Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). More than 200 people have died in swimming and boating accidents on the lake since 1994, adding to its dark history. 14. Submit Yours, 2020 Lake Superior Publishing LLC. Bob Berg Real Name: Larry Gene Race Case: Appeal Location: Lake Superior, Minnesota Date: May 11, 1982 Details: Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. A total of 13 fatalities have been reported on Lewisville Lake between 2005 and 2008, including two in 2005, six in 2006, one in 2007 and four in 2008. 6. The Ojibwe called it Kitchigami, meaning "great lake.". Its surface temperature has been going up, but with wild fluctuations. Duluth's Hawk Ridge, which is on the lake's north shore, hosts as many as 10,000 migrating birds of prey each day during the fall migration season. Lake Superior contains half of the water in all the Great Lakes. [45] This is because of the unusually cold water, under 36F (2C) on average around 1970. Nearly 200 shipwrecks are believed to rest within or nearby the boundaries of the sanctuary, which includes the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena and some 4,300 square miles of northwestern Lake Huron. Of that toll, November claimed an estimated 725 (56%) of the deaths. 1. The Ojibwe name for the lake is gichi-gami (in syllabics: , pronounced gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami in different dialects),[14] meaning "great sea". Windigo Island and others in the Cork OConnor series by William Kent Krueger. A New Way to Experience ATVs in the Winter. They attempted to assist him but were forced to send him to the surface alone after he became unconscious. Ive read all the Barrs Anna Pigeon novels, and this intriguing setting is Isle Royale National Park, a remote Superior island known for its deep water dives of shipwrecks. Biking In the winter of 1926 Lake Superior reached its lowest recorded level at 1.58 feet (0.48m) below datum. Lake Superior has an average underwater visibility of 27 feet (8.2 meters). Lake Superior was featured in a songwritten by Gordon Lightfoot called "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Two kayakers found dead on the coast of Lake Superior are believed to have been navigating through strong winds, with waves as high as 7 feet. Apostle Islands Largest of the Great Lakes of North America, largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, International Lake Superior Board of Control, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Great Storms of the North American Great Lakes, List of shipwrecks of western Lake Superior, Great Recycling and Northern Development Canal, "Global Land One-Kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) v.1", "Tunnel Valleys, Glacial Surges, and Subglacial Hydrology of the Superior Lobe, Minnesota", "Great Lakes: Basic Information: Physical Facts", Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, "Superior Pursuit: Facts About the Greatest Great Lake", "Global Warming Is Shrinking the Great Lakes", "Lake Superior Warming Faster than Surrounding Climate", "Extensive Great Lakes Ice Coverage to Limit Severe Weather, Pose Challenges to Shipping Industry", "After Achieving 95 Percent Coverage, Lake Superior's Ice Breaking Up", "Environmental Climatology of Lake Superior", "NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL GLERL-29: Evaporation from Lake Superior", Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, "Ontario Amethyst: Ontario's Mineral Emblem", "Century-Old Shipwreck Discovered: Ore Carrier Went Down in Lake Superior on Its Second Voyage", "Increasing Stoichiometric Imbalance in North America's Largest Lake: Nitrification in Lake Superior", "Great Lakes Sensitivity to Climatic Forcing: Hydrological Models", "Rockin' the Rift, The Billion-Year-Old Split that Made Us", Lake Superior NOAA nautical chart #14961 online, Parks Canada - Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, Great Lakes Basin Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Program, Great LakesSaint Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Superior&oldid=1138275251, Articles with incomplete citations from February 2020, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles using infobox body of water without alt, Articles using infobox body of water without alt bathymetry, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 1,729mi (2,783km) plus 997mi (1,605km) for islands, This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 21:08. One of the most well-known incidents occurred on November 10, 1975, when the Edmund Fitzgerald, a large cargo ship carrying iron ore, encountered a severe storm that killed the ship's 29 crew members. The average depth is 483 ft (147 m), and the max depth is 1,333 ft (406 m). Small amounts of water are also diverted into the lake from two places otherwise outside of the watershedLong Lac and Ogokiin order to accentuate hydroelectric power generation at Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, and Niagara Falls. Climate change is affecting Lake Superior in some volatile ways. Authorities worked to identify the dead and . In the summer, the sun sets more than 35 minutes later on the western shore of Lake Superior than at its southeastern edge. Geology is a hot area of study there, and the friend who introduced me to the monks makes beautiful agate jewelry and other pieces. Perhaps the most famous Lake Superior shipwreck, the fated SS Edmund Fitzgerald freighter sank on November 10, 1975, killing all 29 crew members. Overfishing has also been a factor in the decline of fish populations.