Lake Gribben facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Gribben |
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Lake Gribben is on the far right, 2013 (Landsat 8 photo)
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 Lake Gribben
Location in Michigan
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| Location | Palmer, Marquette County, Michigan, United States |
| Coordinates | 46°25′07″N 87°32′19″W / 46.41861°N 87.53861°W |
| Type | Lake |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 3 mi (4.8 km) |
| Max. width | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,211 feet (369 m) |
Lake Gribben is a lake in the state of Michigan, in the United States. It is located about one mile (1.6 km) southeast of a small community called Palmer. This lake looks quite unusual because it has a distinct orange color!
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Why is Lake Gribben Orange?
Lake Gribben has a unique orange color because of how it is used. It acts as a "tailings basin." This means the lake holds leftover materials from a type of mining called "open-pit mining."
What are Mining Tailings?
When miners dig for valuable minerals like iron, they also dig up a lot of rock and dirt. This extra material that is not useful is called "tailings." Tailings are often crushed into a fine sand or mud. They can also contain water and other chemicals used in the mining process.
How Open-Pit Mining Works
Open-pit mining is a way to dig up minerals that are close to the Earth's surface. Miners create a large, open hole in the ground. They use big machines to dig out the ore, which is rock containing valuable minerals. After the valuable minerals are taken out, the leftover tailings need a place to go.
Lake Gribben's Role
Lake Gribben was chosen to hold the tailings from the Empire and Tilden iron mines nearby. Over time, the iron-rich tailings settled in the lake. This gave the water its distinct orange color. The color comes from the iron particles in the leftover mining materials.
Location and Size
Lake Gribben is located in Marquette County, Michigan. It is a fairly large lake, stretching about 3 miles (4.8 km) long. The lake is also about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide. Its surface is about 1,211 feet (369 meters) above sea level.
