Lake Superior

120,000 BCE - present

Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes, situated most northerly and westerly from the others. Superior is the largest freshwater lake, according to its surface area, and contains 10% of the world’s supply of fresh water. It drains through the St. Mary’s River into Lake Huron. Lake Superior is known as Gitche Gumme by the Ojibwe, which loosely translates to “Big Sea” or “Huge Water.” The Great Lakes are the site of the Anishinaabe migration from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Following the Miigis shell, the Anishinaabe were told that their final resting place would be where “food grows on water.” They knew they had arrived when they encountered the native wild rice paddies growing along the shores of Lake Superior. These rice paddies are still harvested by Anishinaabe tribes today. Lake Superior is an oligotrophic lake and is less productive in maintaining fish populations as the other Great Lakes. However, more than 80 different native and nonnative species inhabit the waters. Presently, the warming climate and residential development in the region have caused drastic fluctuations in the water levels of Lake Superior, as rising temperatures encourage heavier rainfall and water runoff increases due to the increase in impervious surfaces. Chemical waste has further contributed to the decline of Lake Superior’s health. Fishing and wild rice harvesting have been monitored and cautioned to be consumed in moderation.

BIRDS: 2 species are extinct and 5 are endangered
FISH: 5 species are extinct and 4 are endangered
MAMMALS: 2 species are extinct and 4 are endangered
BIVALVES: 2 mussel species are extinct
PLANTS: 2 species are extinct

The territory of Lake Superior falls within the ancestral homelands of the Anishinabewaki, Michif Piyii, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ peoples.

Territorial recognition: https://native-land.ca/

Most Pressing Issues

Water Levels

Water levels frequently vary within the Great Lakes. This is in part a natural phenomenon resulting from glacial rebound, but drastic fluctuations are due to changing precipitation levels - a result of global warming - and increased water runoff from human development. Environmentalists advocate for allowing natural water level fluctuations in surrounding wetlands. These changes contribute to the decline of the wild rice paddies, which are sacred to the native populations of the surrounding areas. Demand for drinking water, irrigation and climate change, leave many to worry about a future decline in lake levels.

Development

During the nineteenth century, much of the land surrounding the Great Lakes was cleared and cultivated for industrial and residential development. Building, mines, power plants, coastal roads & recreational infrastructure has been disrupting natural environments for centuries. Deforestation and improper waste disposal has destroyed fish spawning grounds, introduced heavy metals to the ecosystem, and triggered rapid warming of the lake waters. Enbridge Line 5, a 645-mile oil pipeline in the Enbridge Lakehead System, now runs through the Straits of Mackinac. If struck, the pipeline has the capacity to spill across hundreds of miles of shoreline, taking years to clean up and decimating the ecosystem.

Diminished Fisheries

Early commercial fishing operations received dangerously relaxed regulations. Fish populations were extorted year-round, and over time were not able to reproduce enough to keep the species from extinction. Seasonal regulations were eventually placed to allow for natural breeding cycles, but in some cases the damage was irrevocable. Efforts to manage fisheries have been further complicated by many accidental and purposeful species introductions, pushing out native fish.

Chemical Waste

Previously relaxed environmental regulations allowed nearby industrial plants and mining operations to dump their waste into the Great Lakes without any repercussions. Resultantly, sludge at the bottom of the waterways and lakes of the basin contain myriad toxic chemicals ranging from PCBs to radioactive waste. Arsenic and mercury have been detected in wild rice paddies, and many early fish populations dwindle. Restrictions have been placed on the number of fish one can safely eat from Lake Superior.

Invasive Species

Invasive species such as the Asian carp, sea lamprey, alewife, zebra mussel, and the round goby are just a few of the species that have wreaked havoc on the Great Lakes. These invasive species decimate native populations both by lacking predators and creating low oxygen environments which trigger the production of bacteria that cause botulism. The pathogen moves through the food chain, causing major die offs of thousands of birds and fish annually. Additionally, the Emerald Ash Borer, a jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia, has destroyed millions of Ash trees across the eastern United States.

How You Can Help

Alliance for Great Lakes

The Alliance for Great Lakes works with scientists, policymakers, businesses, community groups and everyday citizens to protect and restore the lake.

Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition

The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition works to protect the unique environmental qualities of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by educating the public and acting as a watchdog to industry and government.

Freshwater Future

Freshwater Future is an environmental community working to protect and restore the Great Lakes and its many waters by involving residents in civic decision-making.

Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy

Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy is dedicated to ensuring the long-term sustainable health of the watershed by working with communities, Aboriginal peoples, resource industries, interest groups and the government.

National Wildlife Federation, Great Lakes Region

National Wildlife Federation, Great Lakes Region is a leader in protecting the Great Lakes for the wildlife and humans that depend on this invaluable resource.

Sources:

Phil Bencomo, “Just How Big is Lake Superior?” Lake Superior Magazine, https://www.lakesuperior.com/the-lake/lake-superior/how-big-is-lake-superior/.

“Why is the Big Lake Called ‘Gitche Gumme?” Lake Superior Magazine, January 1, 2006, https://www.lakesuperior.com/the-lake/lake-superior/281almanac/.

“Lake Superior,” Minnesota Sea Grant, https://web.archive.org/web/20070220053912/http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/superior/overview.