offers more than just a great physical settingthe people and food are unique and special too. Duluth-Superior, at the western end of Lake Superior, is the most inland point on the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the most inland port in the world. During most winters, the lake is 40 to 95 percent covered with ice, although it rarely completely freezes. The water temperatures during the summer months average about 55 F, but surface temperatures reached a record 68.7 F (20.4 C) in August 2010 and are affected by the amount of surface ice during the previous winter. Some 17th-century Jesuit missionaries referred to it as Lac Tracy (for Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy). Among the scenic places on the lake are Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Brockway Mountain Drive on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Isle Royale National Park, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Pukaskwa National Park, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Grand Island National Recreation Area, Sleeping Giant (Ontario) and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. In the 1600s it was called Le Lac Superior, or "upper lake," by the French missionaries, denoting its . 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. 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. [25], Historic low water An ancestor of mine lived there for a time in about, donna Creamore | Lake Superior Journal: The Vanishing Act at Pebble Beach, In 1976, I married my wife and we took a camping honeymoon. The Upper Peninsula around Lake Superior is layered with interesting topics from environmental concerns to lighthouses to the Ojibwa, also known as Chippewa, culture and legends. Lake Superior is not only the largest of the Great Lakes; it is the largest body of fresh water on Earth. 8:40 The discovery of one of the oldest and, perhaps, unluckiest ships to sink off Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast is being celebrated by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. Video footage shows the Ironton sitting upright on the lake bottom, hundreds of feet down remarkably preserved by the cold, fresh water like many other Great Lakes shipwrecks, Gray said. 04/18/2019 - John Doe, M-64, The U.S. Coast Guard has recovered the body of a missing fisherman in Lake Superior. Today, tourism is another significant industry: the sparsely populated Lake Superior country, with its rugged shorelines and wilderness, attracts vacationers and adventurers. Apostle Islands [28], Warmer temperatures could lead to more snow in the lake effect snow belts along the shores of the lake, especially in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The North West Company built forts on Lake Superior at Grand Portage, Fort William, Nipigon, the Pic River, the Michipicoten River, and Sault Ste. The lake is so massive and its volume so large that, were it to be emptied at its current rate (with no compensating additions of water), it would take 191 years. Lake Superior's basin is home to nearly 60 orchid species. Six of seven crew members died. Dubbed the "Bad Luck Barquentine," the. Over 10,000 lives have been lost in her waters. Lake Superior empties into Lake Huron via the St. Marys River and the Soo Locks (Sault Ste. [23] Water levels recovered within a few days. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Lake Superior Circle Tour When I was writing Haven of Swans, I stumbled across an article about how the mute swans were taking over the habitat of the native trumpeter swans. Lake Superior boasts extremely clear water, with an average underwater. [13] It drains into Lake Huron via St. Marys River, then through the lower Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. After the arrival of Europeans, the Anishinaabe made themselves middle-men between the French fur traders and other Native peoples. Isle Royale in Lake Superior As mentioned before, the Great Lakes hold over 5,400 cubic miles of water. Underwater visibility in some spots reaches 30 meters. The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.[31]. St. Louis River 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. While the temperature of the surface of Lake Superior varies seasonally, the temperature below 110 fathoms (660 ft; 200 m) is an almost constant 39 F (4 C). The U.S. Coast Guard found the bodies of Kimberly. I like to say writing about this interesting place taught me how to bring a deeper sense of setting into my novels. Those lyrics got across so much of the mystery and danger found in the lake. Those storms killed an estimated 1,300 people on the big lakesmostly on Huron, Superior, and Michigan; and less so on Erie and Ontario. The Lake Superior region is also home to many common native plant species, including Michigan's state tree, the white pine, and Flowering Rush, an aquatic plant that grows along the shoreline. [15] The 1878 dictionary by Father Frederic Baraga, the first one written for the Ojibway language, gives the Ojibwe name as Otchipwe-kitchi-gami (a transliteration of Ojibwe Gichigami). 