Who owns the water in the Great Lakes?

The water in the Great Lakes is owned by the general public according to the Public Trust Doctrine. The Public Trust Doctrine is an international legal theory – it applies in both Canada and the United States, so it applies to the entirety of the Great Lakes.



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The Great Lakes basin encompasses large parts of two nations, the United States and Canada. The Great Lakes basin is defined by science, engineering and politics.

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Four of the Great Lakes—Erie, Huron, Ontario and Superior—are split between the U.S. and Canada. (Lake Michigan is entirely in the U.S.) Until 2017, American boaters did indeed need to be concerned about venturing into foreign waters and getting into trouble with customs authorities.

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Through the Compact Clause and permission of Congress, states have power to govern the Great Lakes. In 1968, the Great Lakes Basin Compact was approved by Congress and the Great Lakes Commission was created. All eight states are members to the compact.

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6. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that is entirely within U.S. territory. The Great Lakes touch 8 states – but Michigan is the only state that touches four lakes, with borders on Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie.

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Lake Superior is the Cleanest and Clearest Great Lake Because of its somewhat isolated location and long cold winters, not much farming is done along Superior's shores. This means lower amounts of nutrients, sediments, and organic material are floating around the lake.

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Lake Michigan, the third largest by surface area (22,300 square miles) and second largest by volume (1,180 cubic miles), is the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States.

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The bottomlands of the Great Lakes are held in trust by the State of Michigan for use and enjoyment by its citizens.

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four of the Great Lakes are international waters and are defined as boundary waters in the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 between the United States and Canada, and as such any new diversion of Great Lakes water in the United States would affect the relations of the Government of the United States with the Government of ...

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It incorporates two countries, eight states, two provinces, Indian tribes and First Nations, American and Canadian international agencies along with many local governments. The Great Lakes are not governed by distinct borders; they include overlapping populations, environments and natural resources.

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Lake Erie is the shallowest and warmest of the Great Lakes.

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The water from the Great Lakes is not being exported wholesale to Asia or the Chinese.

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Great Lakes waters are composed of numerous aquifers (groundwater) that have filled with water over the centuries, waters that flow in the tributaries of the Great Lakes, and waters that fill the lakes themselves.

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The lakes provide the backbone for a $6 trillion regional economy that would be one of the largest in the world if it stood alone as a country. Recreation on the Great Lakes – including world-renown boating, hunting and fishing opportunities – generate more than $52 billion annually for the region.

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The organisms living on the bottom in shallow waters are the same kinds of snails, clams, worms, mayflies, and caddisflies found in most small lakes. The deep waters, however, are the realm of some organisms that are found only in the deep, cold lakes of the northern latitudes.

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Geology of Lake Inferior Lake Inferior is an underground lake that is located beneath Lake Superior. It is believed to be formed by a process known as karstification, which is the dissolution of limestone and dolomite rock. This process creates sinkholes, caves, and underground rivers and lakes.

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At 1,943 feet (592 meters), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. The depths were first explored thoroughly in 1886 by a party from the U.S. Geological Survey. Their primitive sounding device consisted of a lead pipe attached to piano wire.

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Do you drink the lake water? Lake Superior is the cleanest of the Great Lakes, and many people drink the water regularly (even in their homes). On trip, the decision is yours. For your safety we bring a high quality water filter or boil our water.

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