The Great Lakes states also signed a formal agreement called the Great Lakes Compact in , agreeing to regulate diversions of water outside the Great Lakes basin. These are just two of the many shared management strategies developed by federal, state, county, tribal, and local governments.
A watershed is an area of land where all the rain and melting snow drains to a single body of water. Watersheds come at all scales, from a puddle to a river to a Great Lake. Also called drainage or catchment basins, watershed boundaries are determined by high points in the landscape.
In Michigan, virtually all watersheds eventually drain into one of the Great Lakes. What we do on the land can profoundly affect our water systems.
A river or lake is only as healthy as the water draining into it, and water is only as clean as the land it flows over. Healthy watersheds reduce flood risk, support crops, filter pollutants, mitigate the effects of climate change, and boost human wellbeing.
What watershed do you live in? Use this map to find out :. Great Lakes fast facts. Lake Superior. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. Please click here to see any active alerts.
They are a dominant part of the physical and cultural heritage of North America. Shared with Canada and spanning more than miles 1, kilometers from west to east, these vast inland freshwater seas provide water for consumption, transportation, power, recreation and a host of other uses. Most of the basin is defined by hydrology; watersheds that drain into the Great Lakes and their connecting channels are in the Great Lakes basin.
A combination of engineering and politics Canadian have resulted in the Rideau exception being included in the Great Lakes basin the orange striped polygon on the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River. These may change slightly as more detailed mapping is completed for these watersheds.
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