They are critical to the social and economic vitality of the entire North American continent. If the great lakes werent existed what would happen? One way to contribute to the Great Lakes economy is to visit yourself! It’s one of our most popular destinations during one of the most beautiful times of the year. People assume that lakes are relatively safe. They contain six quadrillion gallons of water, a volume which, according to Sustain Our Great Lakes, could submerge the U.S. to a depth of 9.5 feet! The Great Lakes, therefore, were important objectives for both American and British war efforts during the war. Can the foundation of Canada be traced back to Indigenous trade routes? The Great Lakes have, since the days of the early fur trade, provided an important transportation route to the interior of the continent, and with the opening of the ST LAWRENCE SEAWAY (1959) they became a truly international waterway. The Great Lakes are a chain of five North American lakes containing the second largest accumulation of fresh water on Earth. That would account for 20% of the world’s freshwater supply, and enough for 40 million people in the US and Canada. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Lakes also work to replenish groundwater, positively influence water quality of downstream watercourses, and preserve the biodiversity and habitat of the area. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Groundwater is important to the Great Lakes ecosystem, serving as a reservoir that replenishes the lakes in the form of base flow in tributaries. People living nearby the lakes are actually in the center of the US, meaning they are landlocked. The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact is a historic agreement among the eight Great Lakes states to protect Great Lakes water. For U.S. companies in the region, 78% of the imports they bring in from Canada are “intermediate goods”, which are raw materials, parts and components, and services that are used to produce other goods and services in the United States. The Great Lakes are today used as a major water transport corridor for bulk goods. The lakes constitute the largest inland water transportation system in the world, and have played an important role in the economic development of both the United States and Canada. 8-Bit Oinkers: These Tech-Savvy Pigs Are Mastering Video Games, How to Estimate What Home Payment Amount Fits Your Budget. As the lake provides faster travel within and about the Great Lakes, it constitutes inland water transportation system in the world. What Is the Market Volatility Index, and How Does It Impact Your Investments? This decrease in fish harvest is an important indicator of the overall health of the lakes themselves. Crazy enough, cities are fighting for that water. It holds 18 percent of the world’s supply of fresh water; covers 95,000 square miles with 9,000 miles of shoreline; includes 5,000 tributaries; and has a drainage area of 288,000 square miles. Exactly how much water are we talking about here? The Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario — represent thousands of years of history and continue to play an important role in the physical and cultural heritage of North America. In the US alone, four of the twelve largest cities are located around the shores of the Great Lakes, they represent around 10% of the U.S. population. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that is entirely within U.S. territory. No, we aren’t talking about cars – we’re talking about the Great Lakes! Tourism and recreation accounts for several billions of dollars in annual revenue, which can be attributed to both the local economy as well as restoration efforts. The Great Lakes touch 8 … Hood Tours. It’s literally the drinking fountain of the United States. Legislature was passed in 2008 that would determine how states manage the Great Lakes’ water supply. One of the methods used to protect the waters of the lakes is by minimizing diversion of its waters out of the Great Lakes Basin. Why is the Great Lakes Ecosystem important? The bulk of that work is in manufacturing, followed by agriculture, tourism and then shipping. To understand how much the Great Lakes have seesawed, one needs to go back to 1860, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started taking monthly averages of … Unfortunately, fishing in the Great Lakes has greatly reduced as pollution and invasive species have depleted native commercial fish populations. In fact, the Great Lakes are so large they are often referred to as inland seas. The Great Lakes region is booming with fertile ground and is an abundance source of wildlife. The great lakes are vital for the people living nearby. Meanwhile, populations of native whitefish, perch, trout, pike and others are doing their best to adapt by eating … Greek Mythology Stories: Persephone and the Origin of the Seasons, All About Bunnies: 10+ Facts About Rabbits. Sign up for our e-Newsletter & receive exclusive offers! New Questions in Geography. The Great Lakes Compact is an agreement that was signed into US Federal Law in 2008. The Great Lakes are the source of food, transportation, and drinking water for millions living in Canada and the United States. 10000 NE 7th Ave Suite 125, That would account for 20% of the world’s freshwater supply, and enough for 40 million people in the US and Canada. To keep recreational anglers happy and manage the alewives, the lakes are now stocked with rainbow trout and salmon from the Pacific ocean. One reason why the Great Lakes are so important is they harbor 20 percent of all the liquid water on Earth's surface. Apart from water for agriculture, the Great Lakes supply 25 percent of Canada and 10 percent of the United States with drinking water. Contact. They are also a vital water source and play an important role in transportation and the U.S. and Canadian economies. The Impact of Tourism The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America or the Laurentian Great Lakes, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the upper mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River.They are lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario and are in general on or near the Canada–United States border. They are also a vital water source and play an important role in transportation and the U.S. and Canadian economies. As such, two industries that do particularly well are agriculture and fishing, which account for billions of dollars in annual revenue. Call our office to plan your Great Lakes cruise, one of the most vital places on Earth! Over 150 tons of cargo move over the Great Lakes each year. The lakes provide for the transport of goods within North America, and through the Saint Lawrence Seaway, ships pass from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Apart from water for agriculture, the Great Lakes supply 25 percent of Canada and 10 percent of the United States with drinking water. The Great Lakes is a chain of inland lakes – Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior – stretching from New York to Minnesota. Today, the Great Lakes are popular recreation spots for boating, fishing and other recreational activities, and they still serve as an important mode of … SHIPPING STILL DOMINATES. The chain of five deep, freshwater bodies known as the Great Lakes make up 20% of the world’s surface water supply. Vancouver, WA 98685 The Great Lakes region is booming with fertile ground and is an abundance source of wildlife. The Great Lakes are the largest body of freshwater on earth. With that water comes life. Big enough to no behave like the much smaller lakes that come to most people's minds. Comment; Complaint; Link; Know the Answer? 