The Laurentian Great Lakes
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The Lake Michigan Natural Division Characteristics
The Lake Michigan Natural Division Characteristics Lake Michigan is a dynamic deepwater oligotrophic ecosystem that supports a diverse mix of native and non-native species. Although the watershed, wetlands, and tributaries that drain into the open waters are comprised of a wide variety of habitat types critical to supporting its diverse biological community this section will focus on the open water component of this system. Watershed, wetland, and tributaries issues will be addressed in the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division section. Species diversity, as well as their abundance and distribution, are influenced by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors that define a variety of open water habitat types. Key abiotic factors are depth, temperature, currents, and substrate. Biotic activities, such as increased water clarity associated with zebra mussel filtering activity, also are critical components. Nearshore areas support a diverse fish fauna in which yellow perch, rockbass and smallmouth bass are the more commonly found species in Illinois waters. Largemouth bass, rockbass, and yellow perch are commonly found within boat harbors. A predator-prey complex consisting of five salmonid species and primarily alewives populate the pelagic zone while bloater chubs, sculpin species, and burbot populate the deepwater benthic zone. Challenges Invasive species, substrate loss, and changes in current flow patterns are factors that affect open water habitat. Construction of revetments, groins, and landfills has significantly altered the Illinois shoreline resulting in an immeasurable loss of spawning and nursery habitat. Sea lampreys and alewives were significant factors leading to the demise of lake trout and other native species by the early 1960s. -
Lake Ontario a Voice!
Statue Stories Chicago: The Public Writing Competition Give Lake Ontario a voice! Behind the Art Institute of Chicago, is the Fountain of the Great Lakes. Within the famous fountain is the wistful figure of Lake Ontario. She sits apart from her sister lakes, gazing into the distance with arms outstretched. But what does she have to say for herself? Write a Monologue! Monologos means “speaking alone” in Greek, but we all know that people who speak without thinking about their listener can be very dull indeed. Your challenge is to find a ‘voice’ for your statue and to write an engaging monologue in 350 words. Get under your statue’s skin! Look closely and develop a sense of empathy with the sculpture and imagine how it would feel. How does Lake Ontario feel about her sister lakes? Invite your listener to feel with you: create shifts in tempo and emotion, use different tenses, figures of speech and anecdotes, sensory details and even sound effects. Finding your sculpture’s voice? Write in the first person and adopt the persona of your character: What kind of vocabulary will you use - your own or that of another era/dialect? Your words will be spoken so read them aloud: use their rhythm and your sentence structure to convey emotion and urgency. Read great monologues for inspiration, for example Hamlet’s Alas Poor Yorick, or watch film monologues, like Morgan Freeman’s in The Shawshank Redemption. How will you keep people listening? Structure your monologue! How will you introduce yourself? With a greeting, a warning, a question, an order, a riddle? Grab and hold your listener’s attention from your very first line. -
Great Lakes Pine Barrens
Rapid Assessment Reference Condition Model The Rapid Assessment is a component of the LANDFIRE project. Reference condition models for the Rapid Assessment were created through a series of expert workshops and a peer-review process in 2004 and 2005. For more information, please visit www.landfire.gov. Please direct questions to [email protected]. Potential Natural Vegetation Group (PNVG) R6JAPIop Great Lakes Pine Barrens General Information Contributors (additional contributors may be listed under "Model Evolution and Comments") Modelers Reviewers Joshua Cohen [email protected] Vegetation Type General Model Sources Rapid AssessmentModel Zones Woodland Literature California Pacific Northwest Local Data Great Basin South Central Dominant Species* Expert Estimate Great Lakes Southeast Northeast S. Appalachians PIBA2 VAAN LANDFIRE Mapping Zones ANGE Northern Plains Southwest CAPE6 51 40 PIRE N-Cent.Rockies QUEL 50 SCSC 41 Geographic Range System occurs in northern Lower Michigan, northern Wisconsin, northern Minnesota, and eastern Ontario, north of the climatic tension zone (Curtis 1959 and is concentrated in the High Plains Subsection in northern Lower Michigan and in central Wisconsin (Vora 1993). Also occurs in several locations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and is associated with the upper Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers in Minnesota and Wisconsin (Comer 1996). Biophysical Site Description The Great Lakes pine barrens system is endemic to very dry, nutrient-impoverished landscape ecosystems. These ecosystems occur in landforms deposited by high-energy glacial melt waters, principally outwash plains and glacial lakebeds, underlain by well-sorted, coarse-textured sandy soils with low water retaining capacity. They also occur in bedrock-controlled landforms with shallow soils of limited moisture storage capacity (Cleland et al. -
