Iroquois language group and the Ho-chunk of Wisconsin are one of the few Great Lakes tribes to speak a Siouan language. Although there have been many differences in language and customs between different Indian tribes, Great Lakes Indian communities have had many things in common.

They comprise a general culture called "Woodland" after its adaptation to North America's northeastern and southeastern woodlands. Woodland Indian societies have depended to a large degree on forest products for their survival, and Great Lakes Indians hunted, fished, gathered wild foods, and practiced agriculture for their subsistence. In many parts of the Great Lakes -- particularly northern Wisconsin -- Indians depended on wild rice as a dietary staple, while Indians in areas without wild rice generally cultivated corn. Where sugar maples grow, Great Lakes Indians established sugar-making camps in early spring and made sugar from tree sap. Establishing Trade The exact date of initial European contact with the Great Lakes Indians is unknown. During the early 1500s, European ships and fishing crews off the coast of northeastern Canada often traded with Indians there. The first recorded contact between Europeans and the Great Lakes Indians occurred between 1534 and 1542 when Jacques Cartier of France explored the St. Lawrence River. His failure to find gold or silver reduced French interest in North America but, despite this, Samuel de Champlain established the city of Quebec and along with it the colony of New France in 1608.

The French quickly developed a military and economic alliance with neighboring Algonkian tribes and the Iroquoian-speaking Huron near Lake Huron. Soon, the Dutch of New Netherland established a rival colony in present-day New York, and developed similar trade networks with the five Iroquois nations (the League of the Iroquois) in upstate New York. Later, when the English conquered New Netherland in 1664 and renamed it New York, the Iroquois transferred their loyalties to the English. In the 1640s, the Iroquois began a series of wars in the Great Lakes region mainly motivated by the rich fur-bearing lands of other Indian groups, completely wiping out some tribes, including the Erie, and scattering others such as the Huron from their original homelands. The wars between the Iroquois League and the French-allied tribes persisted until 1701, although there were long periods of relative peace during that time. These wars radically changed the human landscape of the Great Lakes region.

Tribes in Michigan's southern peninsula -- the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, Sauk, Fox, and Ottawa -- were pushed farther west into Wisconsin during the 1600s. Some tribes that moved into Wisconsin because of the Iroquois wars, including the Huron, Miami, Sauk, Fox, Mascouten, and Kickapoo, left Wisconsin during the 1700s for new lands west of the Mississippi or other parts of the Midwest. Some refugees of the Iroquois wars, namely the Potawatomi and Ojibwe, stayed in Wisconsin. Introduction of Disease Indian people of the Great Lakes also suffered from European diseases, which often devastated their communities. Unlike Europeans, Indians did not have natural immunities to diseases such as smallpox, measles, or mumps because these diseases did not exist in North America before whites came. After Europeans arrived, these diseases often wiped out whole Indian villages. The Ho-chunk, for example, were said to have had between four thousand and five thousand people when Nicolet first arrived among them in 1634.

When French traders came back twenty years later, the Ho-chunk had been reduced to only six hundred or seven hundred members. While wars with the Iroquois and other refugee Indian groups played a part in this rapid decline, European diseases were probably the main cause for the dramatic number of deaths. Some the first Europeans to come to the Great Lakes region were Christian missionaries. One of the most active groups was the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, a Roman Catholic religious order that first started to preach among the Iroquoian-speaking Hurons of Lake Huron in 1625. By 1665, they had established missions at Chequamegon Bay in Lake Superior and at Green Bay in 1669. While the Jesuits enjoyed some successes, they required rigid standards for potential converts and thus did not convert large numbers of Indians to Christianity. Whatever progress they made was lost after 1728 when they abandoned their mission stations in Wisconsin because of the Fox Wars, during which the Fox Indians rose up against French authority. The Fox Wars ended in the 1730s, but the French were unable to send new missionaries to Wisconsin afterward.

The next Christian missionaries did not arrive until the 1820s, and they represented both the Catholic Church and various Protestant denominations. Intermarriage and Economic Change Another important aspect of contact between Europeans and Great Lakes Indians was intermarriage. Many young English, Scottish, and especially French men went west in the 1600s and 1700s to gather furs from the Indians, but because very few European women accompanied them, many traders took Indian women as their wives. Unlike Europeans, Indians did not use race as the basis for exclusion or inclusion into their societies, and the children of these unions were welcomed into the tribal societies. These intermarriages are one reason that so many Indians in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes have European, and especially French last names today. Not all children of Indian-white marriages joined their mothers' tribes. Some Indian women raised their children in fur-trading towns such as Green Bay, Prairie du Chien, and Mackinac Island. While these children were of Indian heritage and usually knew the languages and customs of their mothers' tribes, they did not consider themselves to be Indians.

