A Great Lakes Primer

Great Lakes Basin

Great Lakes Profile

Lake Depth (m) Surface

Area (km2)

Volume (km3)

Retention

Time (yr)

Population

(millions)

Basin Area Lake Area

Ratio

Superior 147 82,100 12,100 191 0.6 1.56

Michigan 85 57,800 4,920 99 10.1 2.04

Huron 59 59,600 3,540 22 2.7 2.25

Erie 19 25,700 484 2.6 11.7 3.04

Ontario 86 18,960 1,640 6 8.2 3.38

Morphometry and Development

Phosphorus and Eutrophication

Trophic State Index

( , , , )TSI f P Chl PP SD

Trophic State Index

( , , , )TSI f P Chl PP SD

Trophic State Index

( , , , )TSI f P Chl PP SD

Trophic State Index

( , , , )TSI f P Chl PP SD

Trophic State Index

( , , , )TSI f P Chl PP SD

Trophic State Index

( , , , )TSI f P Chl PP SD

Toxic Substances

Invasive Species

183 non-indigenous species in the Great Lakes (NOAA)

Areas of Concern

Areas of Concern (AOCs): severely degraded sites with impaired beneficial use

Remedial Action Plans (RAPs): specify problems and methods of correcting them

Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs): plan to assess, restore, and protect ecosystem health

GLWQA

Areas of Concern

Waukegan Harbor (IL)PCBsOutboard Marine Corporation

Rouge River (MI)Urban storm water discharges, CSOs, nonpoint source pollution, and municipal and industrial discharges

Presque Isle Bay (PA)PAHs, heavy metals

From the Literature – Lake Superior

Toxaphene was a popular replacement for DDT until being banned in 1982. Here, atmospheric sampling and back-trajectory analysis are applied to quantify rates of deposition and sources for Lake Superior.

From the Literature – Lake Michigan

Beach closing due to fecal contamination are closely associated with public perception of water quality

From the Literature – Lake Huron

Numbers on x-axis refer to depth zones: 1 = shallow, 2 = intermediate, 3 = deep

From the Literature – Lake Erie

Black area is region of anoxia. Number at bottom is depletion rate.

From the Literature – Lake Ontario

Mirex is an organic chemical used as a fire retardant and insecticide (fire ants). It has a long half-life. It was found to be present in fish in northern Lake Ontario, but no source was identified.

A Great Lakes Primer