Why do people depend on the Great Lakes?

Why do people depend on the Great Lakes?

The Great Lakes span 4,530 miles1 of coast and account for 21 percent of the world’s freshwater. More than 30 million people rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water—10 percent of the U.S. population and 30 percent of the Canadian population.

How do the Great Lakes help people?

The Great Lakes form the largest freshwater system on Earth, providing drinking water to 42 million people. With 4,530 miles of U.S. shoreline, America’s inland coast is also its longest. The lakes support a vibrant local economy of tourism, recreation, and industry.

Does the United States own 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.

Why are the Great Lakes so important to the world?

And most of the globe’s freshwater supply is either frozen in glaciers or buried underground. One reason why the Great Lakes are so important is they harbor 20 percent of all the liquid water on Earth’s surface. All the more reason to keep them pollution-free. Exactly how much water are we talking about here?

How many people live in the Great Lakes region?

8. The Great Lakes Region is the primary water source for more than 40 million people. It accounts for more than 90% of the surface freshwater in the United States. The freshwater system is also an important shipping route, tourist attraction and energy source. 9. Michigan has the most freshwater coastline of any U.S. state.

When did the first people come to the Great Lakes?

People arrived in the Great Lakes Basin about 10,000 years ago. By the 1500s, an estimated 60,000 to 120,000 aboriginal people lived in the area. The fertile soils, plentiful water and an abundance of wild game supported the native people, who took to the lakes and their tributaries in their birch bark canoes.

How much water does the Great Lakes hold?

It is estimated that there are nearly 24,000 cubic miles of surface freshwater on earth. The Great Lakes hold over 5,400 cubic miles of water– therefore accounting for more than 20% of the world’s surface freshwater.