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127-455: Harborcreek Township is in northeastern Erie County, bordered to the north by Lake Erie , to the west by Lawrence Park Township , the borough of Wesleyville , the city of Erie , and Millcreek Township , to the south by Greene Township , and to the east by Greenfield Township and North East Township . The unincorporated community of Harborcreek is north of the township center, and the communities of Fairfield and Brookside, together comprising

254-491: 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. Lake Erie is primarily fed by the Detroit River (from Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair ) and drains via

381-409: A body of water from 2 hectares (5 acres) to 8 hectares (20 acres). Pioneering animal ecologist Charles Elton regarded lakes as waterbodies of 40 hectares (99 acres) or more. The term lake is also used to describe a feature such as Lake Eyre , which is a dry basin most of the time but may become filled under seasonal conditions of heavy rainfall. In common usage, many lakes bear names ending with

508-503: A change in Lake Erie's ecosystem make phosphorus pollution more intractable. Blue-green algae ( Cyanobacteria ) bloom, were problematic in August 2019. According to a news report in August, "scientists fully expect [it] to overwhelm much of western Lake Erie again this summer". By August 12, 2019, the bloom extended for roughly 50 kilometres (31 mi). A large bloom does not necessarily mean

635-409: A complex interaction of natural forces. As of the 2010s, much of the phosphorus in the lake comes from fertilizer applied to no-till soybean and corn fields, but washed into streams by heavy rains. The algal blooms result from growth of Microcystis , a toxic blue-green alga that the zebra mussels, which infest the lake, do not eat. Periodically, a dead zone , or region of low oxygen, occurs in

762-496: A comprehensive analysis of the origin of lakes and proposed what is a widely accepted classification of lakes according to their origin. This classification recognizes 11 major lake types that are divided into 76 subtypes. The 11 major lake types are: Tectonic lakes are lakes formed by the deformation and resulting lateral and vertical movements of the Earth's crust. These movements include faulting, tilting, folding, and warping. Some of

889-546: A different volume of water, their shorelines rested at differing elevations. The last lake to form, Lake Warren , existed between about 13,000 and 12,000 years ago. It was deeper than the current Lake Erie, and its shoreline existed about eight miles (13 km) inland from the modern one. Early Lake Erie went through many phases with its ancient sand dunes visible in the Oak Openings Region in Northwest Ohio . There,

1016-402: A form of organic lake. They form where a buildup of partly decomposed plant material in a wet environment leaves the vegetated surface below the water table for a sustained period of time. They are often low in nutrients and mildly acidic, with bottom waters low in dissolved oxygen. Artificial lakes or anthropogenic lakes are large waterbodies created by human activity . They can be formed by

1143-538: A higher perimeter to area ratio than other lake types. These form where sediment from a tributary blocks the main river. These form where sediment from the main river blocks a tributary, usually in the form of a levee . Lakes formed by other processes responsible for floodplain basin creation. During high floods they are flushed with river water. There are four types: 1. Confluent floodplain lake, 2. Contrafluent-confluent floodplain lake, 3. Contrafluent floodplain lake, 4. Profundal floodplain lake. A solution lake

1270-456: A hunting ground. As the power of the Iroquois waned during the last quarter of the 17th century, several other, mainly Anishinaabe , displaced them from the territories they claimed on the north shore of the lake. There was a legend of an Indigenous woman named Huldah, who, despairing over her lost British lover, hurled herself from a high rock from Pelee Island. In 1669, Frenchman Louis Jolliet

1397-510: A hypolimnion; accordingly, very shallow lakes are excluded from this classification system. Based upon their thermal stratification, lakes are classified as either holomictic , with a uniform temperature and density from top to bottom at a given time of year, or meromictic , with layers of water of different temperature and density that do not intermix. The deepest layer of water in a meromictic lake does not contain any dissolved oxygen so there are no living aerobic organisms . Consequently,

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1524-428: A lake consists of a large area of standing water that occupies an extensive closed depression in limestone, it is also called a karst lake . Smaller solution lakes that consist of a body of standing water in a closed depression within a karst region are known as karst ponds. Limestone caves often contain pools of standing water, which are known as underground lakes . Classic examples of solution lakes are abundant in

1651-470: A large number of studies agree that small ponds are much more abundant than large lakes. For example, one widely cited study estimated that Earth has 304 million lakes and ponds, and that 91% of these are 1 hectare (2.5 acres) or less in area. Despite the overwhelming abundance of ponds, almost all of Earth's lake water is found in fewer than 100 large lakes; this is because lake volume scales superlinearly with lake area. Extraterrestrial lakes exist on

1778-553: A large unfrozen lake. Lake-effect snow makes Buffalo and Erie the eleventh and thirteenth snowiest cities in the entire United States respectively, according to data collected from the National Climatic Data Center . Since winds blow primarily west to east along the main axis of the lake, lake-effect snowstorms are more pronounced on the eastern parts of the lake. Buffalo typically gets 95 inches (240 cm) of snow each winter and sometimes ten feet (3.0 m) of snow;

1905-427: A local TV station's Doppler weather radar detected millions of mayflies heading for Presque Isle in blue and green splotches on the radar in clouds measuring 10 mi (16 km) long. These insects were a sign of Lake Erie's move back to health, since the mayflies require clean water to thrive. Biologist Masteller of Pennsylvania State University declared the insects to be a "nice nuisance" since they signified

2032-513: A mean elevation of 571 feet (174 m) above sea level. It has a surface area of 9,990 square miles (25,874 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 or 63 ft (19 m) and a maximum depth of 35 fathoms (210 ft; 64 m) Because Erie