They thought of themselves as m�tis, which was a French word meaning "mixed blood." There were m�tis communities throughout the Great Lakes region during the 1700s and early 1800s. All tribes in Wisconsin during the 1600s and 1700s were anxious to trade furs for European goods. The French, Dutch, and English were especially interested in beaver pelts, which were sent to Europe to make hats. In turn, the Indians received European manufactured goods such as guns, cloth, knives, and metal cooking utensils. Besides the impact of these material goods, there were other major changes as well. Rather than living in large villages, Indian people began to spread out over wider areas and live in smaller, more mobile settlements. In spring and summer, these villages were generally located along waterways where the soils were good for raising corn, squash, and beans and where people could also concentrate on fishing. In winter, the Indians abandoned these villages and dispersed to create small, family-sized hunting camps and focus on hunting and acquiring furs for trade. Although linked to other villages of the same tribe, villages were generally autonomous and independent of other Indian villages.

As time went on, Indian people became more dependent on European trade goods and were drawn into European economic systems. At the same time, they were also drawn into the political and military schemes of their European trade partners and allies. Pontiac's Rebellion Between 1689 and 1763, the French and British fought a series of four wars for control of North America. The final conflict, the French and Indian War (also called the Seven Years' War), lasted from 1754 to 1763. During this war, the League of the Iroquois sided with the British, while the Menominee, Ho-chunk, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi allied with the French. When the war ended, the British had won control of all former French possessions in Canada and the Midwest. The British treated the former Indian allies of the French like conquered peoples, which prompted the Ottawa chief Pontiac from the Detroit area to lead a rebellion of a number of tribes against the British. During Pontiac's Rebellion, Indian forces captured and laid siege to many British forts, including those at the Straits of Mackinac and Detroit.

By 1765 the British managed to regain control of the region and end Pontiac's Rebellion. Pontiac's Rebellion taught the British that colonial power in the Great Lakes depended on developing better relations with the Indians. This strategy paid off, for when the American Revolution began, almost all Great Lakes Indians sided with the British against the Americans. However, the Potawatomi at Milwaukee and around the southern shore of Lake Michigan sided with the Americans during the Revolution. America gained sovereignty over the southern Great Lakes region when the British surrendered its control over lands west of the Appalachian mountains in the 1783 peace treaty. Despite this, many Indians in the Great Lakes region continued their strong attachments to the British because they feared the United States would take away their lands. The Indians of the Ohio River valley fought against American expansion in the early 1790s and defeated two American armies sent to conquer them. Finally, the United States defeated the Ohio Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Great Britain and Tecumseh The final battle between Britain and the United States for control over the Great Lakes came during the War of 1812.

Many British officials believed that the United States wanted to take Canada from Great Britain. The British continued to cultivate good relations with the Indians and even promised to establish an independent Indian state in the Great Lakes region to act as a buffer between the United States and Canada. Prior to the War of 1812, two Shawnee Indians from Ohio--Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa (also called the Shawnee Prophet), created a formidable pan-Indian alliance to prevent further American expansion west of the Appalachians and allied with the British against America. Although the British and their Indian allies enjoyed great success in Wisconsin and the upper Great Lakes region, the British once again lost this area to the Americans when peace was made in 1814. Removal Following Indian land sales, the United States pursued a policy called Indian removal whereby Great Lakes tribes were to be removed west across the Mississippi. Other Great Lakes tribes in southern Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois were forced to leave their homes in the Midwest for new lands in Kansas and Oklahoma. In Wisconsin, however, the United States failed to completely remove any of the tribes.

Most of the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Ottawa who lived in southern Wisconsin were removed to Kansas in the 1830s, but some Potawatomi refused to go and instead moved to northern Wisconsin. About half of the Ho-chunk removed to Iowa, and were later moved to Minnesota, South Dakota, and finally Nebraska. The other half of the tribe refused to move out of Wisconsin. The federal government attempted to remove the remaining Wisconsin Ho-chunk to Nebraska in 1873 and 1874, but most returned to Wisconsin within a year. The Menominee and the Ojibwe also refused to leave, and in 1854 they received reservation lands so they could stay in Wisconsin. Assimilation From about 1850 to 1930, the United States developed an assimilation policy through which Indian people were encouraged or forced to give up their languages, customs, religions, and ways of life. They were forced to live like whites so they could be "civilized" and eventually assimilate or fit into mainstream American society. Many whites did not understand that Indian people already had their own civilizations and cultures that they did not want to give up.

