Why is Lake Superior Special?
Lake Superior is Big • The surface of this magnificent lake is the largest freshwater body in the world. It is third largest by volume. • A drop of water entering the lake at Duluth will take 173 years to reach Sault Ste. Marie. That means water that left the Duluth-Superior Harbor in 1832 is just now leaving the lake. • It is a stunning 1,332 feet deep and the shoreline and islands that rim the lake stretch 2,726 miles. Lake Superior is Vulnerable Despite its immense size, Lake Superior is surprisingly vulnerable. The year-round cold temperatures of Lake Superior and small amount of nutrients entering the lake result in a simple and fragile food chain. Because Lake Superior is nourished by forests and watered by streams, changes on the land become changes in the lake. We find algae blooms in Lake Superior bays, decreasing clarity in the western arm of the lake, contaminated sediment in the Duluth-Superior harbor and toxic contaminants building up in the food chain.