AN OVERVIEW of the GEOLOGY of the GREAT LAKES BASIN by Theodore J
AN OVERVIEW OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE GREAT LAKES BASIN by Theodore J. Bornhorst 2016 This document may be cited as: Bornhorst, T. J., 2016, An overview of the geology of the Great Lakes basin: A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum, Web Publication 1, 8p. This is version 1 of A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum Web Publication 1 which was only internally reviewed for technical accuracy. The Great Lakes Basin The Great Lakes basin, as defined by watersheds that drain into the Great Lakes (Figure 1), includes about 85 % of North America’s and 20 % of the world’s surface fresh water, a total of about 5,500 cubic miles (23,000 cubic km) of water (1). The basin covers about 94,000 square miles (240,000 square km) including about 10 % of the U.S. population and 30 % of the Canadian population (1). Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake entirely within the United States. The State of Michigan lies at the heart of the Great Lakes basin. Together the Great Lakes are the single largest surface fresh water body on Earth and have an important physical and cultural role in North America. Figure 1: The Great Lakes states and Canadian Provinces and the Great Lakes watershed (brown) (after 1). 1 Precambrian Bedrock Geology The bedrock geology of the Great Lakes basin can be subdivided into rocks of Precambrian and Phanerozoic (Figure 2). The Precambrian of the Great Lakes basin is the result of three major episodes with each followed by a long period of erosion (2, 3). Figure 2: Generalized Precambrian bedrock geologic map of the Great Lakes basin. -
GLRI Fact Sheet
WISCONSIN PROJECTS FOR 2010-2011 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Federal funds support critical restoration and protection work on Wisconsinʼs Great Lakes Wisconsinʼs agencies and Priorities for the Great Lakes. GLRI funds will help Wisconsin address Great Lakes Drainage Basins in Wisconsin organizations received almost $30 these priorities on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior million in grants for the first year of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative – a Lake Superior. federal basin-wide effort to restore and Economic Benefits of Restoration protect the Great Lakes. Restoring the Great Lakes will bring great benefits to our state. Work done A Vital Economic Asset under the GLRI will create jobs, The Great Lakes have had profound stimulate economic development, and Lake effects on our environment, culture, Michigan improve freshwater resources and ! and quality of life. They have fueled shoreline communities. A study our economic growth in the past and – conducted by the Brookings Institution if properly restored and protected – will Map Scale: found that fully implementing the 1 inch = 39.46 miles help us revitalize our economy in the regional collaboration strategy will future. generate $80-$100 billion in short and Lake Superior and Lake Michigan are affected by the actions of people throughout their watersheds. Lake Lake Michigan and Lake Superior long term benefits, including: Superior’s watershed drains 1,975,902 acres and provide: • $6.5-$11.8 billion in benefits supports 123,000 people. Lake Michigan’s watershed from tourism, fishing and drains 9,105,558 acres and supports 2,352,417 • Sport fishing opportunities for people. more than 250,000 anglers, recreation. -
Great Lakes/Big Rivers Fisheries Operational Plan Accomplishment
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fisheries Operational Plan Accomplishment Report for Fiscal Year 2004 March 2003 Region 3 - Great Lakes/Big Rivers Partnerships and Accountability Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Management Workforce Management Aquatic Species Conservation and Aquatic Invasive Species Management Cooperation with Native Public Use Leadership in Science Americans and Technology To view monthly issues of “Fish Lines”, see our Regional website at: (http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Fisheries/) 2 Fisheries Accomplishment Report - FY2004 Great Lakes - Big Rivers Region Message from the Assistant Regional Director for Fisheries The Fisheries Program in Region 3 (Great Lakes – Big Rivers) is committed to the conservation of our diverse aquatic resources and the maintenance of healthy, sustainable populations of fish that can be enjoyed by millions of recreational anglers. To that end, we are working with the States, Tribes, other Federal agencies and our many partners in the private sector to identify, prioritize and focus our efforts in a manner that is most complementary to their efforts, consistent with the mission of our agency, and within the funding resources available. At the very heart of our efforts is the desire to be transparent and accountable and, to that end, we present this Region 3 Annual Fisheries Accomplishment Report for Fiscal Year 2004. This report captures our commitments from the Region 3 Fisheries Program Operational Plan, Fiscal Years 2004 & 2005. This document cannot possibly capture the myriad of activities that are carried out by any one station in any one year, by all of the dedicated employees in the Fisheries Program, but, hopefully, it provides a clear indication of where our energy is focused. -
