LAKE ERIE

Geographic features;

See also: Lake Erie Basin

(Lake Erie 42.2° N, 81.2) has a mean elevation of 571 feet above sea level. It has a surface area of 9,910 square miles 25,667 km with a length of 241 statute miles 388 km; 209 nmi and breadth of 57 statute miles  92 km; 50 nmi at its widest points.

It is the shallowest of the Great Lakes with an average depth of 10 fathoms 3 feet 62 ft; 19 m and a maximum depth of 35 fathoms 210 ft; 64 m For comparison, Lake Superior has an average depth of 80 fathoms 3 feet 483 ft; 147 m, a volume of 2,900 cubic miles 12,100 km3 and shoreline of 2,726 statute miles 4,385 km. Because it is the shallowest, it is also the warmest of the Great Lakes, and in 1999 this almost became a problem for two nuclear power plants which require cool lake water to keep their reactors cool. The warm summer of 1999 caused lake temperatures to come close to the 85 °F (29 °C) limit necessary to keep the plants cool. Also because of its shallowness, and in spite of being the warmest lake in the summer, it is also the first to freeze in the winter. The shallowest section of Lake Erie is the western basin where depths average only 25 to 30 feet 7.6 to 9.1 m; as a result, "the slightest breeze can kick up lively waves," according to a New York Times reporter in 2004. The "waves build very quickly", according to other accounts. Sometimes fierce waves springing up unexpectedly have led to dramatic rescues; in one instance, a Cleveland resident trying to measure the dock near his house became trapped but was rescued by a fire department diver from Avon Lake, Ohio:

In a tug of war against the waves, the two were finally hauled out by rope. After being trapped for an hour-and-a-half, Baker was back on dry land, exhausted and battered but alive.

—Tatiana Morales, CBS News, 2004

The Niagara River empties Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. This water has just passed over Niagara Falls.

This area is also known as the "thunderstorm capital of Canada" with "breathtaking" lightning displays. Lake Erie is primarily fed by the Detroit River from Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair and drains via the Niagara River and Niagara Falls into Lake Ontario. Navigation downstream is provided by the Welland Canal, part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Other major contributors to Lake Erie include the Grand River, the Huron River, the Maumee River, the Sandusky River, the Buffalo River, and the Cuyahoga River. The drainage basin covers 30,140 square miles 78,000 km2.

Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland, is located on a peninsula extending into the lake. Several islands are found in the western end of the lake; these belong to Ohio except for Pelee Island and eight neighboring islands, which are part of Ontario.

Major cities along the Lake Erie include Buffalo, New York; Erie, Pennsylvania; Toledo, Ohio; Port Stanley, Ontario; Monroe, Michigan; Sandusky, Ohio; and Cleveland, Ohio.

Partial map of the Lake Erie Islands

Islands

See also: Lake Erie Islands

Islands tend to be located in the western side of the lake and total 31 in number (13 in Canada, 18 in the U.S.). The island-village of Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island attracts young crowds who sometimes wear "red bucket hats" and are prone to "break off cartwheels in the park" and general merriment. Kelleys Island was depicted by the Chicago Tribune as having charms that were "more subtle" than Put-in-Bay, and offers amenities such as beach lounging, hiking, biking, and "marveling at deep glacial grooves left in limestone." Pelee Island is the largest of Erie's islands, accessible by ferry from Leamington, Ontario and Sandusky, Ohio. The island has a "fragile and unique ecosystem" with plants rarely found in Canada, such as wild hyacinth, yellow horse gentian (Triosteum angustifolium), and prickly pear cactus, as well as two endangered snakes, the blue racer and the Lake Erie water snake. Songbirds migrate to Pelee in spring, and monarch butterflies stop over during the fall.

Water levels

Lake Erie has a lake retention time of 2.6 years,the shortest of all the Great Lakes. This means that the lake water is renewed from upstream sources every three years. The lake's surface area is 9,910 square miles (25,667 km2). Lake Erie's water level fluctuates with the seasons as in the other Great Lakes. Generally, the lowest levels are in January and February, and the highest in June or July, although there have been exceptions. The average yearly level varies depending on long-term precipitation. Short-term level changes are often caused by seiches that are particularly high when southwesterly winds blow across the length of the lake during storms. These cause water to pile up at the eastern end of the lake. Storm-driven seiches can cause damage onshore. During one storm in November 2003, the water level at Buffalo rose by 7 feet (2.1 m) with waves of 10–15 feet (3–4.5 m) for a rise of 22 feet (6.7 m). Meanwhile, at the western end of the lake, Toledo experienced a similar drop in water level. Lake water is used for drinking purposes.

Historic High Water. The lake fluctuates from month to month with the highest lake levels in October and November. The normal high-water mark is 2.00 feet (0.61 m) above datum (569.2 ft or 173.5 m). In the summer of 1986, Lake Erie reached its highest level at 5.08 feet (1.55 m) above datum.[27] The high water records were set from 1986 (April) through January 1987. Levels ranged from 4.33 to 5.08 feet (1.32–1.55 m) above Chart Datum.

Historic Low Water. Lake Erie experiences its lowest levels in the winter. The normal low-water mark is 1.50 feet (0.46 m) below datum (569.2 ft or 173.5 m). In the winter of 1934, Lake Erie reached its lowest level at 1.50 feet (0.46 m) below datum. Monthly low water records were set from July 1934 through June 1935. During this twelve-month period water levels ranged from 1.50 feet (0.46 m) to the Chart Datum.