Lake Michigan
| Lake Michigan, USA | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Basin countries | USA |
| Max-length | 494 km |
| Max-width | 190 km |
| Surface area | 22,400 square miles (58,016 km²)[1] |
| Average depth | 85 m |
| Max-depth | 923 feet (282 m)[1] |
| Water volume | 4,918 km³ |
| Residence time (of lake water) | 99 years |
| Shore length1 | 2,633 km |
| Surface elevation | 577 feet (176 m)[1] |
| Islands | see list |
| Settlements | Milwaukee Chicago See article for others. |
| 1 Shore length is an imprecise measure which may not be standardized for this article. | |
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one in the group located entirely within the United States. It is bounded, in a clockwise direction from the south, by the U.S. states of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The word "Michigan" was originally used to refer to the lake itself, and is believed to come from the Ojibwa Indian word mishigami, meaning "great water."
Contents |
Geography
Lake Michigan (43°30'N, 87°30'W) is the only one of the Great Lakes wholly within the borders of the United States; the others are shared with Canada. It has a surface area of 22,400 square miles (58,016 km²)[1], making it the largest freshwater lake in the US, the largest lake entirely within one country, and the 5th largest lake in the world. It is 307 miles (494 km) long by 118 miles (190 km) wide with a shoreline 1,640 miles (2,633 km) long. The lake's average depth is 279 feet (85 m), while its greatest depth is 923 feet (281 m)[1]. It contains a volume of 1,180 cubic miles (4,918 cubic km) of water. Its surface averages 577 feet (176 m)[1] above sea level, the same as Lake Huron, to which it is connected through the Straits of Mackinac.
Major cities
Some 12 million people live along Lake Michigan's shores. Many small cities in Northern Michigan are centered on a tourist base that takes advantage of the beauty and recreational opportunities offered by Lake Michigan. These cities have large seasonal populations that arrive from Chicago and inland cities in Southern Michigan. The southern tip of the lake is heavily industrialized. Cities on the shores of Lake Michigan with populations larger than 30,000 include:
Illinois | Indiana | Michigan | Wisconsin |
Beaches
Lake Michigan beaches, especially those beaches in Michigan and Northern Indiana, are known for their beauty and the region is often referred to as the "Third Coast" of the United States after those of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The sand is soft and off-white, known as "singing sands" because of the squeaking noise made when one walks across it (caused by high quartz content). There are often high sand dunes covered in green beach grass and sand cherries, and the water is usually clear and cold (between 55 and 70 °F/13 and 21 °C) [1], even in late summer. Lake Michigan beaches in Northern Michigan are the only place in the world where one can find Petoskey stones, the state stone, aside from a few inland lakes in that region.
The beaches of the western coast and the northernmost part of the east coast are rocky while the southern and eastern beaches are sandy and dune covered. This is partly because of the prevailing winds from the west which also cause thick layers of ice to build up on the eastern shore in winter.
Chicago annually imports fresh sand to replenish the popular city beaches but much of the city waterfront is covered by seawalls, harbors or developments.
Steel mills are visible along the Indiana shoreline, and the pollution caused by these mills is believed to contribute to the color of sunsets.
The Chicago skyline can be seen from the Indiana shore, but when standing on the beaches in Wisconsin or Lower Michigan, it is impossible to see across the lake, providing a view similar to that found on ocean coasts.
Car ferries
Motorists can cross Lake Michigan by the SS Badger, a ferry that runs from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The Lake Express, established in 2004, is another ferry. It allows motorists to cross the lake between Muskegon, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at a much higher speed than the Ludington ferry.
Islands
Parks
The National Park Service maintains the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Part of the shoreline is within the Hiawatha National Forest and the Manistee National Forest. The Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is within the lake.
There are numerous state parks located on the shores of the lake or on islands within the lake.
Lighthouses
Geology
Geologically and hydrologically, Michigan and Huron are the same body of water (sometimes called Lake Michigan-Huron), but are geographically distinct. Counted together, it is the largest fresh water body in the world by surface area. The Mackinac Bridge is generally considered the dividing line between them. Both lakes are part of the Great Lakes Waterway. In earlier maps of the region, the name "Lake Illinois" has been found in place of "Michigan."
See also
- Grand Traverse Bay
- Door Peninsula
- Bay of Green Bay
- Leelanau Peninsula
- Big Bay de Noc
- Little Bay de Noc
- Little Traverse Bay
- Illinois Beach State Park
- Indiana Dunes State Park
References
External links
| North American Great Lakes |
| Lake Superior | Lake Michigan | Lake Huron | Lake Erie | Lake Ontario |
Categories
Articles lacking sources from August 2006 | All articles lacking sources | Great Lakes | Lakes of Illinois | Lakes of Indiana | Lakes of Michigan | Lakes of Wisconsin