Lake Michigan

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Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes in North America and the only one fully located in the United States. The other four Great Lakes are shared by the US and Canada. It is the second largest lake by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron (and slightly smaller than the US West Virginia state). To the east, the basin is connected to Lake Huron via the vast Mackinac Strait, providing the same surface elevation as its eastern counterpart; both technically a single lake.

Lake Michigan is divided, from west to east, by the US states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The harbors along its shores include Chicago; Milwaukee; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Gary, Indiana; and Muskegon, Michigan. The word "Michigan" originally refers to the lake itself, and is believed to be derived from the word Ojibwe michi-gami meaning "big water".

Video Lake Michigan

Histori

Some of the earliest human inhabitants in the Lake Michigan region are the Hopewell Indian tribe. Their culture declined after 800 AD, and over the next few hundred years, this region was the home of the people known as the Late Woodland Indians. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, when Western European explorers made their first escape to the area, they met with descendants of the late-arriving Indians: Chippewa; Menominee; Scoop; Fox; Winnebago; Miami; Ottawa; and Potawatomi. French explorer Jean Nicolet is believed to be the first European to reach Lake Michigan, possibly in 1634 or 1638. In the earliest European map of the region, the name of Lake Illinois has been found in addition. under the name "Michigan", named after the Illinois Confederation of tribes.

Lake Michigan joins through the narrow Strait of Mackinac that opens with Lake Huron, and the combined body of water is sometimes called Michigan-Huron (also Huron-Michigan). The Mackinac Strait is a tract of Native American trade and feather trade. Located on the southern side of the Strait is the town of Mackinaw City, Michigan, the site of Fort Michilimackinac, a re-built French fort built in 1715, and on the north side is St. Ignace, Michigan, the venue of the French Catholic mission to Indians, founded in 1671. In 1673, Jacques Marquette, Louis Joliet and their crew of five MIS sailors  © followed Lake Michigan to Green Bay and ascended to the Fox River, almost upstream, in their search for the Mississippi River, cf.. Fox-Wisconsin Waterway. The eastern tip of the Strait is controlled by Fort Mackinac in Mackinac Island, British colonial and an early American military and trading base, founded in 1781.

With the advent of European exploration into the area at the end of the 17th century, Lake Michigan became part of the waterways leading from the Saint Lawrence River to the Mississippi River and then to the Gulf of Mexico. French coureurs des bois and voyageurs established small ports and trade communities, such as Green Bay, in lakes in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

In the 19th century, Lake Michigan played a major role in the development of Chicago and Midwestern United States to the west of the lake. For example, 90% of grains shipped from Chicago moved east over Lake Michigan during the prewar years, and only rarely fell below 50% after the Civil War and a large expansion of rail deliveries.

The first person to reach the deepest base of Lake Michigan was J. Val Klump, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Klump reached the bottom through the submarine as part of a 1985 research expedition.

In 2007, a row of rocks parallel to the ancient coastline was discovered by Mark Holley, professor of underwater archeology at Northwestern Michigan College. The formation is located 40 feet (12 m) below the surface of the lake. One stone is said to have a carving resembling a mastodon. So far the formation has not been authenticated.

Maps Lake Michigan

Geography

Lake Michigan is the only Great Lakes fully within the borders of the United States; others are shared with Canada. It is located in an area known as Midwest America.

Statistics and bathymetry

Lake Michigan has a surface area of ​​22,404 sq.mi (58.026 km ² ); (13,237 square miles, 34,284 km ² in Michigan state, 7,358 square miles, 19,056 km ² in Wisconsin, 234 square miles, 606 km ² in Indiana, & 1,576 sq. km, 4,079 km ² in Illinois) making it the largest lake completely in one country by surface area (Lake Baikal, in Russia, larger by water volume), and lake the fifth largest in the world. It is the largest part of Lake Michigan-Huron, which is the largest freshwater body in the world by surface area. It is 307 miles (494 km) long with 118 miles (190 km) wide with a long coastline of 1,640 miles (2,640 km). The average depth of the lake is 46 fathoms 3 feet (279Ã, ft; 85 m), while the largest depth is 153 fathoms 5 feet (923Ã, ft; 281 m). It contains a volume of 1,180 cubic kilometers (4,918 km) of water. Green Bay to the northwest is the largest bay. Grand Traverse Bay to the northeast is another big bay. Its deepest region, located in the northern part, is called the Chippewa Basin (named after the prehistoric Chippewa Lake) and separated from the South Chippewa Basin, by a relatively shallow region called the Central Lake Highlands.

