Facts about the Great Lakes

1. 07

   Zebra mussels, invasive species first detected in Lake St. Clair in 1988, have caused over 3 billion dollars in damage to water intake pipes and infrastructure across the Great Lakes region.

   the Great LakesMay 14shareinvasiveecologyinfrastructure
2. 06

   Niagara Falls, flowing between Lakes Erie and Ontario, drops 188 feet and generates approximately 4,200 megawatts of hydroelectric power annually.

   the Great LakesMay 14sharehydroelectricgeographyenergy
3. 05

   Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States, while the other four are shared with Canada.

   the Great LakesMay 14sharegeographygeopoliticsborders
4. 04

   Approximately 3,160 miles of international boundary between Canada and the United States runs through the Great Lakes, making them crucial to North American geopolitics.

   the Great LakesMay 14sharegeographypoliticsboundaries
5. 03

   In 1969, the Cuyahoga River flowing into Lake Erie caught fire due to industrial pollution, sparking the modern environmental movement.

   the Great LakesMay 14sharehistorypollutionenvironment
6. 02

   Freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, killing all 29 crew members aboard during a nor'easter storm.

   the Great LakesMay 14sharehistorydisastermaritime
7. 01

   Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario combined contain 21 percent of Earth's surface freshwater, totaling approximately 22,810 cubic kilometers.

   the Great LakesMay 13sharemeasurementgeographywater