In fact, there are many large lakes on the planet. Many know about some, others are in the shadow of the "leaders of the PR race." Nevertheless, they are interesting. The thirteenth place in size in this rating is Erie - a lake that is part of the Great System. It is not only a large reservoir of drinking water, but also a plexus of various historical events.
Geography
If you want to find a pond on the map, you need to look at the border of the USA and Canada. This is where Erie is located. The lake in the Great North American Pond system is in fourth place from above. In this group, it is the smallest in size and volume of resources. That is the least water in Erie. The lake is connected with other similar geographical features through rivers. So, with Ontario, Niagara connects him. Other water "arms" stretched from it to the lakes of Huron and St. Clair, as well as to the Hudson River. According to the administrative-territorial division, the lake is located in two states. One part of it is in the USA, the other relates to Canada. Several rivers carry their waters to Erie. The lake is replenished with such natural "sleeves" as Detroit, Huron, Grand, Momi, Reyzin, Sandusky, Kuyahoga.
Erie Lake Area
Despite an inconspicuous place in the structure of the reservoirs of a given area, Erie has considerable dimensions. It has an elongated shape. Direction: from west-south-west to east-north-east. The length of the reservoir is three hundred eighty-eight kilometers. Significantly less width - only ninety-two km. The lake is shallow, although the maximum figure reaches sixty-four meters. The water in it warms up in the summer to twenty-four degrees, in winter the coastal part freezes. The average temperature in the cold period is around zero Celsius. The total area of Lake Erie is 25,700 km². It was formed - by archaeological standards - recently. About four thousand years ago. Glaciers contributed to the accumulation of a large amount of water in this area (due to leaching of soft rocks).
History
The name of this reservoir comes from the name of an Indian tribe who lived in this area. Eri is a tribe of Iroquois who once settled on the southern shores of a reservoir. This word translates as “elongated tail”. And connected with the totem of the tribe - the puma. In the sand dunes of the coast, its ancient inhabitants laid hunting trails among the luxurious oak forests. The fact is that only this type of tree grows on local shores. There was even a special term. “Oak Savannah” - this is the name of this wonderful land. Local residents, as in many other places, were destroyed by the colonialists. The first white to come to its shores was the Frenchman Louis Jolie. He justified here the settlement, which became the beginning of the colonization of the region. Erie was known during the Anglo-American War. There was a grand water battle. Ships led by American Oliver Perry defeated the British fleet.
Ecology
In connection with the intensification of human activities, Lake Erie and Michigan, like others, underwent destructive changes that threaten the local flora and fauna. So, in the sixties of the last century, the level of phosphates increased significantly in them. This has endangered the existence of algae. They were dying and rotting, creating dead zones. The fish there, of course, also could not survive. Only serious intergovernmental work (USA and Canada) put an end to this process. Dirty water flow has been minimized. The lake began to recover. For some time, fish were caught in it in an industrial way. For example, sturgeon living in the local depths reaches three to four meters. However, it turned out that the local fish is dangerous to health. Her catch is now not carried out. It should be noted that the climate here is ideal for agriculture, which is what the residents of the district use. In both countries, located on the shores of Erie, winemaking is developed, producing a product known in many countries of the world.
Modernity
Nowadays, agriculture is flourishing along the shores of the lake. On the Canadian side, fruits and vegetables are grown. The zone is considered exceptional. In the USA, grapes are cultivated near the lake. Shipping is well developed. Among other local lakes it is the most intense. In this unique zone, several parks have been created where wildlife is being protected. The most famous of them is rightfully Long Point. The border between the USA and Canada, which runs through water, is not guarded. Anyone can cross it unhindered. The city on Lake Erie - Cleveland - became famous for its lighthouse. People come to see him when he is completely covered with ice, representing an amazing sight. The shores of the lake are popular among vacationers. They tell interesting stories, many of which are quite reliable. So, many times an optical phenomenon was recorded that visually brought the Canadian coast closer to the North American. People saw him as if at arm's length. However, in fact, before him was more than eighty kilometers.