[13]. Duluth, Minnesota has an average of 52 days of heavy fog each year. Blessed with fine golden sand and deep blue lake water, Sand Point Beach is a really popular location, with something appealing to everybody. This is a result of the underdeveloped soils found in its relatively small watershed. Outdoors. By 500 B.C., Laurel people were trading for metal and other goods with different regions. Worldwide Numbers. Wisconsin Isle Royale contains several lakes, some of which also contain islands. The Ironton and the Moonlight disconnected their tow lines and drifted apart, with the Ironton crew setting sails and firing up its engine. Lake Baikal is unique in a number of other ways too. In the summer of 1985, Lake Superior reached its highest recorded level at 2.33 feet (0.71m) above datum. And I just shiver at the lyrics about how the lake sings in its ice-room mansion. The shoreline measures 2,726 miles (4,385 km), according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And you have to be wary of hitting moose on the road. The deepest point in Lake Superior is 1,300 feet (400 meters) below the surface, making a complete freeze a rarity. Welcome to the Big Lake The rocks of Lake Superior's northern shore date back to the early history of the earth. Exact dates for the shipping season vary each year,[42] depending on weather conditions that form and break the ice. Lake Superior boasts extremely clear water, with an average underwater. Lake Superior Regional News ~ Northwestern and Northeastern Ontario. On May 12, 1982, the lake claimed another victim: thirty-three-year-old Debbie Race. It takes almost 200 years for the lake to refill with new water, according to the University of Wisconsin. Ontario They detected two images on the lake bed, one later identified as the Ohio. The average wind speeds have been increasing 5 percent each decade since 1980. [7] The lake boasts a very small catchment to surface area ratio of 1.55, which indicates minimal terrestrial influence. [25] 2019 and 2020 set new high-water records in nearly every month. The retreat left gravel, sand, clay and boulder deposits. Twice per year, however, the water column reaches a uniform temperature of 39F (4C) from top to bottom, and the lake waters thoroughly mix. Beargrease Fish Strong winds and high waves contributed to the deaths of two kayakers at Lake Superior following a two-day search, officials said. But the lifeboat remains tethered to the bigger vessel, a poignant confirmation of witness accounts from 128 years ago. Located above Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. lake superior death toll. It holds about 3 quadrillion gallons of water - enough to cover North and South America in a foot of fresh water. A Superior Death Nevada Barr 3.91 10,816 ratings726 reviews Park ranger Anna Pigeon returns, in a mystery that unfolds in and around Lake Superior, in whose chilling depths sunken treasure comes with a deadly price. Other well-known islands include Madeline Island in Wisconsin, Michipicoten Island in Ontario, and Grand Island (the location of the Grand Island National Recreation Area) in Michigan. Lake Superior's basin is home to nearly 60 orchid species. A favorite lunch is the ubiquitous pasty. Species native to the lake include banded killifish, bloater, brook trout, burbot, cisco, lake sturgeon, lake trout, lake whitefish, longnose sucker, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, round whitefish, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker and yellow perch. [40][41] Ice closes the lake shipping from mid-January to late March. The first people came to the Lake Superior region 10,000 years ago after the retreat of the glaciers in the Last Glacial Period. But the U.P. The Ironton is yet another piece of the puzzle of Alpenas fascinating place in Americas history of trade, while the Thunder Bay sanctuary continues to reveal lost chapters of maritime history.. Lake Superior Contains Three Quadrillion Gallons of Water We were easily able to confirm that this claim is indeed true. [35] The lake lies in this long-extinct Mesoproterozoic rift valley, the Midcontinent Rift. Lake Superior is not only the largest of the Great Lakes; it is the largest body of fresh water on Earth. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Accidental introductions have occurred in part by the removal of natural barriers to navigation between the Great Lakes. This warm season fog occurs when when moisture in the warm air condenses as it flows over the cold lake. The people of the Terminal Woodland period were evident in the area from AD 900 to 1650. Lightfoot sings that "Superior, they said, never gives up her dead". On the eastern edge of the city of Thunder Bay, the Terry Fox Monument and Travel Information Centre stands on a bluff above Highway 11/17, providing a superb vista of the Sleeping Giant, the Thunder Bay icon, and the bay named Thunder Bay. Lake Levels Recognizing the unique qualities of this resource, the United States and Canada are working to restore and protect the Lake Superior Basin. SSEdmund Fitzgerald was the latest ship to sink in Lake Superior, 15 nautical miles (28km; 17mi) from Whitefish Point in a storm on November 10, 1975. Iron ore is exported from Taconite Harbor and Two Harbors (Minnesota) and from Marquette (Michigan). February 09, 2023 3:42 PM James Bake, 31, fell from a cliff into Lake Superior while ice climbing on Feb. 7, according to the National Park Service. Annual lake-level fluctuations are less than 12 inches (30 cm). The average underwater visibility of Lake Superior is about 8 metresor 27 feet, making it the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes.