Why is Lake Michigan so famous?
Why is Lake Michigan so famous? Lake Michigan has the longest stretch from north to south of all the Great Lakes, giving it a very diverse climate, which allows for a wide variety of plant and animal species. The lake boasts a variety of natural habitats, including tallgrass prairies, wide savannas, and the world's largest freshwater sand dunes.
Is Lake Michigan the deepest lake?
The deepest Great Lake is Lake Superior with a maximum depth of 1,333 feet. Lake Michigan is connected to Lake Huron in its north end by a 5-mile wide canal at the Straits of Mackinac, thus making the two bodies into a single lake called Lake Michigan-Huron.
What is the cleanest Great Lake?
The average underwater visibility of Lake Superior is about 8 metres or 27 feet, making it the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes.
What was found at the bottom of Lake Michigan?
There are some odd geological finds at the bottom, including a 2007 archeological find that was described as Stonehenge-like, although it was actually more in a V-shape. One of the stones is said to have a mastodon image on it (although it's not fully clear if it was man-made or just a natural formation).
Why is Lake Michigan one of the deadliest lakes?
Not only is this lake massive - spanning 307 miles in either direction - but its shores also run parallel, causing unique wave shapes. The shapes of these waves are what contribute to rip tides, which are one of the most dangerous things swimmers can encounter in the water.
Are there predators in Lake Michigan?
In Lake Michigan, Chinook salmon are a dominant and generally mid-water predator whose diet consists mostly of alewives, a generally mid-water prey fish.
What is the biggest threat to Lake Michigan?
Climate change is fueling more extreme Lake Michigan Water levels, along with stronger winds and heavier storms. These conditions exacerbate erosion, beach loss, and damage along the shore.
Why is Lake Michigan so special?
Lake Michigan's ecosystem contains the world's largest collection of freshwater sand dunes, which formed [PDF] along the eastern shorelines due to the combined action of wind and waves against glacial moraines long ago.
Is it safe to swim in Lake Michigan?
Lake Michigan is generally clean and safe for swimming but it can become contaminated with harmful bacteria.
Is Lake Michigan man made?
The lake's formation began 1.2 billion years ago when two tectonic plates moving in opposite directions left a giant scar—an event now known as the Midcontinent Rift. Less than 15,000 years ago, melting glaciers filled the giant basin, and Lake Michigan came to be. The lake's maximum depth is 925 feet.
Should you shower after swimming in Lake Michigan?
Should you shower after swimming in Lake Michigan? Take a shower: Bathe yourself after swimming in a lake in order to maintain hygiene and stay clean. If bacteria has not entered your body, it may be actively resting on your skin, creating a rash or finding an open cut to infect.
Why is Lake Michigan water so cold?
A north-northeast wind has pushed the warmer surface water along the Michigan shore back toward the middle of Lake Michigan and brought up colder water from well beneath the surface. This process is called upwelling.
How deep deep is Lake Michigan?
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third-largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
Can you drink the water in Lake Michigan?
Drinking Water - State of the Great Lakes. The 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement states that “the Waters of the Great Lakes should be a source of safe, high quality drinking water”. Approximately 8.5 million Canadians and 19.5 million Americans get their drinking water from the surface waters of the Great Lakes.
What is the biggest thing living in Lake Michigan?
Lake sturgeons are the biggest fish in the Great Lakes. And while individuals can pass the century mark, the species has been around since the days of the dinosaurs.
Why is Lake Michigan water so blue?
The blue in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is sediment brought to the surface when strong winds churned the lakes. The green in Lake Erie and in Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay is algae, which builds on the surface when winds are calm.
What is the biggest predator in Lake Michigan?
You won't find much in the way that will leave you wanting to stay out of the waters here in the Great Lakes. The description of the biggest predator in the Great Lakes may drive you to at least do it during the day if anything... Michigan's biggest predator in the Great Lakes is a Sea Lamprey.
What is the deepest lake in the United States?
At 1,943 feet (592 meters), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. The depths were first explored thoroughly in 1886 by a party from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Which Great lake can you not swim in?
Lake Michigan in particular is the roughest of the Great Lakes, and poses a major risk to those thinking of taking a dip.