2159-489: A natural outflow and lose water solely by evaporation or underground seepage, or both. These are termed endorheic lakes. Many lakes are artificial and are constructed for hydroelectric power generation, aesthetic purposes, recreational purposes, industrial use, agricultural use, or domestic water supply . The number of lakes on Earth is undetermined because most lakes and ponds are very small and do not appear on maps or satellite imagery . Despite this uncertainty,

2286-457: A new harbor near Erie, Pennsylvania, in Elk Creek to accommodate shipments from its tube-plant site nearby. In 1913, a memorial to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was built on Put-in-Bay island featuring a Doric column. Steamships have operated on Lake Erie since the early 1800s. Large, opulent cruise liners carried passengers between Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo and other cities on the lake until

2413-403: A result of meandering. The slow-moving river forms a sinuous shape as the outer side of bends are eroded away more rapidly than the inner side. Eventually a horseshoe bend is formed and the river cuts through the narrow neck. This new passage then forms the main passage for the river and the ends of the bend become silted up, thus forming a bow-shaped lake. Their crescent shape gives oxbow lakes

2540-522: A result of the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake . Most landslide lakes disappear in the first few months after formation, but a landslide dam can burst suddenly at a later stage and threaten the population downstream when the lake water drains out. In 1911, an earthquake triggered a landslide that blocked a deep valley in the Pamir Mountains region of Tajikistan , forming the Sarez Lake . The Usoi Dam at

2667-400: A serious problem to all who have given it close attention ... the fisheries are being exhausted by the wasteful methods which are now in vogue ... it is still the custom of the pound fishermen about Sandusky to take fish of all sizes, and if they are too small to be marketable they are turned over to a fertilizer factory. If left undisturbed for two or three years more, these little fish would be

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2794-461: A tropical bird with a 2 m wingspan, happened over the lake in 2008. Lake A lake is an often naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land . Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from the ocean , although they may be connected with the ocean by rivers . Lakes, as with other bodies of water , are part of

2921-422: A variation in density because of thermal gradients. Stratification can also result from a density variation caused by gradients in salinity. In this case, the hypolimnion and epilimnion are separated not by a thermocline but by a halocline , which is sometimes referred to as a chemocline . Lakes are informally classified and named according to the seasonal variation in their lake level and volume. Some of

3048-476: A very valuable product ... Predictions of the lake being over-fished in 1895 were premature, since the fishery has survived commercial and sport fishing, pollution in the middle of the 20th century, invasive species and other ailments, but state and provincial governments, as well as national governments, have played a greater role as time went by. Business boomed; in 1901, the Carnegie Company proposed building

3175-535: A vessel about 12 miles [19 km] up, 2 miles [3.2 km] from the Canada shore, with three men clinging to the masts, which alone were visible above the water–heard their cries and screams ... There were reports of disasters usually from sea captains passing information to reporters; in 1868, the captain of the Grace Whitney saw a sunken vessel with "three men clinging to the masthead," but he could not help because of

3302-601: Is Cleveland , anchoring the third largest U.S. metro area in the Great Lakes region , after Greater Chicago and Metro Detroit . Other major cities along the lake shore include Buffalo, New York ; Erie, Pennsylvania ; and Toledo, Ohio . Situated below Lake Huron , Erie's primary inlet is the Detroit River . The main natural outflow from the lake is via the Niagara River , which provides hydroelectric power to Canada and

3429-443: Is sag ponds . Volcanic lakes are lakes that occupy either local depressions, e.g. craters and maars , or larger basins, e.g. calderas , created by volcanism . Crater lakes are formed in volcanic craters and calderas, which fill up with precipitation more rapidly than they empty via either evaporation, groundwater discharge, or a combination of both. Sometimes the latter are called caldera lakes, although often no distinction

3556-403: Is a lake occupying a basin formed by surface dissolution of bedrock. In areas underlain by soluble bedrock, its solution by precipitation and percolating water commonly produce cavities. These cavities frequently collapse to form sinkholes that form part of the local karst topography . Where groundwater lies near the grounds surface, a sinkhole will be filled water as a solution lake. If such

3683-462: Is dammed behind an ice shelf that is attached to the coastline. They are mostly found in Antarctica. Fluvial (or riverine) lakes are lakes produced by running water. These lakes include plunge pool lakes , fluviatile dams and meander lakes. The most common type of fluvial lake is a crescent-shaped lake called an oxbow lake due to the distinctive curved shape. They can form in river valleys as

3810-414: Is less dense than cold air, the heated air rises. Rising air cools and water vapor condenses into cloud droplets ... the efficiency of snow production increases when the wind pushes the clouds over land. Friction with the ground causes air to pile up. This frictional convergence creates lift and enhances snowfall. Heavy lake-effect snowfalls can occur when cold air travels 60 miles (97 km) or longer over

3937-475: Is less than 4,000 years old, which is a short span in geological terms. Before this, the land on which the lake now sits went through several complex stages. A large lowland basin formed over two million years ago as a result of an eastern flowing river that existed well before the Pleistocene ice ages . This ancient drainage system was destroyed by the first major glacier in the area, while it deepened and enlarged

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4064-448: Is made. An example is Crater Lake in Oregon , in the caldera of Mount Mazama . The caldera was created in a massive volcanic eruption that led to the subsidence of Mount Mazama around 4860 BCE. Other volcanic lakes are created when either rivers or streams are dammed by lava flows or volcanic lahars . The basin which is now Malheur Lake , Oregon was created when a lava flow dammed

4191-502: Is one of the richest areas of Canada's fruit and vegetable production; this southernmost tip, particularly in the area around Leamington, is known as Canada's "tomato capital". The area around Port Rowan has special trees that grow because of the "tempering effect of the lake", and species include tulip trees , dogwood , sassafras , and sour gum . This area's many greenhouses produce a "variety of tropical plants rarely cultivated so far north", including some species of cacti, because of

