The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book

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The Great Lakes:
An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book

Chapter One - Introduction: The Great Lakes

Chapter Two - Natural Processes in the Great Lakes

Chapter Three - People and the Great Lakes

Chapter Four - The Great Lakes Today - Concerns

Chapter Five - Joint Management of the Great Lakes

Chapter Six - New Directions for the Great Lakes Community

Glossary
Conversion Table (Metric to Imperial Values)
References and Suggestions for Further Reading
Sources for Maps

Great Lakes Factsheet No. 1

Physical Features And Population

		Superior	Michigan	Huron	Erie	Ontario	Totals
Elevation^a	(feet)**	600	577	577	569	243
	(metres)	183	176	176	173	74
Length	(miles)*	350	307	206	241	193
	(kilometres)	563	494	332	388	311
Breadth	(miles)*	160	118	183	57	53
	(kilometres)	257	190	245	92	85
Average Depth^a	(feet)**	483	279	195	62	283
	(metres)	147	85	59	19	86
Maximum Depth^a	(feet)*	1,332	925	750	210	802
	(metres)	406	282	229	64	244
Volume^a	(cu. miles)*	2,900	1,180	850	116	393	5,439
	(km³)	12,100	4,920	3,540	484	1,640	22,684
Water Area	(sq. mi.)*	31,700	22,300	23,000	9,910	7,340	94,250
	(km²)	82,100	57,800	59,600	25,700	18,960	244,160
Land Drainage Area^b	(sq. mi.)*	49,300	45,600	51,700	30,140	24,720	201,460
	(km²)	127,700	118,000	134,100	78,000	64,030	521,830
Total Area	(sq. mi.)*	81,000	67,900	74,700	40,050	32,060	295,710
	(km²)	209,800	175,800	193,700	103,700	82,990	765,990
Shoreline Length^c	(miles)*	2,726	1,638	3,827	871	712	10,210d
	(kilometres)	4,385	2,633	6,157	1,402	1,146	17,017d
Retention Time	(years)**	191	99	22	2.6	6
Population:	U.S. (1990)†	425,548	10,057,026	1,502,687	10,017,530	2,704,284	24,707,075
	Canada (1991)	181,573		1,191,467	1,664,639	5,446,611	8,484,290
	Totals	607,121	10,057,026	2,694,154	11,682,169	8,150,895	33,191,365
Outlet		St. Marys River	Straits of Mackinac	St. Clair River	Niagara River/ Welland Canal	St. Lawrence River

Notes:

^a Measured at Low Water Datum.
^b Land Drainage Area for Lake Huron includes St. Marys River.
Lake Erie includes the St. Clair-Detroit system.
Lake Ontario includes the Niagara River.
^c Including islands.
^d These totals are greater than the sum of the shoreline length for the lakes because they include the connecting channels (excluding the St. Lawrence River).

Sources:

* Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data, Coordinated Great Lakes Physical Data. May, 1992
** Extension Bulletins E-1866-70, Michigan Sea Grant College Program, Cooperative Extension Service, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, Michigan, 1985

^† 1990-1991 population census data were collected on different watershed boundaries and are not directly comparable to previous years.

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