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Basic Information
References for Great Lakes Statistics

Great Lakes Water Volume

Sources of Information and Basis for Calculation

Water Volume of the Great Lakes

Reference: 1 2 3 4 Average

Lakes 

 Volume (km3)
Superior 12,100 12,230 11,600 12,088 12,004
Michigan 4,920 4,920 4,680 4,918 4,860
Huron 3,540 3,537 3,580 3,543 3,550
Erie 484 483 545 484 499
Ontario 1,640 1,637 1,710 1,638 1,656
Lake St. Clair n/a n/a n/a 4 4
Totals: 22,684 22,807 22,115 22,675 22,573

References:

  1. Coordinated Great Lakes Physical Data. Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data. Chicago, IL and Cornwall, ON. p. 9. (1977).
  2. Large Lakes Ecological Structure and Function. Max M. Tilzer and Colette Serruya, eds. Springer-Verlag. Berlin-Heidelberg, p 26 (1990) [Derived from Inventory of the Morphometric and Limnological Characteristics of the Large Lakes of the World. Charles E. Herdendorf, The Ohio State University. Technical Bulletin OHSU-TB-17, Sea Grant Program. March 1984. p. 67.]
  3. Atlas of World Water Balance (Explanatory Text). USSR National Committee for the International Hydrological Decade, Leningrad, p 32.(1977)
  4. The Water Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition. F. van der Leeden, F.L. Troise and D.K. Todd. Lewis Publishers, USA. p. 188. (1990)

Fresh Surface Water Volume of the World

Reference: 1 2 3 4 Average
 

Volume (km3)
Freshwater Lakes 86,499 125,000 91,000 100,000 100,625
Rivers 2,115 1,250 2,120 1,700 1,796
Reservoirs 4,286 n/a n/a n/a 4,286
Totals 92,900 126,250 93,120 101,700 106,707

References:

  1. WCMC Biodiversity Series No. 8. Freshwater Biodiversity: A Preliminary Global Assessment. UNEP-WCMC. (From Annon. USSR Committee for the International Hydrological Decade. 1978). exit EPA http://quin.unep-wcmc.org/resources/publications/freshwater/index.html.
  2. Water in Crisis, A Guide to the World's Fresh Water Resources. Peter H. Gleick Ed. Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security. Stockholm Environmental Institute. Oxford University Press. 1993. p. 120.['Nace 1967 cited in Reference 2. p. 120.]
  3. UNESCO 1974 cited in Reference 2. p. 120.
  4. WRI 1988 cited in Reference 2. p. 120.

Fresh Surface Water Volume of North America

Waterbody Type

Volume (km3)1
Lakes 25,600
Rivers 250
Reservoirs 950
Total:
 26,800

Reference:

  1. WCMC Biodiversity Series No. 8. Freshwater Biodiversity: A Preliminary Global Assessment. UNEP-WCMC. (From Annon. USSR Committee for the International Hydrological Decade. 1978). exit EPA http://quin.unep-wcmc.org/resources/publications/freshwater/index.html. Data also cited in World Water Balance and Water Resources of the Earth. USSR Committee for the International Hydrological Decade. UNESCO. p. 349.

Calculations

Great Lakes compared to World Fresh Surface Water =
(22,573 km3 X 100) / 106,707 km3 = 21 percent

Great Lakes compared to North America Fresh Surface Water =
(22,573 km3 X 100) / 26,800 km3 = 84 percent

 

Great Lakes Population

Populations by Lake Basin1

  LAKES
Superior Michigan Huron Erie Ontario Total
United States (1990) 425,548 10,057,026 1,502,687 10,017,530 2,704,284 24,707,075
Canada (1991) 181,573 n/a 1,191,467 1,664,639 5,446,611 8,484,290

United States and Canada Populations 2,3

United States 248,709,873
Canada 27,296,859

References:

  1. The Great Lakes - An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book, United States Environmental Protection Agency and Government of Canada, Third Edition, 1995.
  2. U.S. Census 1990 Lookup Database C90STF3C1, Level: Nation.
  3. Statistics Canada, Population and Dwelling Counts for Canada, Provinces and Territories, 1991 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data.

Calculations

Great Lakes United States population
(24,707,075 X 100) / 248,709,873 = 10 percent of population of United States

Great Lakes Canadian population
(8,484,290 X 100) / 27,296,859 = 31 percent of population of Canada

 

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