4318-417: Is rich in nutrients and fish. Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes because the ice was relatively thin and lacked erosion power when it reached that far south, according to one view. As many as three glaciers advanced and retreated over the land, causing temporary lakes to form in the time periods in between each of them (see: Lake Whittlesey , Lake Maumee and Lake Arkona ). Because each lake had

4445-447: 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", also known as seiches . The "waves build very quickly", according to other accounts. The region around the lake is known as the "thunderstorm capital of Canada" with "breathtaking" lightning displays. Sometimes fierce waves springing up unexpectedly have led to dramatic rescues; in one instance,

4572-468: Is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest average water residence time . At its deepest point, Lake Erie is 210 feet (64 m) deep, making it the only Great Lake whose deepest point is above sea level. Situated on

4699-807: Is the oldest biological field station in the United States. Stone Laboratory was donated to the Ohio State University by Julius Stone in 1925 as part of the university's Ohio Sea Grant College program. The Great Lakes Institute of the University of Windsor has experts who study issues such as lake sediment pollution and the flow of contaminants such as phosphorus . Other invasive species in Lake Erie include spiny water fleas , fishhook water fleas , sea lamprey , and white perch . The invasive plant species in Lake Erie consist mainly of Eurasian milfoil , Trapa natans and purple loosestrife . The shore of

4826-441: 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, it is the first to freeze in the winter. The shallowest section of Lake Erie

4953-429: Is unknown but is estimated to be at least 2 million. Finland has 168,000 lakes of 500 square metres (5,400 sq ft) in area, or larger, of which 57,000 are large (10,000 square metres (110,000 sq ft) or larger). Most lakes have at least one natural outflow in the form of a river or stream , which maintain a lake's average level by allowing the drainage of excess water. Some lakes do not have

5080-568: The Windsor Star reported that the lake experienced record-breaking water temperatures, reaching 81 °F (27 °C) in mid-August and compared the lake to a "bath tub". Lake Erie has a complex ecosystem with many species in interaction. Human activity, such as pollution and maritime ship traffic, can affect this environment in numerous ways. The interactions between new species can sometimes have beneficial effects, as well as harmful effects. Some introductions have been seen as beneficial such as

5207-525: The British Colonial government . These primarily concerned political reforms and land allocation issues. Some of the rebels stationed themselves in the U.S. and crossed the ice from Sandusky Bay to Pelee Island wearing "tattered overcoats and worn-out boots", and carrying muskets, pitchforks, and swords, but the islanders had already fled. Later, there was a battle on the ice with the Royal 32nd Regiment, with

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5334-527: The Cuyahoga River and into the lake. A report in Time magazine in 1969 described the lake as a "gigantic cesspool" since only three of 62 beaches were rated "completely safe for swimming". By 1975 the popular commercial fish blue pike had been declared extinct, although the declaration may have been premature. By the 1980s, there were about 130 fishing vessels with about 3,000 workers, but commercial fishing

5461-635: The International Boundary between Canada and the United States , Lake Erie's northern shore is the Canadian province of Ontario , specifically the Ontario Peninsula , with the U.S. states of Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania , and New York on its western, southern, and eastern shores. These jurisdictions divide the surface area of the lake with water boundaries. The largest city on the lake

5588-752: The Malheur River . Among all lake types, volcanic crater lakes most closely approximate a circular shape. Glacial lakes are lakes created by the direct action of glaciers and continental ice sheets. A wide variety of glacial processes create enclosed basins. As a result, there are a wide variety of different types of glacial lakes and it is often difficult to define clear-cut distinctions between different types of glacial lakes and lakes influenced by other activities. The general types of glacial lakes that have been recognized are lakes in direct contact with ice, glacially carved rock basins and depressions, morainic and outwash lakes, and glacial drift basins. Glacial lakes are

5715-471: The Mary Stewart ... He first struck the water about 25 miles below Long Point ... During this time Mr. Steiner says he thinks his balloon bounded from the water at least twenty times. It would strike and then rebound, like a ball, going into the air from twenty to fifty feet, and still rushing down the lake at railroad speed ... Mr. Steiner then abandoned the balloon, leaping into the water and swimming towards

5842-578: The Northwest Harborcreek census-designated place , are on the western side of the township. Penn State Behrend is in the southwestern part of the township. According to the United States Census Bureau , the township has a total area of 34.11 square miles (88.35 km), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km), or 0.07%, is water. As of the census of 2010, there were 17,234 people, 6,155 households, and 4,372 families living in

5969-540: The Proto-Indo-European root * leǵ- ('to leak, drain'). Cognates include Dutch laak ('lake, pond, ditch'), Middle Low German lāke ('water pooled in a riverbed, puddle') as in: de:Wolfslake , de:Butterlake , German Lache ('pool, puddle'), and Icelandic lækur ('slow flowing stream'). Also related are the English words leak and leach . There is considerable uncertainty about defining

6096-399: The density of water varies with temperature, with a maximum at +4 degrees Celsius, thermal stratification is an important physical characteristic of a lake that controls the fauna and flora , sedimentation, chemistry, and other aspects of individual lakes. First, the colder, denser water typically forms a layer near the bottom, which is called the hypolimnion . Second, normally overlying

6223-481: The water cycle , the processes by which water moves around the Earth. Most lakes are freshwater and account for almost all the world's surface freshwater, but some are salt lakes with salinities even higher than that of seawater . Lakes vary significantly in surface area and volume of water. Lakes are typically larger and deeper than ponds , which are also water-filled basins on land, although there are no official definitions or scientific criteria distinguishing

6350-461: The wood warbler , which had population declines around 60% in 2008. Possible causes for declines in bird populations are farming practices, loss of habitats, soil depletion and erosion, and toxic chemicals. In 2006, concerns arose of possible avian influenza (bird flu) after two wild swans on the lake were found diseased, but they did not contain the H5N1 virus . Sightings of a magnificent frigatebird ,

