About The Great Lakes System
The Niagara River isn’t really a “river” in the strictest sense of the word. It is actually a strait – a relatively narrow body of water that connects tow larger bodies (Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). The two lakes, in turn, are part of an even larger mass of water – The Great Lakes System.
The Great Lakes contain one-fifth of all the world’s “free” fresh water (water not frozen into the polar ice caps). The main source of the lakes is the “ground water” (the water table) of the surrounding portion of North America.
The water in the Great Lakes system travels from west to east and makes a total drop of 602 ft (183 m) before reaching sea level. Water flows from Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron through Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River into western Lake Erie.
From the eastern end of lake Erie, the water flows north through the 35 miles (56 km) of the Niagara River, which empties into Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario, in turn, drains northeastward through the St. Lawrence River and into the Atlantic Ocean.
Lake Superior is both the largest (in surface area) and the deepest of the five Great Lakes. Ontario is the smallest, and Erie is the shallowest. (A brief table of measurements is presented below.)
Lake Superior: 31,820 sq. mi. Length 350 mi. Width 160 mi. Max Depth 1290 ft.
The largest difference in water level between two lakes is the 326 ft drop between Lakes Erie and Ontario. (Superior is 22 ft higher than Michigan and Huron, which are 8 ft higher than Erie.)
The huge mass of water that makes up the Great Lakes system determines both the environment and the economy of the Niagara region. The moisture that evaporates from the lakes tends to inhibit cloud formation in the summer and to moderate air temperature in the winter, thus producing a remarkably temperate climate. Niagara is usually warmer in the winter than the surrounding portions of North America, and has more days of sunshine than many “sunbelt” cities.
Great Lakes water is also the economic lifeblood of the area. The force of water flowing downhill provides huge amounts of renewable energy; energy that is used to power industry, commerce, and residential districts. Water transportation systems fan out from Niagara to many parts of the continent, and agriculture flourishes. The falls at Niagara draw millions of sightseers each year.
The fact that Niagara is both a part and a product of the Great Lakes is often impressed on visitors when they hear the cry of “sea gulls,” These water birds (actually fresh water gulls and terns) flourish in and around the Great Lakes – the inland seas that give the Niagara region its special character and identity.
The Niagara River isn’t really a “river” in the strictest sense of the word. It is actually a strait – a relatively narrow body of water that connects tow larger bodies (Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). The two lakes, in turn, are part of an even larger mass of water – The Great Lakes System.
The Great Lakes contain one-fifth of all the world’s “free” fresh water (water not frozen into the polar ice caps). The main source of the lakes is the “ground water” (the water table) of the surrounding portion of North America.
The water in the Great Lakes system travels from west to east and makes a total drop of 602 ft (183 m) before reaching sea level. Water flows from Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron through Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River into western Lake Erie.
From the eastern end of lake Erie, the water flows north through the 35 miles (56 km) of the Niagara River, which empties into Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario, in turn, drains northeastward through the St. Lawrence River and into the Atlantic Ocean.
Lake Superior is both the largest (in surface area) and the deepest of the five Great Lakes. Ontario is the smallest, and Erie is the shallowest. (See table below.)
Lake Superior:
- 31,820 sq. miles
- Length 350 miles
- Width 160 miles
- Max Depth 1290 ft.
Lake Huron:
- 23,010 sq. miles
- Length 206 miles
- Width 183 miles
- Max Depth 750 ft.
Lake Michigan:
- 22,400 sq. miles
- Length 307 miles
- Width 307 miles
- Max Depth 923 feet
Lake Erie:
- 9,940 square miles
- Length 241 miles
- Width 57 miles
- Max Depth 210 feet
Lake Ontario:
- 7540 sq miles
- Length 192 miles
- Width 53 miles
- Max Depth 774 feet
The largest difference in water level between two lakes is the 326 ft drop between Lakes Erie and Ontario. (Superior is 22 ft higher than Michigan and Huron, which are 8 ft higher than Erie.)
The huge mass of water that makes up the Great Lakes system determines both the environment and the economy of the Niagara region. The moisture that evaporates from the lakes tends to inhibit cloud formation in the summer and to moderate air temperature in the winter, thus producing a remarkably temperate climate. Niagara is usually warmer in the winter than the surrounding portions of North America, and has more days of sunshine than many “sunbelt” cities.
Great Lakes water is also the economic lifeblood of the area. The force of water flowing downhill provides huge amounts of renewable energy; energy that is used to power industry, commerce, and residential districts. Water transportation systems fan out from Niagara to many parts of the continent, and agriculture flourishes. The falls at Niagara draw millions of sightseers each year.
The fact that Niagara is both a part and a product of the Great Lakes is often impressed on visitors when they hear the cry of “sea gulls,” These water birds (actually fresh water gulls and terns) flourish in and around the Great Lakes – the inland seas that give the Niagara region its special character and identity.
