Great Lakes Basin facts for kids
The Great Lakes Basin is a huge area of land that includes the Great Lakes and the land around them. It covers parts of eight states in the United States: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It also includes a big part of Ontario, Canada. All the rain and melted snow that falls on this land eventually flows into the Great Lakes.
The Basin is a very important part of the wider Great Lakes region.
People and Cities
About 37 million people live in the Great Lakes Basin. Many large cities in both Canada and the United States are located here.
In Canada, some of the biggest cities in the basin include Toronto, Hamilton, London, St. Catharines, Niagara, Oshawa, Windsor, and Barrie.
In the United States, major cities like Duluth, Milwaukee, Chicago, Gary, Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse are found along the shores of the Great Lakes.
Lake Areas
Each of the Great Lakes has its own smaller area of land that drains into it. These are called "sub-basins." For example, the land that drains into Lake Erie is called the Lake Erie Basin.
Each sub-basin is made up of even smaller areas called "watersheds." A watershed is simply an area of land where all the water drains to a common point.
The entire Great Lakes Basin is watched over by a group called the Great Lakes Commission. This group includes members from both Canada and the United States. They work together to manage the water.
St. Lawrence River Connection
The Saint Lawrence River is very important to the Great Lakes. Water from the Great Lakes flows into this river, which then carries it to the Atlantic Ocean.
Even though the Canadian province of Quebec is not directly in the Great Lakes Basin, some of its land drains into the St. Lawrence River. Because of this, Quebec works with Ontario and the eight U.S. states to manage the water resources. They all signed important agreements to protect the water.
Energy and the Basin
There are several power plants in the Great Lakes Basin. These plants use water from the basin for their operations. Managing these facilities safely is an important part of protecting the Great Lakes environment.
