Lake Michigan

Michigan is the world's fifth largest lake by surface area. It is 307 miles long and 118 miles wide, and has an average depth of 279 feet.  

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Who uses the Great Lakes' water?

By • Dec 14, 2017
Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River make up the world's biggest freshwater system -- and an enormously valuable resource. It supplies drinking water for millions of residents and powers the region's economy.

Last year, 42 million gallons were withdrawn from the basin each day, according to a new report from the Great Lakes Commission. Here's where it went.

Recalling the doomed 'Christmas Tree Ship'

By • Dec 11, 2017
U.S Coast Guard

The Christmas spirit is popping up along the waters of the Great Lakes region.

In Port Huron, Mich., Santa Claus rode to shore on the Huron Spirit, a boat operated by the Lakes Pilots Association. In Toledo, Ohio, the tug Josephine brought him to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

But the most poignant event of the holiday season was in Chicago, where the sinking of  "The Christmas Tree Ship" was remembered recently.

Pain-killers, other drugs found in Great Lakes ecosystem

By • Dec 8, 2017
Drug Enforcement Administration

As America confronts the opioid crisis, environmental scientists are warning about a related problem. Chemicals from pain-killers and other drugs often end up in lakes and rivers, creating what some scientists say could be a deadly cocktail for fish and other wildlife.

Expect snow, not ice on the Great Lakes this winter

By • Dec 4, 2017
Amy Nichole Harris/Shutterstock

Note: Updated on Dec. 6, based on lake surface temperatures in November, which significantly lowered predictions for the ice cover. --

Over the past two winters, the Great Lakes have had a below-average ice cover. And that’s expected to continue this year.  


New safety agreement inked for Line 5 pipeline

By • Nov 27, 2017

The state of Michigan and Enbridge Inc. have settled on new safety measures for Line 5, the 645-mile oil and gas pipeline that crosses the Straits of Mackinac.

The agreement, announced Monday, requires Enbridge to halt transmissions during "adverse weather," replace a section of the pipeline and make other changes along the underwater route where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet.

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