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Drinking Water Week
American Water Works Association (5/6)
Drinking Water Week, May 4-10, is a unique opportunity for water professionals and the communities they serve to join together to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives.
American Wetlands Month
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (5/2)
This May will mark the 18th anniversary of American Wetlands Month, a time when EPA and its partners celebrate the vital importance of wetlands to the Nation's ecological, economic, and social health. It is also a great opportunity to discover and teach others about the important role that wetlands play in our environment and the significant benefits they provide.
Great Lakes Regional Research Information Network (GLRRIN)
GLIN's May 2008 Site of the Month (5/1)
Established in 2006 by NOAA Sea Grant, GLIN and regional partners, GLRRIN provides a powerful means to foster collaboration, acquire funding, highlight research needs and issues, and increase the overall impact of Great Lakes research. GLRRIN is a free service and offers research-related news and upcoming events, and profiles of Great Lakes researchers and their current projects.
Mother Earth Water Walk
(4/28)
Two Anishinawbe Grandmothers, and a group of Anishinawbe Women and Men have taken action regarding the water issue by walking the perimeter of the Great Lakes. The 2008 Lake Michigan walk kicked off April 26.
Shipwrecks and Maritime Tales of the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail
Ohio Sea Grant (4/24)
The shipwrecks within this website are a mere sampling of the hundreds of shipwreck sites located in the depths of Lake Erie. The goal is to make the visitor aware of the rich maritime history which lies beneath the surface of Ohio's Lake Erie.
Michigan Wildlife Conservancy
(4/21)
The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy provides the technical and financial assistance that landowners and managers need to restore and maintain wildlife habitat on their own land.
What's going on in your neighborhood this month? Meet other people and learn together at recreational and educational events! Our new dynamic calendar is updated daily with current educational events.
3 | Great Lakes system profile: Elevations and depths
Graphic: Great Lakes system profile
Four of the five Great Lakes are at different elevations, leading like a series of steps toward the Atlantic Ocean. The five individual lakes are connected to each other through channelways, forming one system. Water continually flows from the headwaters of the Lake Superior basin through the remainder of the system.The St. Marys River is a 60-mile waterway flowing from Lake Superior down to Lake Huron, descending more than 20 feet in elevation. Lakes Michigan and Huron are connected by the deep Straits of Mackinac and are considered to be one lake hydraulically with lake levels rising and falling together. The St. Clair and Detroit rivers, and Lake St. Clair between them, form an 89-mile-long channel connecting Lake Huron with Lake Erie. The fall between Lake Huron and Lake Erie is only about 8 feet. The 35-mile Niagara River links lakes Erie and Ontario, with the majority of the 325-foot difference in elevation occurring at Niagara Falls. The man-made Welland Canal also links the two lakes, providing a detour around Niagara Falls. From Lake Ontario, water flows into the St. Lawrence River, which converges with the Ottawa River near Montreal to flow to the Atlantic Ocean.