6477-464: The Buffalo District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined that the eutrophication was caused by point sources such as industrial outfalls and municipal sanitary and storm sewer outfalls, as well as diffuse sources, such as overland runoff from farm and forest land. All of these sources contribute nutrients, primarily phosphorus, to the lake. Growth of organisms in the lake is then spiked to

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6604-474: The Canadian mainland, is located on a peninsula extending into the lake. Lake Erie has 31 islands ( 13 in Canada, 18 in the U.S. ), located generally in the western side of the lake. The largest of these is Pelee Island . Lake Erie has a lake retention time of 2.6 years, the shortest of all the Great Lakes. The lake's surface area is 9,910 square miles (25,667 km ). Lake Erie's water level fluctuates with

6731-583: The Earth by extraterrestrial objects (either meteorites or asteroids ). Examples of meteorite lakes are Lonar Lake in India, Lake El'gygytgyn in northeast Siberia, and the Pingualuit crater lake in Quebec, Canada. As in the cases of El'gygytgyn and Pingualuit, meteorite lakes can contain unique and scientifically valuable sedimentary deposits associated with long records of paleoclimatic changes. In addition to

6858-494: The Great Lakes Commission, the compact aims to prevent diversion of water from Great Lakes to distant states, as well as to set standards for use and conservation. It had support from both political parties, including United States Senator George Voinovich of Ohio and Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, but is not popular in the southwestern states because of frequent drought conditions and water scarcity . Like

6985-551: The Lusatian Lake District, Germany. In India, Sudarshana Lake is a historical artificial lake located in the semi-arid region of Girnar, Gujarat, originally constructed during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya. See: List of notable artificial lakes in the United States Meteorite lakes, also known as crater lakes (not to be confused with volcanic crater lakes ), are created by catastrophic impacts with

7112-594: 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 Grand River , Huron River , Maumee River , Sandusky River , Cuyahoga River , and Buffalo River . The drainage basin covers 30,140 square miles (78,100 km ). Point Pelee National Park , the southernmost point of

7239-684: The Ontario area around Port Rowan burning towns and villages. Generally, however, with the exceptions of the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812—which involved conflicts between the U.S. and the United Kingdom —relations between the U.S. and Canada have been remarkably friendly with an "unfortified boundary" and an agreement "that has kept all fleets of war off the Great Lakes." In 1837, rebellions broke about between Canadian settlers and

7366-547: The Purple Gang . The Coast Guard attempted to interdict the Canadian liquor with its Rum Patrol , and a casino operated on Middle Island . During the 20th century, commercial fishing was prevalent but so was the boom in manufacturing industry around the lake, and often rivers and streams were used as sewers to flush untreated sewage which ended up in the lake. Sometimes poorly constructed sanitary systems meant that when old pipes broke, raw sewage would spill directly into

7493-489: The Put-in-Bay Ice Yacht Club prints them on a map ... On a normal winter day, the ice is dotted with 2,000 fishing shanties. Strong winds have caused lake currents to shift sediment on the bottom, leading to shifting sandbars that have been the cause of shipwrecks. But winds can have a peaceful purpose as well; there have been proposals to place electricity–producing wind turbines in windy and shallow points in

7620-592: The Talbot Trail in 1809 as a way to stimulate settlement to the area; Talbot recruited settlers from Ireland and Scotland, and there are numerous places named after him in southern Ontario, such as Port Talbot , the Talbot River , and Talbotville . During the War of 1812 , Oliver Hazard Perry captured an entire British fleet in 1813 near Put-in-Bay, Ohio , despite having inferior numbers. American soldiers swept through

7747-697: The U.S. as it spins huge turbines near Niagara Falls at Lewiston, New York , and Queenston, Ontario . Some outflow occurs via the Welland Canal , part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway , which diverts water for ship passages from Port Colborne , Ontario, on Lake Erie, to St. Catharines on Lake Ontario , an elevation difference of 326 ft (99 m). Lake Erie's environmental health has been an ongoing concern for decades, with issues such as overfishing , pollution , algae blooms , and eutrophication generating headlines. Lake Erie (42.2° N, 81.2W) has

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7874-476: The age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29% were non-families. 24.2% of households were made up of individuals, and 12% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.96. The age distribution was 26.7% under the age of 20, 8.5% from 20 to 24, 19% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% 65 or older. The median age

8001-483: The age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 21.9% of households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.08. The age distribution was 23.6% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% 65 or older. The median age

8128-564: The algal bloom heading toward Pelee Island. Two two-year, $ 2 million studies are trying to understand the "growing zone", which was described as a 10-foot-thick layer of cold water at the bottom, 55 feet (17 m) in one area, which stretches 100 miles [160 km] across the lake's center. It kills fish and microscopic creatures of the lake's food chain and fouls the water, and may cause further problems in later years for sport and commercial fishing. Algal blooms continued in early 2013, but new farming techniques, climate change, and even

8255-440: The area had "made it over the hump" in terms of enduring repeated snowfalls which required much shoveling. Being the shallowest of the Great Lakes, it is the most likely to freeze and frequently does. In contrast, Lake Michigan has never completely frozen over since the warmer and deeper portion is in the south, although it came close to being totally frozen during three harsh winters over the past century. In past years, lake ice

8382-469: The asylum I sought," he once told an interviewer. "I was afraid to inquire where (Canada) was, lest it would betray such a degree of ignorance as to excite suspicion at once." Many fugitives also had to overcome fears instilled by their former masters ... Prior to modern radar and weather forecasting , merchant ships were often caught up in intense gales: A violent gale is blowing on Lake Erie ... The schooner Stranger came in this morning and reports seeing