0. Ready to explore? So they let their guard down. To be exact, the Lakes account for 1.5 million jobs, which translates into $62 billion in annual wages, according to a study by Michigan Sea Grant at University of Michigan, Why the Great Lakes are an Important Resource, Portland City Tours, Oregon Wine Tours, Mt. When the ecological puzzle pieces of a lake come together and the lake is able to work as it should, the big picture is clear, we all stand to benefit from this important resource. But the Great Lakes are big. - Cheri Dobbs and Jennifer Gabrys. It’s been pretty well safeguarded over the years, with many conservation agencies set up for its protection. Like we said, many efforts have been put in place to protect the Lakes. Without them, the resources would be exploited quickly. The Great Lakes are important because they contain 20 percent of the world's fresh water and exhibit tremendous biodiversity. The relationship between U.S. states and Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes Region is unique, and relies on goods flowing both ways. Vision can be affected by drugs and alcohol making, especially difficult to distinguish A) LightB) ColorsC) DistanceD) Shapes. Oliver Perry, the victor at Lake Erie, came from a distinguished family of naval officers. Answer. Coastal wetlands support a great biodiversity, or a large variety of animal and plant species. To be exact, the Lakes account for 1.5 million jobs, which translates into $62 billion in annual wages, according to a study by Michigan Sea Grant at University of Michigan. For one, the Great Lakes are way bigger than most people think. Great Lakes, chain of deep freshwater lakes in east-central North America comprising Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.They are one of the great natural features of the continent and of the Earth. The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem is the largest body of freshwater in the world. Answers (1) Howie Today, 16:57. Piggybacking on those would be cargo shipping, which is far more efficient than rail or truck. No need to worry about Jaws eating you while you're in fresh water. No salt, no sharks, no worries. What’s so great about the Great Lakes? In all that area, you’d imagine it gets a fair amount of traffic. Its primary objective was to protect the Great Lakes by regulating and managing the use of its waters. The Great Lakes are important because they collect and distribute a LOT of fresh water--more than any other single water system in the world. Beyond fresh water, the Great Lakes are also a huge source of jobs for both our country and Canada. +2. As such, two industries that do particularly well are agriculture and fishing, which account for billions of dollars in annual revenue. The Canadian and U.S. lake fleets, made up of carriers, tankers, … Industry. Because they comprise such a large waterway, they have played a vital role in the lives and histories of Indian peoples who have resided along their shores for millennia. Piggybacking on those would be cargo shipping, which is far more efficient than rail or truck. This includes some species that are rare, threatened, or even endangered. these 5 freshwater lakes are all interconnected and connect to the Atlantic Ocean. We have cruises where you can enjoy summers in the Great Lakes, but they’re filling up fast. Nestled in Michigan and the central US is one of the most important resources in the country, maybe the world. Shared with Canada and spanning more than 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from west to east, these vast inland freshwater seas provide water for consumption, transportation, power, recreation and a host of other uses. The Great Lakes watershed region supports 7 percent of the agricultural production of the United States and 25 percent of Canadian agriculture. This makes the Great Lakes an important freshwater ecosystem. The Compact, which came into force on December 8, 2008, protects wildlife and habitat from water diversions from the Great Lakes basin and promotes sound water management within the basin. This biodiversity helps drive the Great Lakes food web, with up to one-third of primary productivity originating in coastal wetlands. Only the polar ice caps contain a larger percentage worldwide fresh water. Put together, the five Great Lakes have 6 quadrillion gallons of it. More than 35 million Why are the great lakes an important waterway? A lot of jobs in your coastal county depend on the resources of the oceans and Great Lakes. The … All the more reason to keep them pollution-free. The Great Lakes are important because they contain 20 percent of the world's fresh water and exhibit tremendous biodiversity. More than 80 species of fish rely directly on coastal wetland habitat at some point in their life cycle and over 50 species are solely dependent on coastal wetlands for the entirety of their life cycle.Many fishes such as Norther… The Great Lakes Waterway connects all the lakes; the smaller Saint Lawrence Seaway connects the lakes to the Atlantic oceans. Approximately 150 species of native fish reside in the Great Lakes, and because of this, the lakes have historically been an important part of North America's fishing industry. People visit the area for many reasons, yet few are aware of the impact it has on the entire world. They serve as not only as havens for recreation during all seasons, these inland seas also provide a crucial marine transportation system for many of the state’s top economic industries. The Great Lakes are important to the United States because it allows the transportation of cargo such as iron ore to travel by sea to the several States and Canada that border these lakes. The Great Lakes are important to Canada for a variety of reasons. The Great Lakes are, from west to east: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario.They are a dominant part of the physical and cultural heritage of North America. Is an abundance source of food, transportation, and preserve the biodiversity and habitat of the States. Social and economic vitality of the United States and 25 percent of Canadian agriculture is for validation purposes should. 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