Teaching and Learning About 

 the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway

 

 

 

 

Part of the Teaching & Learning About Canada Website

Iroquois Locks & Dam

Which state or province borders the most Great Lakes?

Both the U.S. state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario border four of the five Great Lakes.

Michigan borders Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie. Ontario borders Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior.

 

 

 

Ports of the Seaway Great Lakes Basin Map
Ports1.jpg (42031 bytes)

 

 

 

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

 Area

 (sq. mi.)* 31,700 22,300 23,000 9,910 7,340 94,250

Area

(km2) 82,100 57,800 59,600 25,700 18,960 244,160

Area

On Cdn side 28,700 0 36,000 12,800 10,000 87,500

% of total

On Cdn side 34.96% 0% 60.4% 49.80% 52.74% 35.84%
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 17,017(d)
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. Mary's River Straits of Mackinac St. Clair River Niagara River/ Welland Canal St. Lawrence River

Notes:

Sources:

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

height refers to lift

( see details on the Welland Canal below)

St. Lambert (18 ft/5.5 m lift)


Côte Ste Catherine (30 ft/9.1 m), bypassing Lachine Rapids

Lower and Upper Beauharnois (82 ft/25 m, including the Beauharnois Canal, built 1932);

Dwight D. Eisenhower (38 ft/11.6m)


the Iroquois Guard Lock (3 ft/91 cm).

Useful Links-  more at the bottom of the page
Lake Huron GREAT LAKES ATLAS AND RESOURCE BOOK
Lake Superior Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River
Lake Erie GIFTS OF THE GLACIERS
Lake Michigan Great Lakes Basin Map

A little hand-carved canoe, named
Paddle-to-the-Sea, is the subject of this delightful story. Carved by a  Native boy, it is placed in the headwaters of the Great Lakes to make its way to the sea. Traveling through all the Great Lakes , the St. Lawrence Seaway and eventually the North Atlantic,  readers will learn about the geography, history, industry, seasons, tides, currents, locks, inhabitants, animals and more of this fascinating region. A Caldecott Honor Book. Written by   Holling C. Holling

This book is still available at Chapters.Indigo

 

Information  is provided by the Government of Canada.

 

 

AREAS OF THE GREAT LAKES

POPULATION LIVING AROUND EACH LAKE

THE WIDTH COMPARED TO LENGTH

ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY PHYSICAL SYSTEM


Opened to deep draft navigation in 1959.


Lock systems:
Montreal to Lake Ontario - 2 U.S., 5 Canadian
Welland Canal - 8 Canadian
St. Mary's River - 4 U.S. parallel locks -- one transit (Army Corps of Engineers)

Vessel maximum:
225.5 m (740 ft.) length;

23.7 m (78 ft.) beam;

8.0 m (26 ft., 3 in.) draft;

35.5 m (116.5 ft.) height above water.

Channels maintained at 8.2 m (27 ft.) minimum.


Distance from the Atlantic Ocean to Duluth, Minn.

= 2,038 nautical miles (2,342 statute miles), 8.5 sailing days.

The Welland Canal

The Welland Canal is an incredible feat of engineering. Originally initiated by local businessmen, the first canal (1829) was built to stimulate local and regional trade. Over the last century and a half, the canal has grown to become a vital link for international commerce, connecting The Atlantic Ocean with the heartlands of North America.

The present day Welland Canal which connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, is the fourth to be constructed. It is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway and 2,350 miles (3,780 km) of the international waterway.

The Welland Canal is 27 ft. (8.2m) deep and 26 miles (42 km) long. A system of eight locks circumvent nature's wonder Niagara Falls. Locks one to seven are lift locks, each having an average rise of 46.5 ft. (14.2 m). Lock eight, a regulating lock, one of the longest locks in the world, makes the final adjustment to Lake Eries's level.

Locks four, five and six are called the "flight locks", because no reach separates them and they are twinned to allow two way traffic.

The three main cargoes carried through the Welland Canal include wheat, iron-ore and coal. The average transit time is about 12 hours.

The Locking Procedure

Uses gravity to raise and lower vessels: To raise a vessel, the upstream valves are opened at the bottom of the walls and the following steps occur: -the ship sails through open gates into the lock. It then is secured to bollards near the side of the walls.

-the gates are closed and when the valves are opened to allow the water to flow in, the ship begins to lift.

-when it reaches the correct level, the gates are opened, and the ship can sail out.

The procedure (which is reversed to lower a vessel), takes approximately ten minutes and an average of 21 million gallons (95.4 million litres) of water.

 

 

Great Lakes Dry- and Liquid

 Bulk Commerce IN NET TONS

See: Dry-Bulk Commerce and also Tonnage Information from the Seaway Authority

2002

ORIGIN

 IRON ORE
From Lake Superior 46,249,620
From Lake Michigan 4,070,538
From Eastern Canada 8,597,065
Total Iron Ore 58,917,223

 To convert iron ore to gross tons, multiply by .89286.

ORIGIN COAL
From Lake Superior 19,966,279
From Lake Michigan 2,465,634
From Lake Erie 19,480,372
Total Coal 41,912,285

 

ORIGIN STONE
From U.S. Ports 29,384,428
From Canadian Ports 6,863,570
Total Stone 36,247,998

 

COMMODITY

TONS
SALT 7,211,435
CEMENT 5,341,759
POTAST 587,296
GRAIN 12,094,537
ALL BULK CARGO 162,312,533

 

Port of  Montreal- 1999- as an example

Primary Cargoes:
Overall Annual Tonnage:

 

 

what is carried on the great lakes

halfsisters.jpg (59577 bytes)The composite vessel CANADIAN TRANSFER, constructed from the bow of one ship and the stern section of another (see Two And A Half Sisters) is shown entering the St. Clair River in October 1999. This is from the excellent site: Great Lakes Images.

 

 

 

LINKS

Featured Site

Largest Lakes & Longest Rivers in Canada Great Lakes Atlas - 3rd Edition Great Lakes Information Management Resource
U.S. EPA - GLNPO, Visualizing the Great Lakes Great Lakes Information Network
Toxic Contamination
in the Great Lakes Region		   Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
St.Lawrence Seaway  Niagara- The Welland Canal Ports Map

Cdn.  Coast Guard--Central and Arctic Region

PORT OF MONTREAL

Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System
Locks at Sault St. Marie St. Lawrence - Maritime Seaway and Economic Centre of Canada How a Lock Works
The Economy of the St. Lawrence- maps The St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping*

Great Lakes Images

 Infoplease: St. Lawrence Seaway  
Map Gallery Michigan Gr. Lakes Site  
Great Lakes- Great Site! Gr. Lakes for Kids Friends of the Gr. Lakes
Largest Islands of the Great Lakes Sault St. Marie Great Lakes Commission
Quiz Sites The Gr. Lakes Quiz Gr. Lakes Quiz
Gr. Lakes of Canada Quiz Gr. Lakes Mini Quiz Quiz print out

*includes daily tracking of vessel passages, discussion forums, historical information about ships and shipwrecks, and extensive photo galleries.
 

 

 

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