City

Twelve million people live along the shores of Lake Michigan, especially in the metropolitan areas of Chicago and Milwaukee. The economy of many communities in northern Michigan and Door County, Wisconsin is supported by tourism, with large seasonal populations attracted by the beauty and recreational opportunities offered by Lake Michigan. Seasonal residents often have summer homes along the beach and back home for the winter. The southern end of the lake near Gary, Indiana is highly industrialized. Cities on the shores of Lake Michigan include:

Michigan

Wisconsin

Connections to open ocean and water

Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway open the Great Lakes to ships that go to the sea. The wider ocean container ships do not fit through the locks on this route, and thus the shipments are confined to the lake. Despite its vast size, large parts of the Great Lakes froze in the winter, disrupting most shipments. Some ice-solvers apply the lake.

The Great Lakes is also connected by the Illinois Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico via the Illinois River (from Chicago) and the Mississippi River. Alternate paths are through the Illinois River (from Chicago), to Mississippi, up to Ohio, and then through the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (a combination of a series of rivers, lakes and canals), to the Gulf of Mobile and the Gulf. The commercial tug-and-barge traffic in these waterways is very heavy.

Yachts can also enter or exit the Great Lakes through the Erie Canal and the Hudson River in New York. The Erie Canal connects to the Great Lakes at the eastern end of Lake Erie (in Buffalo, NY) and on the south side of Lake Ontario (in Oswego, NY).

Beach

Lake Michigan has many beaches. This region is often referred to as the "Third Beach" of the United States, after the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Sand is often soft and white, known as "singing sand" because of the squeaking sound (caused by the high quartz content) it emits when walking on it. Some beaches have sand dunes covered in green beach grass and cherry sand, and the water is usually clear and cool, between 55 and 80 ° F (13 and 27 ° C), even in late summer. However, since prevailing western winds tend to move surface water to the east, there is a steady stream of water to the Michigan coast in the summer.

The sand dunes located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan are the largest freshwater mound system in the world. In fact, in some locations along the coastline, the dunes rise several hundred meters above the lake's surface. Large dune formations can be seen in many state parks, national forests and national parks along the coastlines of Indiana and Michigan. Some of the most extensive and unique sand dunes can be found at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Saugatuck Dunes State Park, Warren Dunes State Park, Hoffmaster State Park, Lake Perak State Park, Ludington State Park and Lakies Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. Small dune formations can be found on the western shores of Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach State Park and medium-sized dune formations can be found at Kohler-Andrae State Park and Point Beach State Forest in Wisconsin. Large dune formations can be found at Whitefish Dunes State Park in Wisconsin on the Door Peninsula. The Lake Michigan coast in northern Michigan is the only place in the world, apart from some of the inland lakes of the region, where one can find Petoskey rocks, state rocks.

The beaches on the west coast and the northern most of the east coast are often rocky, with some sandy beaches due to local conditions; while the south and east coasts are usually sandy and sand dunes. This is partly due to prevailing winds from the west (which also causes thick ice sheets to form on the east coast in the winter).

The Chicago waterfront consists of parks, beaches, harbors and marinas, and housing construction linked by the Chicago Lakefront Trail. Where no beach or marina, rock or concrete revetments protect the shoreline from erosion. Lake Chicago is fairly easy to explore; it is possible to walk through parks, beaches and marinas about 24 miles (39 km) between the southern and northern border of the city along the lake.

Ferry

Two passenger ferries and vehicles operate a ferry service on Lake Michigan, both linking Wisconsin on the west coast with Michigan to the east. From May to October, the historic steamer, SSÃ, Badger, operates daily between Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and Ludington, Michigan, connecting the US Highway 10 between the two cities. The Lake Express , established in 2004, carries passengers and vehicles across the lake between Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Muskegon, Michigan.