8509-856: The base of the valley has remained in place for more than 100 years but the terrain below the lake is in danger of a catastrophic flood if the dam were to fail during a future earthquake. Tal-y-llyn Lake in north Wales is a landslide lake dating back to the last glaciation in Wales some 20000 years ago. Aeolian lakes are produced by wind action . These lakes are found mainly in arid environments, although some aeolian lakes are relict landforms indicative of arid paleoclimates . Aeolian lakes consist of lake basins dammed by wind-blown sand; interdunal lakes that lie between well-oriented sand dunes ; and deflation basins formed by wind action under previously arid paleoenvironments. Moses Lake in Washington , United States,

8636-401: The boat, which speedily reached him ... In 1885, lake winds were so strong that water levels dropped substantially, sometimes by as much as two feet, so that at ports such as Toledo, watercraft could not load coal or depart the port. During the history of the lake as a fishery, there has been marked battling by opposing interest groups: The preservation of the fisheries of Lake Erie has become

8763-483: The clouds of mayflies have caused power outages and roads to become slippery with squashed insects. Zebra mussels filtering extra nutrients from the lake allows the mayfly larvae to thrive. Incidents of birds dying from botulism have occurred, in 2000 and in 2002. Birds affected included grebes , common and red-breasted mergansers , loons , diving ducks, ring-billed gulls , and herring gulls . One account suggests that bird populations are in trouble, notably

8890-915: The courses of mature rivers, where a river channel has widened over a basin formed by eroded floodplains and wetlands . Some lakes are found in caverns underground . Some parts of the world have many lakes formed by the chaotic drainage patterns left over from the last ice age . All lakes are temporary over long periods of time , as they will slowly fill in with sediments or spill out of the basin containing them. Artificially controlled lakes are known as reservoirs , and are usually constructed for industrial or agricultural use, for hydroelectric power generation, for supplying domestic drinking water , for ecological or recreational purposes, or for other human activities. The word lake comes from Middle English lake ('lake, pond, waterway'), from Old English lacu ('pond, pool, stream'), from Proto-Germanic * lakō ('pond, ditch, slow moving stream'), from

9017-513: The creation of lakes by the disruption of preexisting drainage networks, it also creates within arid regions endorheic basins that contain salt lakes (also called saline lakes). They form where there is no natural outlet, a high evaporation rate and the drainage surface of the water table has a higher-than-normal salt content. Examples of these salt lakes include Great Salt Lake and the Dead Sea . Another type of tectonic lake caused by faulting

9144-464: The cyanobacteria ... will produce toxins", said Michael McKay, executive director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor . "Not enough is being done to stop fertilizer and phosphorus from getting into the lake and causing blooms," he added. Water testing was being conducted in August. The largest Lake Erie blooms to date occurred in 2015, exceeding

9271-622: The difference between lakes and ponds , and neither term has an internationally accepted definition across scientific disciplines or political boundaries. For example, limnologists have defined lakes as water bodies that are simply a larger version of a pond, which can have wave action on the shoreline or where wind-induced turbulence plays a major role in mixing the water column. None of these definitions completely excludes ponds and all are difficult to measure. For this reason, simple size-based definitions are increasingly used to separate ponds and lakes. Definitions for lake range in minimum sizes for

9398-490: 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 (3.0–4.6 metres) 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 Erie was carved out by glacier ice and went through many phases before its current form that

9525-474: The exception of criterion 3, the others have been accepted or elaborated upon by other hydrology publications. The majority of lakes on Earth are freshwater , and most lie in the Northern Hemisphere at higher latitudes . Canada , with a deranged drainage system , has an estimated 31,752 lakes larger than 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) in surface area. The total number of lakes in Canada

9652-503: The gale and high seas. A balloonist named John Steiner of Philadelphia made an ambitious trip across the lake in 1857. His voyage was described in The New York Times : He arose to the height of about three miles, and started off at a slow but steady rate ... The lake could be seen from one end to the other nearly ... At one time Mr. Steiner counted 38 sail vessels, all in sight, and far below him. The hands on board several of

9779-633: The grass-covered perimeter. Europeans named the tribe the Neutral Indians since these people refused to fight with other tribes. Both the Erie and Neutrals were colonized and assimilated by their hostile eastern neighbors, the Iroquois Confederacy , between 1651 and 1657 during the Beaver Wars . For decades after those wars, the land around eastern Lake Erie was claimed and utilized by the Iroquois as

9906-422: The hypolimnion is a transition zone known as the metalimnion . Finally, overlying the metalimnion is a surface layer of warmer water with a lower density, called the epilimnion . This typical stratification sequence can vary widely, depending on the specific lake or the time of year, or a combination of both. The classification of lakes by thermal stratification presupposes lakes with sufficient depth to form

10033-487: The ice to clear before proceeding. Since slavery had been abolished in Canada in 1833 but was still legal in southern U.S. , a Lake Erie crossing was sometimes required for fugitive slaves seeking freedom: When Kentucky fugitive Lewis Clarke arrived in Cleveland, he had no idea how to find Canada. "I went out to the shore of the lake again and again, to try and see the other side, but I could see no hill, mountain, nor city of

10160-486: The increased population and size of smallmouth bass in Lake Erie. In 2008, concerns arose that the "newest invader swarming in the Great Lakes", the bloody-red shrimp , might harm fish populations and promote algal blooms . Environmentalists and biologists study lake conditions via installations such as the Franz Theodore Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island . The lab, which was established in 1895,

10287-907: The intentional damming of rivers and streams, rerouting of water to inundate a previously dry basin , or the deliberate filling of abandoned excavation pits by either precipitation runoff , ground water , or a combination of both. Artificial lakes may be used as storage reservoirs that provide drinking water for nearby settlements , to generate hydroelectricity , for flood management , for supplying agriculture or aquaculture , or to provide an aquatic sanctuary for parks and nature reserves . The Upper Silesian region of southern Poland contains an anthropogenic lake district consisting of more than 4,000 water bodies created by human activity. The diverse origins of these lakes include: reservoirs retained by dams, flooded mines, water bodies formed in subsidence basins and hollows, levee ponds, and residual water bodies following river regulation. Same for