The two primary institutions the United States used to implement its assimilation policy were boarding schools and land allotments. Boarding schools were run by the government or by religious groups and focused on teaching Indian boys agriculture and manual trades, while Indian girls were taught domestic skills. The largest and most well-known boarding school was the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania established in 1879. The superintendent of Carlisle and other boarding schools believed it was necessary to separate children from their tribes and families so they could be purged of their "savage" lifestyles. The other tool that white reformers used to assimilate Indians were land allotments, which were mandated by the 1887 Dawes Act. Rather than letting tribes hold their reservation lands communally, lands were divided up and allotted to individuals so they could farm. However, most Indians did not want to farm and often sold their lands, often to non-Indians. By 1920, over 90% of the land on some reservations, such as the Oneida reservation in northeastern Wisconsin, was owned by whites. U.S.

assimilationist policies ended in the 1930s largely because Indians did not want to give up their culture and wanted to remain Indians. The federal government attempted a similar program in the 1950s called Termination in which tribes would no longer be recognized as sovereign political bodies by the federal government. The Menominee were terminated as a tribe in 1961, but their experience with this new program was so negative that no other tribe agreed to be terminated. The Menominee fought to regain their status as a federally recognized tribe, accomplishing this in 1973. Moreover, the Wisconsin Ho-chunk managed to gain federal recognition in 1963 over a century after they had sold their lands in Wisconsin. In the last twenty-five years, Great Lakes Indian tribes have endeavored to restore their political sovereignty. In 1983, the Ojibwe won an important court case: Wisconsin Ojibwe bands asserted that Wisconsin wrongly curtailed their rights to spearfish on lands they had ceded in earlier treaties. The Ojibwe rightly argued that they never gave up the right to hunt and fish off their reservations, as their treaties clearly state.

The Great Lakes tribes have also become more prosperous through casino gambling, which is allowed on resevation lands because of the political sovereignty tribes have retained. 10 of America's best lake vacations - CNN.com 10 of America's best lake vacations By Joe Yogerst, Travel + Leisure Updated 4:01 PM ET, Fri August 31, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: Lake getaways Lake Superior – There's plenty of room for fish to thrive in Lake Superior, which has shores in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. Hide Caption Crater Lake – Oregon's Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. Hide Caption Lake Winnebago – Lake Winnebago draws Wisconsin windsurfers and kite surfers. Hide Caption 3 of 10 Photos: Lake getaways Lake Kabetogama – Paddle along the same routes as early French trappers, traders and explorers on Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota.

Hide Caption 4 of 10 Photos: Lake getaways Lake Clark – The only way to reach super-secluded Lake Clark is trekking overland through the Alaska bush, getting dragged by a dogsled team or flying in by a floatplane. Hide Caption 5 of 10 Photos: Lake getaways Chain of Lakes – Sixteen lakes form a deep-blue chain around the west side of Winter Haven, Florida, known as the world's water skiing capital. Hide Caption Lake Tahoe – High-altitude Tahoe (6,225 feet) is nirvana for skiing, snowboarding and other cold-weather sports. Hide Caption 7 of 10 Photos: Lake getaways Lake Michigan – With more than 1,600 miles of shoreline, Lake Michigan offers more beaches than any other American lake. Hide Caption 8 of 10 Photos: Lake getaways Finger Lakes – With more than a hundred vintners, the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York is the prime wine region of the Eastern U.S. Hide Caption 9 of 10 Photos: Lake getaways Lake Powell – Spin your own high-adventure tale on a houseboat cruise through the red-rock desert wilderness on Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona.

