Why are the Great Lakes so special?
- They hold approximately 90% of the United States surface freshwater.
- 180 species of fish live in the Great Lakes.
- The Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways, major North American bird migration corridors, use the Great Lakes.
- Nearly 40 Million people depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water
- The Great Lakes are 20% of the Earth’s surface freshwater supply.
- 279 globally rare plants, animals, and natural communities are found in the Great Lakes basin.
- The Great Lakes harbor two globally imperiled ecosystems – Great Lakes coastal marsh and lakeplain prairie.
- The Great Lakes have 11,000 miles of shoreline.
- There are 30,000 freshwater islands in the Great Lakes –the most in the world.
- Nearly 6 million recreational boats in the U.S and Canada are on the Great Lakes.
You can make a difference in protecting this treasured natural resource by your own knowledge and actions. Explore our website to:
Learn More : Great Lakes Links
Get Involved: Watershed Organizations
Save the Lakes: Adults
Save the Lakes: Kids
Plant a Rain Garden
Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) are a species at risk in the Great Lakes
Hairy Puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense) grow in the dunes of the Lakes.
Recreational boating is popular on Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township, MI and throughout the Great Lakes
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