10414-559: The introduction of Pacific salmon . Occasionally there have been mass die-offs of certain species of fish, sometimes for reasons unknown, such as many numbers of rainbow smelt in May 2010. The lake has been plagued with a number of invasive species , including zebra and quagga mussels, the goby , and the grass carp . One estimate was that 180 invasive species are in the Great Lakes, some having traveled in ballast water in international ships. Zebra mussels and gobies have been credited with

10541-466: The karst regions at the Dalmatian coast of Croatia and within large parts of Florida . A landslide lake is created by the blockage of a river valley by either mudflows , rockslides , or screes . Such lakes are most common in mountainous regions. Although landslide lakes may be large and quite deep, they are typically short-lived. An example of a landslide lake is Quake Lake , which formed as

10668-584: The lake and along the coast. Steel Winds , a former steel mill site in Buffalo, has been developed as an urban wind farm housing 14 turbines capable of generating up to 35 megawatts of electricity. A plan by Samsung to build an offshore wind farm on the north shore of the lake, from Port Maitland to Nanticoke for a distance of 15.5 mi (24.9 km), has been met with opposition from residents. Canadians near Leamington and Kingsville have organized protest groups to thwart attempts to bring wind turbines to

10795-446: The lake in the 1970s. The conservation practices are not monitored and have not been kept up. One recent account suggests that the seasonal algal blooms in Lake Erie were possibly caused by runoff from cities, fertilizers, zebra mussels, and livestock near water. A second report focuses on the zebra mussels as being the cause of dead zones, since they filter so much sediment that this produces an overgrowth of algae. One report suggests

10922-552: The lake is also host to invasive species of the Phragmites reed genus. An ongoing concern is that nutrient overloading from fertilizers and human and animal waste, known as eutrophication , in which additional nitrogen and phosphorus enter the lake, will cause plant life to "run wild and multiply like crazy". Since fewer wetlands remain to filter nutrients, and greater channelization of waterways, nutrients in water can cause algal blooms to sprout, with "low-oxygen dead zones" in

11049-428: The lake's return to health after 40 years of absence. Each is 1.5 in (38 mm) long; the three main species of mayflies are Ephemera simulans , Hexagenia rigida , and H. limbata . The insects mate over a 72-hour period from June through September; they fly in masses up to the shore, mate in the air, then females lay up to 8,000 eggs each over the water; the eggs sink back down and the cycle repeats. Sometimes,

11176-463: The lake's tempering effect. Along the southeastern shore of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York is an important grape -growing region, as are the islands in the lake. Apple orchards are abundant in northeast Ohio to western New York. According to one estimate, 34 to 36 inches (860 to 910 mm) of water evaporate each year from the surface of the lake, which allows for rainfall and other precipitation in surrounding areas. Reports are conflicting about

11303-556: The lake, the location of which varies. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been studying the lake's blue-green algal blooms and trying to find ways to predict when they are spreading or where they might make landfall; typically, the blooms arrive late each summer. This problem was extreme in the mid- and late 1960s, and the Lake Erie Wastewater Management Study conducted by

11430-443: The lake. They also race iceboats , which resemble sailboats on skates ... Many people drive to other islands for dinner with friends. They ride in cars with the roofs and doors chopped off so they can escape if the vehicles fall through the ice. Islanders stab evergreen trees into the ice every 50 yards [46 m] to mark a route ... Even in the coldest winters, there are dangerous patches of thin ice. The cracks are so predictable that

11557-453: The lake; reasons against the turbines include spoiling lake views. Plans to install turbines in Pigeon Bay, south of Leamington were met with opposition as well. The notion that bird and bat migration may be hurt by the wind turbines has been used to argue against the wind turbines as well. The lake is responsible for microclimates that are important to agriculture. Along its north shore

11684-648: The largest lakes on Earth are rift lakes occupying rift valleys, e.g. Central African Rift lakes and Lake Baikal . Other well-known tectonic lakes, Caspian Sea , the Sea of Aral , and other lakes from the Pontocaspian occupy basins that have been separated from the sea by the tectonic uplift of the sea floor above the ocean level. Often, the tectonic action of crustal extension has created an alternating series of parallel grabens and horsts that form elongate basins alternating with mountain ranges. Not only does this promote

11811-528: The layers of sediment at the bottom of a meromictic lake remain relatively undisturbed, which allows for the development of lacustrine deposits . In a holomictic lake, the uniformity of temperature and density allows the lake waters to completely mix. Based upon thermal stratification and frequency of turnover, holomictic lakes are divided into amictic lakes , cold monomictic lakes , dimictic lakes , warm monomictic lakes, polymictic lakes , and oligomictic lakes. Lake stratification does not always result from

11938-560: The level of a lake are controlled by the difference between the input and output compared to the total volume of the lake. Significant input sources are precipitation onto the lake, runoff carried by streams and channels from the lake's catchment area, groundwater channels and aquifers, and artificial sources from outside the catchment area. Output sources are evaporation from the lake, surface and groundwater flows, and any extraction of lake water by humans. As climate conditions and human water requirements vary, these will create fluctuations in

12065-419: The lowland areas, allowing water to settle and form a lake. The glaciers were able to carve away more land on the eastern side of the lowland because the bedrock is made of shale which is softer than the carbonate rocks of dolomite and limestone on the western side. Thus, the eastern and central basins of the modern lake are much deeper than the western basin, which averages only 25 feet (7.6 m) deep and