Hide Caption Lake Superior is heaven for anglers Wine tasting provides a pleasant diversion in the Finger Lakes region Crater Lake's depth makes it perfect for scuba divers Windsurf on Lake Winnebago to usher autumn in Waking to another cloudless morning, you dive off your houseboat into the wild blue of Lake Powell in southern Utah. The water takes the edge off the heat, and you float along, contemplating a lazy day of navigating spectacular red-rock gorges and flooded canyons. Brian Raub, founder of Lakelubbers.com , says lakes have an inherent advantage over the ocean when it comes to vacations. "You'll probably prefer the feel of freshwater over salt, and you probably won't miss seasickness, seaweed or sharks. You can choose your outdoor temperatures; lakes exist at elevations from below sea level to 13,000 feet above." See more of America's best lakes And temperature isn't your only choice: America offers a lake vacation for every season and activity, and no matter where you live, even in the Southwest desert, chances are there's one near you.

Satellite mapping has yet to yield a precise answer, but the best guess is that there are between 3 and 4 million lakes across the U.S., ranging from duck ponds to wonders like Oregon's Crater Lake. While Lake Tahoe is most popular for winter sports and Wisconsin's Lake Winnebago reaches its windsurfing peak in fall, we associate most lakes with summer, as places to cool off and chill out. A recent study by ResortsandLodges.com named lake vacations the most popular summer travel trend of 2012, ahead of beach vacations, romantic getaways, and family trips. So spend your Labor Day weekend, or one of the few remaining warm weekends of the season, on the lake. Travel + Leisure: Weigh in on the America's Favorite Cities survey Lake Superior: Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin Best for fishing: Lake Superior is so vast it could easily hold all of the water from all of the other Great Lakes. That means there's plenty of room for fish to thrive: salmon, trout, walleye, smelt, whitefish, herring, northern pike, smallmouth bass and many other game species can be caught in abundance along the lake's tristate shores.

No matter what time of year, some sort of fishing is in season; Duluth (MN) and Bayfield (WI) are among the charter hubs. Stay: Lutsen Resort, MN; lutsenresort.com . Play: Duluth Charter Fishing Captains; fishduluth.com . Travel + Leisure: Best of the Italian lakes Crater Lake: Oregon Best for scuba diving: Other lakes have shipwrecks or sunken towns, but only Crater Lake offers the bragging rights of diving in a flooded volcano that also happens to be the deepest lake in the U.S. (and ninth deepest in the world). Without a deep-sea submersible you won't be able to reach the absolute bottom (1,943 feet). But there's plenty to explore in the crystal-clear shallows: lava formations, wildlife (trout and salmon), and underwater moss meadows. The catch is that you have to schlep your own scuba equipment up and down the Cleetwood Cove Trail -- 700 vertical feet. If that's not your idea of vacation, try the Wizard Island boat cruises around the crater's island on that clear, calm blue water.

Stay: Crater Lake Lodge; craterlakelodges.com . Play: Wizard Island Boats; (888) 774-2728. Photos: What you did on your summer vacation Lake Winnebago: Wisconsin Best for windsurfing: Steady wind and easy launch make Winnebago the lake of choice for Wisconsin windsurfers and kite surfers -- especially in summer, when the shallow, sandy bottom creates water temperatures that are downright tropical (75-85ºF). The annual Wind Power Championships in September brings the nation's top wind-sport racers to Winnebago to face gusts of up to 40 mph. In winter, the lake converts to sail-powered ice racing. travelthelakes.com Stay: Plaza Hotel (Fond du Lac); ramadafdl.com . Play: Wind Power Windsurfing & Kiting Center; windpowerwindsurfing.com . Travel + Leisure: Beautiful U.S. skylines Lake Kabetogama: Minnesota Best for kayak or canoe camping: Paddle along the same routes as early French trappers, traders and explorers on Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota.

Part of the warren of waterways that make up Voyageurs National Park , the lake offers more than two dozen wilderness campsites that can be reached only by boat, including gorgeous spots along Lost Bay and among the Chief Wooden Frog Islands. Keep an eye out for wildlife along the shore, from bear and bald eagles to otters, wolves and moose. Stay: Northern Lights Resort; nlro.com . Play: Anderson's Canoe Outfitters, which offers shuttle service between Crane and Kabetogama lakes and customizable canoe trips; anderson-outfitters.com/index.php . Five guys take same photo for 30 years Lake Clark: Alaska Best for wilderness adventure: The only way to reach super-secluded Lake Clark is trekking overland through the Alaska bush, getting dragged by a dogsled team or flying in by a floatplane. Flanked by snowcapped peaks, thick boreal forest and whitewater rivers, the 50-mile-long lake is quintessential Alaska. Fishing, kayaking and wildlife-watching are the main aquatic activities, while the lakeshore lends itself to weeklong hikes and backwoods camping. Tiny Port Alsworth (pop.

