List of former lakes of Minnesota facts for kids
Minnesota is known for its many lakes, but did you know that some lakes that once existed are now gone? These vanished lakes tell fascinating stories about our planet's past and how humans have changed the land. Some disappeared naturally over thousands of years, while others were drained by people.
What Are Glacial Lakes?
Many of Minnesota's former lakes were "glacial lakes." These are lakes formed by melting glaciers. Imagine huge sheets of ice covering the land. As these glaciers melted, they left behind massive amounts of water. This water often got trapped by the ice itself or by hills of rock and dirt pushed up by the glacier. This created enormous lakes, much bigger than any lakes we see today.
Giant Glacial Lakes
Minnesota was once home to several super-sized glacial lakes. These lakes existed thousands of years ago, after the last ice age.
Lake Agassiz: A True Giant
Lake Agassiz was one of the largest freshwater lakes in Earth's history. It covered a huge area, much of which is now parts of Minnesota, North Dakota, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. This massive lake was formed by melting glaciers. When it finally drained, it left behind incredibly flat and fertile land, which is now great for farming.
Glacial Lake Aitkin: A Northern Gem
Glacial Lake Aitkin was another important glacial lake in Minnesota. It was located in the northern part of the state. Like other glacial lakes, it was formed by the meltwater from the retreating ice sheets.
Glacial Lake Duluth: The Ancestor of Superior
Glacial Lake Duluth was an early version of what is now Lake Superior. It was much larger than Lake Superior is today. This lake formed when meltwater from glaciers was trapped against the high land to the south. Eventually, as the ice retreated further, the lake found new outlets and shrank to become the Lake Superior we know.
Glacial Lake Grantsburg: A Smaller Glacial Lake
Glacial Lake Grantsburg was a smaller glacial lake. It formed in a basin created by the glaciers. These smaller lakes were still important parts of the ancient landscape.
Glacial Lake Minnesota: A Central Lake
Glacial Lake Minnesota was another significant glacial lake located more centrally in the state. Its existence shows how widespread these ice-age lakes were across the region.
Glacial Lake Upham: A Northern Relic
Glacial Lake Upham was a glacial lake found in northern Minnesota. It was part of the complex system of lakes that formed and drained as the glaciers melted away.
Drained Lakes for Farming
Not all vanished lakes were glacial. Some were natural lakes that existed more recently but were drained by people. This was often done to create more land for farming or development.
Bear Lake: A Transformed Wetland
Bear Lake, located in Lowville Township, Minnesota, was not just one lake. It was actually a system of four connected lakes and surrounding wetlands. These included Bear Lake proper, Crooked Lake, Hawk or Rush Lake, and Tibbetts or Great Oasis Lake. This entire area, covering about 6,000 acres (24 km2) (which is about 24 square kilometers), was drained in 1915. This was done to turn the wetland into farmland.
Centeral Lake: East of Lime Creek
Centeral Lake, in Murray County, Minnesota, was located east of Lime Creek. The spelling "Centeral" is unusual but was the original name. This lake also disappeared, likely due to human activity to convert the land for other uses.
Rat Lake: Near Bean and Double Lakes
Rat Lake was located in Westbrook Township, Minnesota. It was situated west of two other lakes, Bean Lake and Double Lake. Like Centeral Lake, Rat Lake is no longer present, likely having been drained for agricultural purposes.
