Lake Michigan was formed during the last Ice Age as glaciers advanced and then retreated across the region, creating large glacial lakes. Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States.
What’s unique about Lake Michigan?
Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that is entirely within U.S. territory. The Great Lakes touch 8 states – but Michigan is the only state that touches four lakes, with borders on Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie.
What are three facts about Lake Michigan?
Lake Michigan is the second largest of the five Great Lakes by water volume. Lake Michigan is the seventh largest lake in the world by water volume. The surface of Lake Michigan covers 22,300 square miles. Lake Michigan is the third largest of the five Great Lakes by surface area.
What makes Great Lakes unique?
Our lakes are indeed unique in the world. They provide drinking water for more than 40 million people. They contain more than 260 species of fish. About 120 bands of Native Americans have occupied the Great Lakes basin throughout history.
Why is Lake Michigan called the deadliest?
Researchers say it’s this state of complacency that causes many deaths in Lake Michigan…by drowning. The waves in Lake Michigan can get huge, and the power of these waves hitting a person can take you by surprise.
Can you swim in Lake Michigan?
Swimming Safety Tips
Use caution when swimming in Lake Michigan. The bottom is uneven with holes and deep drop-offs. These inshore holes are very dangerous to small children and non-swimmers. The only beach with lifeguards is West Beach.
Which Great Lake is the cleanest?
Lake Superior
Watershed’s surface: 209,000 square kms. Lake Superior is the largest, cleanest, and wildest of all the Great Lakes.
Has anyone swam across Lake Michigan?
It took six swimmers, seven crew members, 54 miles and 21 hours, but the “Epic Swim 2020” is complete. The group of swimmers, led by Jon Ornée, of Holland, swam a relay across Lake Michigan from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, to Ludington.
How deep is Lake Michigan?
Approximately 118 miles wide and 307 miles long, Lake Michigan has more than 1,600 miles of shoreline. Averaging 279 feet in depth, the lake reaches 925 feet at its deepest point.
Are there sharks in the Great Lakes?
Sharks do not live in the Great Lakes, but many fishes are mostly drawn to this water body as their natural habitat.
What is the dirtiest Great Lake?
Lake Erie
The most polluted Great Lake is Lake Erie.
What’s the deepest Great Lake?
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by area (31,700 mi2 /82,100 km2). It is also the coldest and deepest of the Great Lakes, with a maximum depth of 406 meters (1,332 feet). By most measures, it is the healthiest of all the Great Lakes.
Which Great Lake has no fish?
Lake Michigan
Nearly two decades later, the same progression is happening in Lake Michigan. “There’s an old Chinese saying, ‘When there is crystal-clear water, there is no fish,’ ” said Yu-Chun Kao, a postdoctoral scientist at Michigan State University.
How dirty is Lake Michigan?
Despite this, Lake Michigan is the most polluted of the Great Lakes, according to estimates by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Last year, nearly 22 million pounds of plastic were dumped into the Great Lakes — over half of which were dumped into Lake Michigan — according to estimates by RIT.
Are there piranhas in Lake Michigan?
While there’s been no official report of an actual piranha being caught in Lake Michigan, they have been found in smaller lakes around Michigan. At least according to the lifestyle blog Livn Fresh. Upon doing more research, it turns out that a few years ago ‘piranha type fish’ were caught near Detroit.
Why is Michigan lake so blue?
The blue in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is sediment brought to the surface when strong winds churned the lakes. The green in Lake Erie and in Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay is algae, which builds on the surface when winds are calm.
Is Lake Michigan toxic?
According to an analysis by the Chicago Tribune, the Oak Creek plant is the largest source of toxic metals being discharged into Lake Michigan, dumping more than 2,000 pounds of potentially brain-damaging toxic metals into the water last year.
Why you shouldn’t swim in Lake Michigan?
High Waves Can Knock Swimmers Down And Cause Stronger Rip Currents. In addition to dangerous currents, the strong winds around Lake Michigan can create deadly waves, possibly reaching up to 23 feet tall.
Are leeches in Lake Michigan?
Leeches are world wide. There are hundreds of species with 40 or more of them in Michigan alone. It’s not unusual to find them in woodsy creeks, ponds, and streams; sometimes they stick to you when you come out of the water, sometimes they don’t, depending if it’s the predatory type.
What is the dirtiest lake in America?
Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, N.Y., has often been called the most polluted lake in America. It was hammered by a one-two punch: raw and partially treated sewage from the city and its suburbs, and a century’s worth of industrial dumping.
Will Great Lakes dry up?
The Great Lakes share a surprising connection with Wisconsin’s small lakes and aquifers — their water levels all rise and fall on a 13-year cycle, according to a new study.