159) offers a visitor center, kayak rental, guide services and outfitters, post office and lodging. nps.gov/lacl/ Stay: Island Lodge, Lake Clark; islandlodge.com . Play: Lake Clark Air, Port Alsworth; lakeclarkair.com . Chain of Lakes: Florida Best for waterskiing: Sixteen lakes form a deep-blue chain around the west side of Winter Haven, the Water Skiing Capital of the World. The craze started in 1936 with the debut of Cypress Garden, the nation's first aquatic theme park, and its celebrated water-ski shows. "If it's being done on the water, chances are somebody tried it in Winter Haven first," wrote Waterski magazine's Tony Smith. Try barefoot waterskiing, for instance, taught by the Footer's Edge Training Center, one of half a dozen local waterski and wakeboard schools. Stay: The Stanford Inn, Bartow; thestanfordinn.com . Play: Lucky Lowe Ski School; luckylowe.com . Lake Tahoe: California/Nevada Best for snow sports: High-altitude Tahoe (6,225 feet) is nirvana for skiing, snowboarding and other cold-weather sports.

Seven major winter resorts ring the shore, including Squaw Valley, where the 1960 Winter Olympics took place. Hike along snowy forest trails, snuggle up beside a fire in a lakeshore café or ride the Sky Express to the top of Heavenly's highest peak for a snow-mantled panorama of the entire lake basin. Or go now, and enjoy the striking scenery without the snow. skilaketahoe.com Stay: The Shore House; shorehouselaketahoe.com . Play: Heavenly Ski Resort; skiheavenly.com . Lake Michigan: Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois Best for beaches: With more than 1,600 miles of shoreline, Lake Michigan offers more beaches than any other American lake. But it's not just quantity: there's a beach for nearly every taste. The big-city strands that front Chicago, the wild rolling dunes of northern Indiana, the pastoral shores of Wisconsin's Door Peninsula and the carnival-like atmosphere along the Traverse City Boardwalk offer totally different sun-and-sand experiences on the same lake. You'll pass that boardwalk on the scenic drive from Bay Harbor to Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Stay: The Inn at Bay Harbor; innatbayharbor.com Play: Sleeping Bear Dunes; nps.gov/slbe/ . Finger Lakes: New York Best for wine tastings: With more than a hundred vintners, the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York is the prime wine region of the Eastern U.S. The largest concentration of tasting rooms is along Highway 414 on the east side of Lake Seneca. Wineries with spectacular waterfront locations include Belhurst Estate in Geneva and Thirsty Owl in Ovid. Riesling is the most popular plonk, but the lakes region also produces fine Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer. Stay: Belhurst Castle; belhurst.com . Play: Thirsty Owl Winery; thirstyowl.com/ . Lake Powell: Utah/Arizona Best for desert houseboating: From the original "Planet of the Apes" to "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," more than three dozen movies have been filmed in and around drop-dead-gorgeous Lake Powell. Spin your own high-adventure tale on a houseboat cruise through the red-rock desert wilderness.

Created by Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona, the vast lake stretches for nearly 200 miles into uninhabited southern Utah and includes more than 80 side canyons where yours will often be the only boat. nps.gov/glca/ Stay: Bullfrog Marina Houseboats; lakepowell.com/houseboating.aspx . Wildlife of the Great Lakes By Laura Klappenbach Updated December 23, 2015. The Great Lakes are a chain of five large, freshwater lakes that are located in central North America, astride the border of Canada and the United States. The Great Lakes include Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior and together form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. They are contained within the Great Lakes watershed, a region whose waters discharge into the Saint Lawrence River and, ultimately, the Atlantic Ocean. The Great Lakes cover a total surface area of 95,000 square miles and hold about 5,500 cubic miles of water (approximately 20 percent of all the world's fresh water and more than 80 percent of the fresh water of North America).

There are more than 10,000 miles of shoreline that frame the Great Lakes and from west to east, the lakes span more than 750 miles. The Great Lakes formed during the Pleistocene Epoch as the result of the repeated glaciation of the region during the Ice Ages. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World Glaciers advanced and retreated time and again, gradually carving deep depressions in the Great Lakes River Basin. When the glaciers receded at the end of the last glacial period about 15,000 years ago, the Great Lakes filled with water left behind by the melting ice. The Great Lakes and their surrounding lands encompass a wide variety of freshwater and terrestrial habitats including coniferous and hardwood forests, freshwater marshes, freshwater wetlands, dunes, grasslands, and prairies. The Great Lakes region supports a diverse fauna that includes numerous species of mammals, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and fishes.