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.. It contains as much water as all the other Great Lakes combined, plus three extra Lake Eries! The ship, a 250 foot Canadian package freighter, wrecked in a severe storm in December, 1927. Each year since 1994, Lake Superior Magazine has chosen an organization or individual to honor for making a significant contribution to the well-being of Lake Superior and its people. Lake Superior receives water from approximately 200 rivers, of which the largest are the Nipigon (from the north) and the St. Louis (from the west). We'll leave it up to you as to which is number one! [44] In 1918 the last warships to sink in the Great Lakes, French minesweepers Inkerman and Cerisoles, vanished in a Lake Superior storm, perhaps upon striking the uncharted danger of the Superior Shoal in an otherwise deep part of the lake. Just steps from the road, Gooseberry, Kakabeka, Rainbow and Tahquamenon falls alone make the drive worthwhile. In the summer of 1985, Lake Superior reached its highest recorded level at 2.33 feet (0.71m) above datum. The southern shore of Lake Superior between Grand Marais, Michigan, and Whitefish Point is known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes;" more ships have been lost around the Whitefish Point area than any other part of Lake Superior. You can buy the delicious meat pie just about everywhere. After days of searching, it spotted a figure that later was confirmed as the Ironton. 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. (Though Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and deeper than Lake Superior, Crater Lake's elevation is higher and consequently its deepest point is 4,229 feet (1,289m) above sea level. A favorite lunch is the ubiquitous pasty. From ice formations, to ice fishing and snowshoe trails, welcome to Algomas winter playground. The moon rises at sunset at Split Rock Lighthouse, on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. Lake Superior Because of this obsession, it was only natural when I set out to write my first mystery, I turned to the danger and mystery of the Upper Peninsula, specifically the Keweenaw Peninsula area that juts into the lake on the west side of the Upper Peninsula. Lake Superior's water level was at a new record low in September 2007, slightly less than the previous record low in 1926. They were bound for Marquette, a port city on Lake Superior. Two recent consecutive winters (20132014 and 20142015) brought high ice coverage to the Great Lakes, and on March 6, 2014, overall ice coverage peaked at 92.5%, the second-highest in recorded history. Tweets by @lakesuperiormag !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? The lake's average surface elevation is 600 feet (183m)[8][19] above sea level. [32] The water surface's slow reaction to temperature changes, seasonally ranging between 32 and 55F (013C) around 1970,[33] helps to moderate surrounding air temperatures in the summer (cooler with frequent sea breeze formations) and winter, and creates lake-effect snow in colder months. Notable production includes gold from the Hemlo mine near Marathon, copper from the Keweenaw Peninsula and the Mamainse Point Formation, iron from the Gogebic Range, silver at Silver Islet, and uranium at Theano Point. A ship approaches the Duluth Pier Lighthouse. Around the lake is various water activities as expected. Conner Leo Strange, 18, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Chelan County Superior Court to first-degree arson and two counts of second-degree assault. Its average depth is 482 feet (147 m) with a maximum depth of 1,332 feet (406 m). For comparison, the largest of the Great Lakes (Lake Superior) is only 25% as deep, with a maximum depth of 1,333ft (406m). [25] Additionally, the entire first half of the year (January to June) included record low months. The Associated Press obtained details of the discovery ahead of the announcement. Lab-grown minibrains will be used as 'biological hardware' to create new biocomputers, scientists propose, Ancient Roman 'spike defenses' made famous by Julius Caesar found in Germany, 'Building blocks of life' recovered from asteroid Ryugu are older than the solar system itself, New Moai statue that 'deified ancestors' found on Easter Island, The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe, Subscribe today and save an extra 5% with checkout code 'LOVE5', Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. Bob Sterner's University of Minnesota-Duluth lab pivoted nearly all of its research