Islands

• Beaver Island Islands in Charlevoix County, Michigan, including Beaver Island, Garden Island, Grape Island, Gull Island, Hat Island, High Island, Hog Island, Horseshoe Island, Small Island, Pismire Island, Shoes Island, Island Squaw, Trout Island, and Whiskey Island.
• The Fox Islands in Leelanau County, Michigan, consisting of North Fox Island and South Fox Island.
• The Manitou Islands, North Manitou Island, and South Manitou Island, are in Leelanau County, Michigan.
• The islands of Grand Traverse Bay include Bassett Island, Bellow Island, and Marion Island.
• The island south of Peninsula Park in Delta County, Michigan includes Gravelly Island, Gull Island, Little Gull Bird Island, Little Summer Island, Poverty Island, Rocky Island, St. Martin, and the Summer Island.
• The island of Big Bay de Noc in Delta County, Michigan includes the Round Island, Saint Vital Island, and Snake Island.
• The island of Little Bay de Noc in Delta County, Michigan includes Butlers Island and Sand Island.
• Wilderness State Park in Emmet County, Michigan contains Temperance Island and Waugoshance Island.
• Epoufette Island, Gravel Island, Little Hog Island, and Naubinway Island are located in Mackinac County, Michigan, in the area of ​​Epoufette, Michigan, and Naubinway, Michigan.
• Green Island and St. Island Helena is in the vicinity of the Mackinac Bridge, in Mackinac County, Michigan.
• The island that surrounds the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin includes Chambers Island, Fish Island, Gravel Island, Spider Island, Horseshoe Island, Sister Island, Detroit Island, Green Island, Hog Island, Pilot Island, Plum Island, Pulau Batu, Island Strawberries and Washington Island. The northern part of the peninsula is technically an island itself, due to the Stalgeon Bay Ship Channel.
• Northerly Island is a 91 acre (37Ã, ha) artificial island in Chicago. This is the home of the Adler Planetarium, the former Meigs Field site, and the current location of the Charter One Pavilion concert venue every summer.
• Other islands include the Fisher Island in Charlevoix Region, Michigan, and Ile aux Galets in Emmet County, Michigan.
• Plum Island (Wisconsin) is an island on the western shore of Lake Michigan in the southern city of Washington in Door County, Wisconsin.

Garden

National Park Service maintains Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Parts of the coastline are within the Hiawatha National Forest and Manistee National Forest. The Manistee National Forest section on the coastline includes Wilderness Nordhouse Dunes. The Michigan Lake Division of the Michigan National Wildlife Refuge is also located within the lake.

There are many state and local parks located on the banks of the lake or on the islands in the lake. The following partial list.

• Chicago Park District Beaches
• Lake Duck State Park
• Fayette Historic State Park
• Island Island Fisherman's Garden
• Grand Haven Park
• Grand Mere State Park
• Harrington Beach State Park
• Holland State Park
• Hoffmaster State Park
• Illinois Beach State Park
• Indian Lake Park
• Indiana Dunes State Park
• Kohler-Andrae State Park
• Lake Park, Milwaukee
• Ludington State Park
• Leelanau State Park
• Mears State Park
• Muskegon Park
• Newport State Park
• Orchard Beach State Park
• Peninsula State Park
• Racine Zoo
• Saugatuck Dunes State Park
• Silver Lake State Park
• Traverse City Park
• Terry Andrae State Park
• Van Buren State Park
• Warren Dunes Park
• Wells State Park
• Wilderness State Park

Lighthouse

• Illinois lighthouse
• Indiana lighthouse
• Michigan lighthouse
• Wisconsin lighthouse

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Hydrology

The Milwaukee Reef, runs underneath Lake Michigan from the point between Milwaukee and Racine to the point between Grand Haven and Muskegon, divides the lake into the northern and southern basins. Each basin has a clockwise flow of water, which comes from rivers, winds, and Coriolis effects. The prevailing west wind tends to move surface water to the east, producing a moderation effect on Michigan's western climate. There is an average difference in summer temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to 5 degrees Celsius) between Wisconsin and Michigan coasts.

Hydrologically Michigan and Huron are the same water bodies (sometimes called Lake Michigan-Huron), but are usually considered different. Calculated together, it is the largest freshwater body in the world by surface area. The Mackinac Bridge is generally regarded as a dividing line between them. Both lakes are part of the Great Lakes Waterway.

Historical High Water

The lake fluctuates from month to month, with the highest lake level usually experienced in summer. Normal high water mark is 2,000 feet (0.61 m) above 577.5 feet (176.0 m) datum. In the summer of 1986, Lake Michigan and Huron reached their highest levels during the period in which records had been stored, at 5.92 ft (1.80 m) above the datum. High water records began in February 1986 and lasted all year, ending in January 1987. The water level ranged from 3.67 feet (1.12 m) to 5.92 feet (1.80 m) above the Datum Chart. On February 21, 1986, the waters approached the maximum at all times during the period when records were kept.

