Midwest Lakes Policy Center

Chain of Lakes in Michigan

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:09:12 -0600

View Larger Map The Chain of Lakes in Michigan is a group of streams rivers and lakes in Northwest Michigan. There are 14 lakes that make up the chain. The major lakes include: Intermediate, Bellaire Lake, Clam Lake, Torch Lake, Lake Skegemog, Scotts Lake, Beal Lake, Six Mile Lake, Wilson Lake, Benway Lake, Hanley Lake, Ellsworth Lake, St. Clair Lake and Elk Lake. The chain is 75 miles long.

More Water for New Berlin

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:39:19 -0600

New Berlin, Wisconsin struck a new deal with Milwaukee to draw more water from Lake Michigan. New Berlin has had problems with high amounts of radium in their aquifers for the last several years. The new deal will cost the town $1.5 million dollars, and they will have to return used water back to the watershed through pipes. The DNR must still agree to the proposal.

How deep is Lake Superior?

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:20:13 -0600

The largest lake by surface area in the world is 1,332 feet deep or 406 meters. The average depth of Lake Superior is 482 feet or 147 meters.

Lake Ontario and Algae

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:05:15 -0600

Cladophora is destroying many beaches along the Great Lakes. Lake Ontario has been hit hard by the outbreak of this algae, and scientists are worried that bacteria and toxins will thrive in the lake. Learn more about the problems Lake Ontario faces, here.

Schoolhouse Beach

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:25:59 -0600

A summer day at Schoolhouse Beach on Washington Island, Wisconsin. The island sits at the top of the Door County Peninsula.

Great Lakes Cruising

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:46:48 -0600

Many people like to go on cruises, but did you know you can take one on the Great Lakes? The Great Lakes Cruise Company offers cruises on the Great Lakes. You can tour Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, or check out the many canals or islands that make up the watershed for a week or more.

BWI's on the Rise

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:28:46 -0600

According to officials in and around the Twin Cities of Minnesota, high gas prices have led to more BWI's or "Boating While Intoxicated" arrests. The Hennepin County Water Patrol has made over 60 arrests this summer, mostly on Lake Minnetonka. The theory is, more people stay anchored because of the price of gas. The captains or drivers then end up drinking with other boaters, instead of touring the lakes.

Wild Boar on the Loose

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:13:56 -0600

A new invasive species is invading the Midwest! Apparently, a wild boar from Europe was released near the Detroit Lakes area of Minnesota. The boar could mate with feral pigs and multiply at a rapid rate, which has wildlife officials concerned. Feral pigs can be very destructive to native habitats, and cause massive erosion issues along lakes, creeks and rivers.

Tropical Storm Fay and Lakes

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:19:39 -0600

Tropical Storm Fay will bring needed drought relief to lakes in the South. Lake Okeechobee could rise by at least a foot from the rains, and many are hoping Lake Lanier and Allatoona in Georgia will be flush with new water from the storms. Lake Lanier has been setting record low water levels over the last year.

Avian Botulism

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:01:01 -0600

The DNR in Michigan has confirmed that birds are still dying from avian botulism this year, after four birds washed up on Lake Michigan beaches with the disease. Close to 11,000 birds in the Great Lakes basin perished from botulism last year. The avian strain keeps moving further south each year, which was first spread by the introduction of invasive species from the Baltic Sea.

Lake Michigan is Changing

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:33:31 -0600

How swift are the ecological changes to Lake Michigan, and what are their overall impact on this great natural resource? Read this story from the Chicago Tribune, to find out.

York Island Video

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:20:13 -0600

Check out 274 acre York Island, in this video. York Island is a part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Lake Superior.

Huron Blueways Water Trail

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:52:20 -0600

Officials in Michigan have just announced the development of the Huron Blueways Water Trail. The trail most likely will extend from Mackinaw City to Alcona County along the shoreline of Lake Huron. People will be able to canoe and kayak the paddling route, and identify points of interest that will be put up on a web site for the trail. The complete project could be done as early as 2010.

Ernest Hemingway and Michigan

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:26:51 -0600

How did the rivers and lakes of Michigan shape Ernest Hemingway as a man and writer? Read this story to find out.

Milfoil Weevil

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:27:43 -0600

A new bug may be on the way to fight Eurasian Milfoil in lakes. The milfoil weevil could be an answer to chemical treatment for the invasive weed that has choked many lakes. The weevil is a specialist herbivore and will be studied for six years by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Lake Joanis. If the study goes well the weevil could be released in other lakes to fight invasive weeds.