There are more than 250 species of fishes found in the Great Lakes including Atlantic salmon, bluegill, brook trout, Chinnok salmon, Coho salmon, freshwater drum, lake sturgeon, lake trout, lake whitefish, northern pike, rock bass, walleye, white perch, yellow perch, and many others. Native mammals include the black bear, fox, elk, white-tailed deer, moose, beaver, river otter, coyote, gray wolf, Canada lynx, and many others. Bird species native to the Great Lakes include herring gulls, whooping cranes, snowy owls, wood ducks, great blue herons, bald eagles, piping plovers, and many more. The Great Lakes have suffered greatly the effects of introduced (non-native) species during the past two hundred years. Non-native animal species such as zebra mussels, quagga mussels, sea lampreys, alewive, Asian carps, and many others have greatly altered the Great Lakes ecosystem.

The most recent non-native animal to have been recorded in the Great Lakes is the spiny water flea, a crustacean native to the seas of the Middle East that is now quickly populating Lake Ontario. Introduced species compete with native species for food and habitat and can also More than 180 non-native species have entered the Great Lakes since the latter part of the 19th century. Many of the introduce species have been transported into the Great Lakes in the ballast water of ships, but other species such as the Asian carp, have invaded the lakes by swimming through the man-made channels and locks that now connect the Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. Key Characteristics The following are the key characteristics of the Great Lakes: largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth account for 20 percent of all the world's fresh water account for more than 80 percent of the fresh water of North America introduced species have greatly altered the Great Lakes ecosystem supports more than 3,500 species of plants and animals Animals of the Great Lakes Some of the animals that inhabit the Great Lakes include: Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) - The lake whitefish is a species of freshwater fish that belongs to the salmon family.

Lake whitefish are found in all of the Great Lakes and are a valuable commercial species. Lake whitefish feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as snails, clams, and the aquatic larvae of insects. Walleye (Sander vitreus) - The walleye is large freshwater fish native to the Great Lakes as well as most parts of Canada and the northern United States. Walleye are much recognized as icons of the places they inhabit—they are the state fish of Minnesota and South Dakota and they are the official fish of Saskatchewan. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) - The yellow perch is a species of perch whose range includes the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River. Adult yellow perch feed on aquatic insect larvae, crustaceans, mysid shrimp, fish eggs, and small fish. Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) - The great blue heron is a large wading bird common to freshwater wetland habitats throughout North American, including the Great Lakes. Great blue herons have a long, sharp bill that they use to capturea variety of small prey animals such as fish, crustaceans, insects, rodents, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.

Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) - The Canada lynx is a medium-sized cat that inhabits the forests throughout Canada and Alaska. In the Great Lakes region, Canada lynx occur around Lake Superior and on the northern shores of Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay, a large bay of Lake Huron that lies in Ontario, Canada. Canada lynxes are secretive, nocturnal mammals that feed on snowshoe hares, rodents and birds. Moose (Alces alces) - The moose is the largest living member of the deer family. Moose inhabit the forests that border the northern shores of the Great Lakes. Moose are herbivores that feed on a variety of herbaceous plants and grasses. Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) - The common snapping turtle is a widespread turtle that inhabits freshwater wetlands east of the Rocky Mountains, including the Great Lakes region. Snapping turtles have a reputation for being quite aggressive. American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) - The American bullfrog is a large frog that occurs in wetlands in the Great Lakes region. American bullfrogs are predators that feed on small mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates.

References Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. About Our Great Lakes. Accessed November 22, 2013. Published online at Harding JH. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. University of Michigan Press; 1997. 400 p. Kurta, A. Mammals of the Great Lakes Region. Revised Edition. University of Michigan Press; 1995. 392 p. US Environmental Protection Agency. The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book. 2012. Published online at US Environmental Protection Agency. Great Lakes Invasive Species. Accessed November 22, 2013. Published online at All About the Great Lakes of North America By Colin Stief, Geography Intern Updated July 21, 2016. Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, form the Great Lakes , straddling the United States and Canada to make up the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world.