energy to Lake Superior's blue-green algae issue in 2018. Talks & Readings, Search Events WENATCHEE A Lake Chelan area man faces five years in prison after entering a guilty plea to charges that he started a barn fire that injured two Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies. The retreat left gravel, sand, clay and boulder deposits. in mind summer or winter--it is specta, Gary R Ilminen | You're Gonna Love Winter, I loved your tributes to both of these places. This & That, Education & Learning 1334 Hotel Reviews. The Kamloops is considered an expert dive due to the depths involved; most of the wreck lies below 200 feet. This means that deaths have been assigned to the area where the person lived (usually legal residence), regardless of where the death occurred. The maximum wave ever recorded on Lake Superior was 9.45 metresor 31 feet high. Lake Superior Regional News ~ Northwestern and Northeastern Ontario. 109 W. Superior St. #200 Duluth, MN 55802 218-722-5002 edit@LakeSuperior.com. Lake Superior has a surface area of 31,700 square miles (82,103km2),[7] which is approximately the size of South Carolina or Austria. Michigan Tech brings culture and interest to the town as well. Isle Royale Environment Magma was injected between layers of sedimentary rock, forming diabase sills. As of 2017, there were only 483 individuals in the wild across North America, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Of this amount, Lake Superior holds 2,900 cubic miles, or 3 quadrillion gallons -- accounting for more than 50% of the water. Researchers announced last Wednesday the discovery of the Nucleus, a surprisingly intact shipwreck found 40 miles off the coast of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In the summer, the sun sets more than 35 minutes later on the western shore of Lake Superior than at its southeastern edge. [26] Summer surface temperatures in the lake appeared to have increased by about 4.5F (2.5C) between 1979 and 2007, compared with an approximately 2.7F (1.5C) increase in the surrounding average air temperature. "At the beginning of October, Lake Superior is (1.6 inches) below the long-term average water level (1918 - 2020) and (12.2 inches) below the level of a year ago," according to a new release . Shipping was slow to arrive at Lake Superior in the 19th century. The kayakers were reported missing Thursday evening at. Overfishing has also been a factor in the decline of fish populations.[13]. It has a maximum length of 350 statute miles (560km; 300nmi) and maximum breadth of 160 statute miles (257km; 139nmi). They used bows and arrows, paddled dugout canoes, fished, hunted, mined copper for tools and weapons, and established trading networks. [19] It is also a reflection of relatively small human population and small amount of agriculture in its watershed. The average underwater visibility of Lake Superior is about 8 metresor 27 feet, making it the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes. The Irontons captain and six sailors clambered into a lifeboat but it was dragged to the bottom before they could detach it from the ship. The last time Lake Superior froze over was in 2014. Volume*: 2,900 cubic mi. Winter An official website of the United States government. For five harrowing days between November 6 th and November 11 th, the massive storm ravaged the region. Lake Superior, most northwesterly and largest of the five Great Lakes of North America and one of the worlds largest bodies of fresh water. At Thunder Bay, grain from the Canadian prairies is transferred from rail to ship. A high-resolution scan in 2021 provided more details. The Lake Superior area is well worthy of interest to novelists! The average temperature of Lake Superior is 36F or 2C very refreshing on a hot summer day! Since 2000, 156 people have died on state lakes. When launched on June 8, 1958, the Fitzgerald was the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes, and is the largest ship to have sunk there. The rocks of Lake Superior's northern shore date back to the early history of the earth. The Ojibwe name for the lake is gichi-gami (in syllabics: , pronounced gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami in different dialects),[14] meaning "great sea". Pitz. 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. 