12192-481: The mainland; lakes cut off from larger lakes by a bar; or lakes divided by the meeting of two spits. Organic lakes are lakes created by the actions of plants and animals. On the whole they are relatively rare in occurrence and quite small in size. In addition, they typically have ephemeral features relative to the other types of lakes. The basins in which organic lakes occur are associated with beaver dams, coral lakes, or dams formed by vegetation. Peat lakes are

12319-424: The mode of origin, lakes have been named and classified according to various other important factors such as thermal stratification , oxygen saturation, seasonal variations in lake volume and water level, salinity of the water mass, relative seasonal permanence, degree of outflow, and so on. The names used by the lay public and in the scientific community for different types of lakes are often informally derived from

12446-485: The moon Titan , which orbits the planet Saturn . The shape of lakes on Titan is very similar to those on Earth. Lakes were formerly present on the surface of Mars, but are now dry lake beds . In 1957, G. Evelyn Hutchinson published a monograph titled A Treatise on Limnology , which is regarded as a landmark discussion and classification of all major lake types, their origin, morphometric characteristics, and distribution. Hutchinson presented in his publication

12573-415: The morphology of the lakes' physical characteristics or other factors. Also, different cultures and regions of the world have their own popular nomenclature. One important method of lake classification is on the basis of thermal stratification, which has a major influence on the animal and plant life inhabiting a lake, and the fate and distribution of dissolved and suspended material in the lake. For example,

12700-406: The most numerous lakes in the world. Most lakes in northern Europe and North America have been either influenced or created by the latest, but not last, glaciation, to have covered the region. Glacial lakes include proglacial lakes , subglacial lakes , finger lakes , and epishelf lakes. Epishelf lakes are highly stratified lakes in which a layer of freshwater, derived from ice and snow melt,

12827-791: The names include: Lakes may be informally classified and named according to the general chemistry of their water mass. Using this classification method, the lake types include: A paleolake (also palaeolake ) is a lake that existed in the past when hydrological conditions were different. Quaternary paleolakes can often be identified on the basis of relict lacustrine landforms, such as relict lake plains and coastal landforms that form recognizable relict shorelines called paleoshorelines . Paleolakes can also be recognized by characteristic sedimentary deposits that accumulated in them and any fossils that might be contained in these sediments. The paleoshorelines and sedimentary deposits of paleolakes provide evidence for prehistoric hydrological changes during

12954-550: The northern shore. The tribal name "erie" is a shortened form of the Iroquoian word erielhonan , meaning "long tail". The name may also come from the word eri , meaning "cherry tree". Near Port Stanley, there is an Indigenous village dating from the 16th century known as the Southwold Earthworks where as many as 800 Neutral Indigenous peoples once lived; the archaeological remains include double earth walls winding around

13081-562: The organic-rich deposits of pre-Quaternary paleolakes are important either for the thick deposits of oil shale and shale gas contained in them, or as source rocks of petroleum and natural gas . Although of significantly less economic importance, strata deposited along the shore of paleolakes sometimes contain coal seams . Lakes have numerous features in addition to lake type, such as drainage basin (also known as catchment area), inflow and outflow, nutrient content, dissolved oxygen , pollutants , pH , and sedimentation . Changes in

13208-418: The other Great Lakes, Erie produces lake-effect snow when the first cold winds of winter pass over the warm waters. When the temperatures of the relatively warm surface water and the colder air separate to at least 18 °F (10 °C) to 23 °F (13 °C) apart, then "lake-effect snow becomes possible:" As cold air flows over the warm water, the lake warms and moistens the air. Since warm, moist air

13335-427: The overall effect of global warming on the Great Lakes region, including Lake Erie. One account suggests that climate change is causing greater evaporation of lake water, leading to warmer temperatures, as well as thinner or nonexistent ice in winter, which is fueling concerns that "Erie appears to be shrinking" and is the most likely candidate among the five Great Lakes to "turn into a festering mud puddle." In 2010,

13462-433: The oxygen-poor zone began about 1993 in the lake's central basin and becomes more pronounced during summer, but is somewhat of a mystery why this happens. Some scientists speculate that the dead zone is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Another report cites Ohio's Maumee River as the main source of polluted runoff of phosphorus from industries, municipalities, tributaries and agriculture, and in 2008, satellite images showed

13589-429: The point that oxygen levels are depleted. Recommendations were made for reducing point-source outflows, and reducing farm contributions of phosphorus by changing fertilizer usage, employing no-till farming, and other conservative practices. Many industrial and municipal sources have since been greatly reduced. The improved farming practices, which were voluntary, were followed for a while, resulting in remarkable recovery of

13716-416: The rebels being driven to retreat. Settlers established commercial fisheries on the north coast of the lake around the 1850s. An important business was fishing. In the pre-Civil War years, railways sprouted everywhere, and around 1852 there were railways circling the lake. Maritime traffic picked up, although the lake was usually closed because of ice from December to early April, and ships had to wait for

13843-513: The rise of the automobile in the 1950s drastically cut demand for their services. The Detroit and Cleveland Navigation company was one of the largest and most renowned of these companies. During the Prohibition years from 1919 to 1933, a "great deal of alcohol crossed Erie" along with "mobster corpses" dumped into the Detroit River which sometimes washed up on the beaches of Pelee Island. Notable rum runners included Thomas Joseph McGinty and

13970-471: The sandy dry lake bed soil was not sufficient to support large trees with the exception of a few species of oaks, forming a rare oak savanna . At the time of European contact, there were several Indigenous peoples living around the shores of the eastern end of the lake. The Erie tribe (from whom the lake takes its name) lived along the southern edge, while the Neutrals (also known as Attawandaron) lived along