Collectively they contain 5,439 cubic miles of water (22,670 cubic km), or about 20% of all the earth’s fresh water, and cover an area of 94,250 square miles (244,106 square km). Several other minor lakes and rivers are also included in the Great Lakes region including the Niagra River, Detroit River, St. Lawrence River, St. Marys River, and the Georgian Bay. There are 35,000 islands estimated to be located on the Great Lakes, created by years of glacial activity . Interestingly, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are connected by the Straits of Mackinac, and can be technically considered a single lake. The Formation of the Great Lakes The Great Lakes Basin (the Great Lakes and the surrounding area) began to form about two billion years ago – almost two-thirds the age of the earth. continue reading below our video 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know During this period, major volcanic activity and geologic stresses formed the mountain systems of North America, and after significant erosion, several depressions in the ground were carved.

Some two billion years later the surrounding seas continuously flooded the area, further eroding the landscape and leaving a lot of water behind as they went away. More recently, about two million years ago, it was glaciers that advanced over and back across the land. The glaciers were upwards of 6,500 feet thick and further depressed the Great Lakes Basin. When the glaciers finally retreated and melted approximately 15,000 years ago, massive quantities of water were left behind. It is these glacier waters that form the Great Lake today. Many glacial features are still visible on the Great Lakes Basin today in the form of "glacial drift," groups of sand, silt, clay and other unorganized debris deposited by a glacier. Moraines , till plains, drumlins, and eskers are some of the most common features that remain. The Industrial Great Lakes The shorelines of the Great Lakes stretch a little over 10,000 miles (16,000 km), touching eight states in the U.S. and Ontario in Canada, and make an excellent site for the transportation of goods.

It was the primary route used by early explorers of North America and was a major reason for the great industrial growth of the Midwest throughout the 19th and 20th century. Today, 200 million tons a year are transported using this waterway. Major cargoes include iron ore (and other mine products), iron and steel, agriculture, and manufactured goods. The Great Lakes Basin also is home to 25%, and 7% of Canadian and U.S. agricultural production, respectively. Cargo ships are aided by the system of canals and locks built on and between the lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes Basin. The two major sets of locks and canals are: 1) The Great Lakes Seaway, consisting of the Welland Canal and the Soo Locks, allowing ships to pass by the Niagra Falls and the rapids of the St. Marys River. 2) The St. Lawrence Seaway, extending from Montreal to Lake Erie, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Altogether this transportation network makes it possible for ships to travel a total distance of 2,340 miles (2765 km), all the way from Duluth, Minnesota to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In order to avoid collisions when traveling on the rivers connecting the Great Lakes, ships travel "upbound" (west) and "downbound" (east) in shipping lanes. There are around 65 ports located on Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system. 15 are international and include: Burns Harbor at Portage, Detroit, Duluth-Superior, Hamilton, Lorain, Milwaukee, Montreal, Ogdensburg, Oswego, Quebec, Sept-Iles, Thunder Bay, Toledo, Toronto, Valleyfield, and Port Windsor. Great Lakes Recreation About 70 million people visit these the Great Lakes every year to enjoy their water and beaches. Sandstone cliffs, high dunes, extensive trails, campgrounds, and diverse wildlife are just some of the many attractions of the Great Lakes. It is estimated that $15 billion is spent every year for leisure activities every year.

Sport fishing is a very common activity, partly because of the Great Lakes' size, and also because the lakes are stocked year after year. Some of the fish include bass, bluegill, crappie, perch, pike, trout, and walleye. Some non-native species such as salmon and hybrid breeds have been introduced but have generally not succeeded. Chartered fishing tours are a major part of the Great Lakes tourism industry. Spas and clinics are popular tourist attractions also, and couple well with some of the serene waters of the Great Lakes. Pleasure-boating is another common activity and is more successful than ever as more and more canals are built to connect the lakes and surrounding rivers. Great Lakes Pollution and Invasive Species Unfortunately, there have been concerns about the quality of water of the Great Lakes. Industrial waste and sewage were the primary culprits, specifically phosphorus, fertilizer, and toxic chemicals. In order to control this issue, the governments of Canada and the United States joined to sign the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972. Such measures have drastically improved the quality of water, though pollution still finds it way into the waters, primarily through agricultural runoff.

Another major concern in the Great Lakes is non-native invasive species. An unanticipated introduction of such species can drastically alter evolved food chains and destroy local ecosystems. The end result of this is a loss of biodiversity . Well known invasive species include the zebra mussel, Pacific salmon, carp, lamprey, and alewife.

Question: Which is the most northerly of America's "Great Lakes"?
Answer: SUPERIOR