Humber River Watershed Plan Pathways to a Healthy Humber June 2008
HUMBER RIVER WATERSHED PLAN PAThwAYS TO A HEALTHY HUMBER JUNE 2008 Prepared by: Toronto and Region Conservation © Toronto and Region Conservation 2008 ISBN: 978-0-9811107-1-4 www.trca.on.ca 5 Shoreham Drive, Toronto, Ontario M3N 1S4 phone: 416-661-6600 fax: 416-661-6898 HUMBER RIVER WATERSHED PLAN PATHWAYS TO A HEALTHY HUMBER JUNE 2008 Prepared by: Toronto and Region Conservation i Humber River Watershed Plan, 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Humber River Watershed Plan—Pathways to a Healthy Humber—was written by Suzanne Barrett, edited by Dean Young and represents the combined effort of many participants. Appreciation and thanks are extended to Toronto and Region Conservation staff and consultants (listed in Appendix F) for their technical support and input, to government partners for their financial support and input, and to Humber Watershed Alliance members for their advice and input. INCORPORATED 1850 Humber River Watershed Plan, 2008 ii HUMBER RIVER WATERSHED PLAN PATHWAYS TO A HEALTHY HUMBER EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Humber River watershed is an extraordinary resource. It spans 903 square kilometres, from the headwaters on the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine down through fertile clay plains to the marshes and river mouth on Lake Ontario. The watershed provides many benefits to the people who live in it. It is a source of drinking water drawn from wells or from Lake Ontario. Unpaved land absorbs water from rain and snowfall to replenish groundwater and streams and reduce the negative impacts of flooding and erosion. Healthy aquatic and terrestrial habitats support diverse communities of plants and animals. Agricultural lands provide local sources of food and green spaces provide recreation opportunities. -
Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources Underlying the US Portions of The
The eight continuous AUs (and associated basins) are as follows: Table 2. Summary of mean values of Great Lakes oil and National Assessment of Oil and Gas Fact Sheet 1. Pennsylvanian Saginaw Coal Bed Gas AU (Michigan Basin), gas resource allocations by lake. 2. [Devonian] Northwestern Ohio Shale AU (Appalachian Basin), [Compiled from table 1, which contains the full range of statistical 3. [Devonian] Marcellus Shale AU (Appalachian Basin), values] Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources Underlying the 4. Devonian Antrim Continuous Gas AU (Michigan Basin), 5. Devonian Antrim Continuous Oil AU (Michigan Basin), Total undiscovered resources U.S. Portions of the Great Lakes, 2005 6. [Silurian] Clinton-Medina Transitional AU (Appalachian Basin), Oil Gas Natural gas 7. [Ordovician] Utica Shale Gas AU (Appalachian Basin), and (million (trillion liquids 8. Ordovician Collingwood Shale Gas AU (Michigan Basin). barrels), cubic feet), (million barrels), Of these eight continuous AUs, only the following four AUs were Lake mean mean mean Lake bathymetry (meters) 300 - 400 assessed quantitatively: [Silurian] Clinton-Medina Transitional AU, Devo- he U.S. Geological Survey recently completed Lake Erie 46.10 3.013 40.68 T 200 - 300 nian Antrim Continuous Gas AU, [Devonian] Marcellus Shale AU, and Lake Superior allocations of oil and gas resources underlying the U.S. por- 100 - 200 Allocation [Devonian] Northwestern Ohio Shale AU. The other four continuous AUs Lake Huron 141.02 0.797 42.49 area tions of the Great Lakes. These allocations were developed 0 - 100 lacked sufficient data to assess quantitatively. Lake Michigan 124.59 1.308 37.40 from the oil and gas assessments of the U.S. -
Great Lakes Region and Outlook February 2016
El Niño Impacts Great Lakes Region and Outlook February 2016 Winter 2015/16 El Niño Update What is El Niño? Winter 2015/16 To Date An El Niño develops when sea surface temperatures are warmer than While the weather pattern this winter so far does share some similarities average in the equatorial Pacific for an extended period of time. This with the typical El Niño winter pattern, there are some differences as is important to North America because El Niño has an impact on our well. As predicted, temperatures have been above normal and in fact, weather patterns, most predominantly in the winter. December 2015 is now the warmest December on record for many locations across the Great Lakes basin (since records began in 1895). Typical El Niño Winter Pattern Snowfall has been significantly below normal across a majority of the Although each El Niño basin. As of January 31, ice cover extent on the Great Lakes is 8%, is different, there are which is significantly below normal for this time of year. In addition, ice some general patterns accumulation began late this year towards the end of December. On the that are predictable. other hand, overall precipitation has differed from the typical El Niño For instance, the polar winter pattern and conditions have been very wet. The reason for some jet stream is typically of the discrepencies from the typical pattern is that each El Niño episode farther north than can be different, and strong events in the past have brought varying usual, while the Pacific conditions to the basin. -