Historical Low Water

Lake levels tend to be the lowest in winter. The normal low water mark is 1.00 feet (0.30 m) below datum 577.5 ft (176.0 m). In the winter of 1964, Lake Michigan and Huron reached the lowest level at 1.38 feet (0.42 m) below the datum. As with water records, a low monthly monthly record is set monthly from February 1964 to January 1965. During the twelve-month period, the water level ranges from 1.38 feet (0.42 m) to 0.71 feet (0.22 m) under Chart Datum.

In January 2013, Lake Michigan's average monthly water level dropped to an all-time low of 576.2 ft (175.6 m), reaching its lowest point since records began in 1918. The lakes are in position 29 (0 , 74 m) underneath. The average is long-term and has decreased 17 inches since January 2012. Keith Kompoltowicz, head of the hydrology of DAS for the US Army Corps of Engineers' district office in Detroit, explains that the biggest factor leading to lower water levels in 2013 is a combination of "lack of a big snowpack" in the winter of 2011/2012 coupled with very hot and dry conditions in summer 2012.

Drinking water

Lake Michigan, like the other Great Lakes, supplies drinking water to millions of people in border areas. The lakes are collectively managed by state and provincial governments adjacent to them based on the Great Lakes Compact.

Environmental problems can still disrupt the lake. Steel plants and refineries operate near the Indiana coastline. The Chicago Tribune reports that BP is the main polluter, dumping thousands of pounds of raw mud into the lake every day from Whiting, Indiana, the oil refinery. In March 2014, BP's Whiting refinery was responsible for shedding more than 1,600 US gallons (6,100 liters) of oil into the lake.

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Fishing

Lake Michigan is home to many species of fish and other organisms. It was originally home to a milkfish lake, trout, yellow perch, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and bowfin, as well as several species of catfish. As a result of the Welland Channel improvement in 1919, the invasion of marine lampreys and over-harvesting, there has been a decline in the original trout population, which in turn led to an increase in the population of other invasive species, the mother. As a result, salmon, including various strains of brown trout, steelhead (rainbow trout), salmon coho and chinook, were introduced as predators to lower mosquito populations. The program was so successful that the introduced trout and salmon populations exploded, resulting in the creation of a large sports fishery for this introduced species. Lake Michigan is now stocked annually with steelheads, brown trout, and salmon coho and chinook, which have also started natural reproduction in several Lake Michigan tributaries. However, some introduced invasive species, such as lamprey, round goby, zebra mussels and quagga mussels, continue to cause profound changes in water clarity and fertility, resulting in major changes to the Lake Michigan ecosystem, threatening the vitality of native fish populations.

Commercial fishery

Fisheries in the small inland waters of the United States are small compared to marine fisheries. The largest fisheries were the landing of the Great Lakes, valued at approximately $ 13 million in 2003. The commercial fisheries of Michigan currently comprise over 150 commercial fishing operations licensed through the Chippewa-Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) and the tribes of the Great Lakes Indians The Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC), which harvests 50 percent of Great Lakes commercial catches in Michigan waters, and 45 state-licensed commercial fishing companies. The main commercial species is whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis). The annual harvest decreased from an average of 11 million pounds (5,000,000 kg) from 1981 to 1999 to a recent annual harvest of 8 to 9.5 million pounds (3,600,000 to 4,300,000 kg). The price for whitefish is down from $ 1.04/lb. as low as $ 0.40/lb during high production periods.

Fishing sport

Fishing fishing includes salmon, white fish, kissing, lake trout and walleye being the main catch. In the late 1960s, a successful stocking program for Pacific salmon led to the development of the Michigan Lake charter fishing industry.

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Shipping

Like all Great Lakes, Lake Michigan is currently used as the primary mode of transportation for bulk goods. In 2002, 162 million tonnes of dry bulk cargo were transported through the Lake. This, in volume order: iron ore, seeds and potassium. Iron ore and many stones and coal are used in the steel industry. There is also liquid and packed cargo shipping, but most container ships can not pass a key on the Saint Lawrence Seaway because the ship is too wide. The total number of shipments in the lake has declined over the years.

Port of Chicago

The Port of Chicago, operated by the Illinois International Port District, has grain storage facilities (14 million bushels) and bulk (800,000 barrels) along Lake Calumet. The central element of the Port District, Calumet Harbor, is managed by the US Army Engineer Corps.

Tourism and recreation

Source of the article : Wikipedia