16. Annual lake-level fluctuations are less than 12 inches (30 cm). Lake Superior is 350 miles (563 km) long (east to west), and its greatest width is 160 miles (258 km) from north to south. Maritime The "Great Storm of 1913" (also described as the "Freshwater Fury" or the "White Hurricane") is remembered as the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of the Lakes. There are 78 different species of fish that call the big lake home. The region surrounding the lake has proved to be rich in minerals, with copper, iron, silver, gold and nickel the most frequently mined. [7][8][9] Lake Superior contains 2,900 cubicmiles (12,100km) of water. The Soo Locks enable ships to bypass the rapids and to overcome the 25-foot (8m) height difference between Lakes Superior and Huron. HOUGHTON, MI - On Saturday, July 13, a recreational SCUBA diver exploring the Kamloops shipwreck at Isle Royale National Park was fatally injured in a diving accident. Lake Superior is 350 miles (563 km) long (east to west), and its greatest width is 160 miles (258 km) from north to south. A person adrift without a life raft stands little chance of survival. Please see our, Lake Superior Credit: Rob Stimpson, Lake Superior Credit: Rob Stimpson. Average Depth*: 483 ft. (218) 387-2240. The Windigo is a vengeful spirit in myth up in the U.P. Lake Superior boasts extremely clear water, with an average underwater visibility of 27 feet (8.2 m). Ice The people are called Yoopers and many in the Keweenaw area are of Finnish and Welch descent. If North America Were Drained, Lake Superior Would Become the Third-Lowest Point. His setting is Sault Ste Marie, known as the Soo. Lake Superior is, by surface area, the world's largest freshwater lake. The Lake Superior isn't the first former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tugboat to take on water in Duluth. The deepest point in the lake is 405 metres or 1,333 feet. Jeffrey Val Klump was the first person to reach the deepest point of the lake on July 30, 1985. Reservations. The principal ports along the lakes south shore are Ashland (Wisconsin), Hancock and Houghton (both on a 25-mile- (40-km-) long canal across the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan), and Marquette. 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. 1. And that lifeboat really connects you to the site and reminds you of how powerful the lakes are and what it must have been like to work on them and lose people on them.. Water levels, including diversions of water from the Hudson Bay watershed, are regulated by the International Lake Superior Board of Control, which was established in 1914 by the International Joint Commission. Several factors made the area a shipwreck alley for more than two centuries, until modern navigation and weather forecasting reduced the danger, said Stephanie Gandulla, the sanctuarys resource protection coordinator. But Lake Superior's water is cold enough year-round to inhibit bacterial growth, and bodies tend to sink and never resurface. Here Are the Best Reviewed Books of the Month. Lake Superior first took shape about 1.2 billion years ago as a result of the North American Mid-Continent Rift, which carved an arc-shaped scar stretching from Kansas through Minnesota. 10. Lake Superior continually shapes the Pictured Rocks shoreline. Extending through Canada and the United States, about 444,000 US residents and 229,000 Canadian residents live along the shores of Lake Superior. And you have to be wary of hitting moose on the road. And I just shiver at the lyrics about how the lake sings in its ice-room mansion. Lake Superior has been an important link in the Great Lakes Waterway, providing a route for the transportation of iron ore as well as grain and other mined and manufactured materials. Hebard crewmen tossed lines and pulled all to safety except Ironton mate Ed Boswick, who couldnt muster the strength to hold on. It was during the Penokean orogeny, part of the process that created the Great Lakes tectonic zone, that many valuable metals were deposited. The marine chart shows depth and hydrology of Lake Superior on the map, which is located in the Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario state (Burnett, Rainy River District, Algoma District). This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Lake-Superior-lake-North-America, World Lake Database - Lake Superior, North America, The Canadian Encyclopedia - Lake Superior, Lakepedia - Lake Superior: The Largest Freshwater Lake in the World, Lake Superior - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Lake Superior - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Its name is from the French Lac Suprieur (Upper Lake). 'Superior' describes not only its size and volume, but also its setting. Lake Superior is fed by more than 200 rivers, including the Nipigon River, the St. Louis River, the Pigeon River, the Pic River, the White River, the Michipicoten River, the Bois Brule River and the Kaministiquia River. One of my very favorite places to visit is The Jampot. [45] This is because of the unusually cold water, under 36F (2C) on average around 1970. Trade remained in the hands of the British until 1817, when John Jacob Astors American Fur Company took over south of the Canadian border. On May 12, 1982, the lake claimed another victim: thirty-three-year-old Debbie Race.