14097-523: 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

14224-502: The severity index at 10.5 and in 2011 at a 10, according to the NOAA. In early August, the 2019 bloom was expected to measure 7.5 on the severity index, but could range between 6 and 9. At that time, satellite images depicted a bloom stretching up to 1,300 square kilometres (500 sq mi) on Lake Erie, with the epicenter near Toledo, Ohio . The Lake Erie water snake, a subspecies of the northern water snake ( Nerodia sipedon ), lives in

14351-422: The snowiest city is Syracuse, New York , which can receive heavy snowfall from both the lake effect process and large coastal cyclones. A storm around Christmas in 2001 pounded Buffalo with 7 feet (2.1 m) of snow. The effects of the warmer lake water is reduced when the lake freezes over. In January 2011, for example, residents of Cleveland were glad when Lake Erie was "90 percent frozen" since it meant that

14478-404: The thermal stratification, as well as the degree and frequency of mixing, has a strong control over the distribution of oxygen within the lake. Professor F.-A. Forel , also referred to as the "Father of limnology", was the first scientist to classify lakes according to their thermal stratification. His system of classification was later modified and improved upon by Hutchinson and Löffler. As

14605-456: The times that they existed. There are two types of paleolake: Paleolakes are of scientific and economic importance. For example, Quaternary paleolakes in semidesert basins are important for two reasons: they played an extremely significant, if transient, role in shaping the floors and piedmonts of many basins; and their sediments contain enormous quantities of geologic and paleontologic information concerning past environments. In addition,

14732-472: The township. The population density was 443.2 inhabitants per square mile (171.1/km). There were 5,645 housing units at an average density of 164.8 per square mile (63.6/km). The racial makeup of the township was 97.52% White, 1.21% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57%. There were 5,398 households, 31.6% had children under

14859-455: The township. The population density was 503.9 inhabitants per square mile (194.6/km). There were 6,461 housing units at an average density of 188.9 per square mile (72.9/km). The racial makeup of the township was 96.7% White, 1.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1% of the population. There were 6,155 households, 28.3% had children under

14986-641: The two. Lakes are also distinct from lagoons , which are generally shallow tidal pools dammed by sandbars or other material at coastal regions of oceans or large lakes. Most lakes are fed by springs , and both fed and drained by creeks and rivers , but some lakes are endorheic without any outflow, while volcanic lakes are filled directly by precipitation runoffs and do not have any inflow streams. Natural lakes are generally found in mountainous areas (i.e. alpine lakes ), dormant volcanic craters , rift zones and areas with ongoing glaciation . Other lakes are found in depressed landforms or along

15113-410: The vessels saw him, and rightly apprehending that he was an aeronaut, cheered him heartily ... He neared the Canada shore a little below Long Point ... he was accordingly driven towards Buffalo ... Night was drawing on and it became apparent that he could not, with this current, get away from the water before dark, and after nightfall it would not be safe to come down. Seeing a propeller (powered boat) ...

15240-525: The vicinity of Ohio's Put-in-Bay Harbor and had been placed on the threatened species list. By 2010, the water snake population was over 12,000 snakes. While they have a nonvenomous bite, they are a key predator in the lake's aquatic ecosystem since they feed on mudpuppies , walleye , and smallmouth bass . The snake is helpful in keeping the population of goby fish in check. They mate from late May through early June and can be found in large mating balls with one female bunched within several males. In 1999,

15367-462: The word pond , and a lesser number of names ending with lake are, in quasi-technical fact, ponds. One textbook illustrates this point with the following: "In Newfoundland, for example, almost every lake is called a pond, whereas in Wisconsin, almost every pond is called a lake." One hydrology book proposes to define the term "lake" as a body of water with the following five characteristics: With

15494-572: Was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males. The median household income was $ 47,294 and the median family income was $ 54,291. Males had a median income of $ 39,912 versus $ 26,698 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 20,025. About 3.0% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over. Lake Erie Lake Erie ( / ˈ ɪr i / EER -ee ; French : Lac Érié )

15621-466: Was 41.5 years. The median household income was $ 61,800 and the median family income was $ 72,445. Males had a median income of $ 53,302 versus $ 34,747 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 24,525. About 3.9% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over. At the 2000 census there were 15,178 people, 5,398 households, and 4,021 families living in

15748-756: Was declining rapidly, particularly from the American side. In 2005, the Great Lakes states of Ohio , Michigan , New York , Pennsylvania , Illinois , Indiana , Wisconsin , and Minnesota and the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec endorsed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Compact. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush in September 2008. An international water-rights policy overseen by

15875-611: Was originally a shallow natural lake and an example of a lake basin dammed by wind-blown sand. China's Badain Jaran Desert is a unique landscape of megadunes and elongated interdunal aeolian lakes, particularly concentrated in the southeastern margin of the desert. Shoreline lakes are generally lakes created by blockage of estuaries or by the uneven accretion of beach ridges by longshore and other currents. They include maritime coastal lakes, ordinarily in drowned estuaries; lakes enclosed by two tombolos or spits connecting an island to

16002-526: Was so thick that it was possible to drive over it or go sailing on iceboats . Many lake residents take advantage of the ice and travel; some drive to Canada and back: The first ice usually forms in late November, and by January it locks into place. For islanders in the Western Basin, it is the equivalent of summer vacation ... Once the lake freezes, islanders organize impromptu ice rallies. Families gather to drink hot wine and race all-terrain vehicles across

16129-628: Was the first documented European to sight Lake Erie, although there is speculation that Étienne Brûlé may have come across it in 1615. Lake Erie was the last of the Great Lakes to be explored by Europeans, since the Iroquois who occupied the Niagara River area were in conflict with the French, and they did not allow explorers or traders to pass through; explorers followed rivers out of Lake Ontario and portaged to Lake Huron . British authorities in Canada were nervous about possible expansion by American settlers across Lake Erie, so Colonel Thomas Talbot developed

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