CP's North American Rail
2020_CP_NetworkMap_Large_Front_1.6_Final_LowRes.pdf 1 6/5/2020 8:24:47 AM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Lake CP Railway Mileage Between Cities Rail Industry Index Legend Athabasca AGR Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway ETR Essex Terminal Railway MNRR Minnesota Commercial Railway TCWR Twin Cities & Western Railroad CP Average scale y y y a AMTK Amtrak EXO EXO MRL Montana Rail Link Inc TPLC Toronto Port Lands Company t t y i i er e C on C r v APD Albany Port Railroad FEC Florida East Coast Railway NBR Northern & Bergen Railroad TPW Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway t oon y o ork éal t y t r 0 100 200 300 km r er Y a n t APM Montreal Port Authority FLR Fife Lake Railway NBSR New Brunswick Southern Railway TRR Torch River Rail CP trackage, haulage and commercial rights oit ago r k tland c ding on xico w r r r uébec innipeg Fort Nelson é APNC Appanoose County Community Railroad FMR Forty Mile Railroad NCR Nipissing Central Railway UP Union Pacic e ansas hi alga ancou egina as o dmon hunder B o o Q Det E F K M Minneapolis Mon Mont N Alba Buffalo C C P R Saint John S T T V W APR Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions GEXR Goderich-Exeter Railway NECR New England Central Railroad VAEX Vale Railway CP principal shortline connections Albany 689 2622 1092 792 2636 2702 1574 3518 1517 2965 234 147 3528 412 2150 691 2272 1373 552 3253 1792 BCR The British Columbia Railway Company GFR Grand Forks Railway NJT New Jersey Transit Rail Operations VIA Via Rail A BCRY Barrie-Collingwood Railway GJR Guelph Junction Railway NLR Northern Light Rail VTR -
Nipigon Bay Area of Concern Status of Beneficial Use Impairments September 2010
Nipigon Bay Area of Concern Status of Beneficial Use Impairments September 2010 Nipigon Bay is in the most northerly area of Lake Superior. The Area of Concern takes in a large portion of Nipigon Bay and the Nipigon River, the largest tributary to Lake Superior, and the communities of Red Rock and Nipigon. There are Ontario Power Generation dams on the Nipigon River for the generation of hydroelectricity. The area supports a variety of wetlands and bird populations, including one of four known pelican colonies in Ontario. The watershed forests on both sides of the Nipigon River have been allocated for forest harvesting. Environmental concerns in the Nipigon Bay Area of Concern are related to water level and flow fluctuations in Lake Nipigon and the Nipigon River from the generation of hydroelectricity. These fluctuations affect stream bank stability, sediment load and fish and wildlife habitat. Other concerns include the accumulation of wood fibre, bark and other organic material from past log drives, and effluent discharges from a linerboard mill (which closed in 2006) and the municipal sewage treatment plants in Nipigon and Red Rock. PARTNERSHIPS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Nipigon Bay was designated an Area of Concern in 1987 under the Canada–United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Areas of Concern are sites on the Great Lakes system where environmental quality is significantly degraded and beneficial uses are impaired. Currently, there are 9 such designated areas on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, 25 in the United States, and 5 that are shared by both countries. In each Area of Concern, government, community and industry partners are undertaking a coordinated effort to restore environmental quality and beneficial uses through a remedial action plan. -
The Four Main Groups of the Ojibwe Published on Lessons of Our Land (
The Four Main Groups of the Ojibwe Published on Lessons of Our Land (http://www.lessonsofourland.org) Grades: 6th - 8th Grade Lesson: 1 Unit: 2: American Indian land tenure history Subject: History/Social Studies Additional Subject(s): Geography Achievement Goal: Students will identify the four main groups of the Ojibwe and the large land mass they covered. They will understand that each group lived in a different geographical location and their cultures varied with their environments. Time: One class period Lesson Description: Students learn about the four nations of the Ojibwe tribe and analyze maps of the Great Ojibwe Migration. Teacher Background: Refer to The Four Divisions of the Ojibwe Nation Map found in the Lesson Resources section. This map shows the Ojibwe homeland. It is important to remember that much of it was shared with other tribes. The lines only serve to show where fairly large numbers of Ojibwe lived at one time or another. Within this wide expanse there are great differences in country and climate, and the Ojibwe people adapted their ways of living to their surroundings. In modern times four main groups have been distinguished by location and adaptation to varying conditions. They are the Plains Ojibwe, the Northern Ojibwe, the Southeastern Ojibwe, and the Southwestern Ojibwe or Chippewa. The Plains Ojibwe The Plains Ojibwe live in Saskatchewan, western Manitoba, North Dakota, and Montana. Although they were originally a forest people, they changed their way of life when they moved into the open lands and borrowed many customs of other plains people. Today most of them work at farming and ranching.