Origins & Features: During the last Ice Age, glaciers gouged depressions in river valleys. Ice pressed into these holes to form large bowls and then melted in the bowls to form the Great Lakes. Lake Superior is the largest and wildest of the lakes, with rocky cliffs and many tree lined bays. Its waves can rival those of stormy seas. Lake Michigan is surrounded by low farmland, with some sandy beaches and bluffs, It is more developed than Lake superior, because Chicago lies on its southern border.  The landscape of Lake Huron is varied, ranging from sandy beaches to woodlands. Marshes border Lake Erie, which is the most heavily industrialized of the lakes. Lake Ontario also has a lot of industry and shipping, but it includes impressive sights like Niagara Falls.

Underwater Wildlife: Lake Superior and Michigan contain unusual cold water crustaceans like the opossum shrimp, the deep water scud, and two types of copepod. The lakes are also home to the spiny sculpin, a fish with spines on its body. The warmer, shallower waters that surround the lakes contain catfish, perch, pike and bass. These fish feed on mayflies, snails, worms, and caddis flies. Atlantic salmon, lake trout, lake herring, and whitefish were once plentiful in all the  lakes. But there has been too much fishing of these species, and their numbers have dropped. The spread of the sea lamprey, a parasitic fish, has also helped to destroy most of the salmon and trout population. Recently predators of the lamprey have been introduced and have helped to reduced and have helped to reduce the number of lamprey.

Birds: The most common birds of the Great Lakes are the herring gull and the ring bellied gull. The common  and Caspian tern are regular visitors in spring and summer, when they breed on the hundreds of small islands. The lakes are wintering ground for ducks and geese such as the scaup, old squaw, Canada goose, and common golden eye. The glaucous gull also winters at Lake Superior. The American woodcock is a short, stocky bird that breeds in the woodlands around the lakes and sometimes stays for winter. The woods are also home to finches and crossbills. Brewers blackbird, with its purple head feathers, visits in springs to breed. Much of the shoreline, especially around Lake Erie, is fringed by marches. These marches support several waders, such as the spotted sandpiper, common snipe, and upland sandpiper.

Threats to the Lakes: The natural resources of the Great Lakes have almost been their undoing. The 8,250 miles of shoreline help to support over a seventh of the U. S. population. But pollution and destruction of natural habitats have resulted form human's use of the lakes.  In the 1800's heavy industry and the fishing trade attracted millions of people to Chicago, Detroit, and other cities. The growing population placed a great strain on the lakes. By the 1950's pollution was eliminating much of the lakes wildlife. Lake Erie was polluted by the Detroit automobile industry, and even today the remaining sediment layer is 130 feet in places. Lake Ontario was polluted by ships traveling to the other lakes. Over the last 30 years a concerted effort has been made to preserve the lakes resources by regulating pollution, reintroducing fish species, and establishing national parks.

The National Parks Program: Indiana Dunes National Lake shore and State Park was established in 1925 to protect the beaches and dunes of Lake Michigan and their wildlife. Georgian Bay Islands National Park in the northeastern arm of Lake Huron was founded in 1929. It includes Flowerpot Island, named after two giant stone pillars on the shore. Isle Royale, the largest island in Lake Superior, was declared a national park in 1944. Moose, timber wolves, and over 200 birds species, including herring gulls and  warblers, live in i ts forests.

Pichure Notes: The beaver lives in the isolated areas of the lakes, and the yellow perch inhabits the lakes tributaries. The mosse is seen only on the most secluded shores of the Great Lakes. The sea lamprey uses it blood sucking mouth to prey on trout and salmon. The herring gull is a common sight over all five of the Great Lakes. The bobcat inhabits the wooded shores of the Great Lakes. In winter its main prey is the snowshoe hare, and si ts survival, and its survival depends o the availbility of this species. Grand Portage is a national monument on  Isle Royale, which is one of many  national parks in the Lake superior area. Niagara Falls is a breathtaking sight, but it also powers turbines that are an important source of electricity for the surrounding area.

Did you know? 

Lake Superior is the worlds second largest lake.
The Great Lakes holds 5,400 square miles of water.
Each second 233,000 cubic feet of water flow from Lake Ontario into the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
The Largest lake in any one state in the USA is Moosehead Lake, located in Greenville Maine. Ladywildlife's hometown.

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