Lake Erie

Lake Erie is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It borders four U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario. Lake Erie is the shallowest and warmest of the Great Lakes. It is named after the Erie people who once lived along its shores.

The Lake

Lake Erie is about 241 miles long and 57 miles wide. It is the fourth largest of the Great Lakes by area. The lake is only about 62 feet deep on average. Because it is shallow, it warms up quickly in summer and can freeze over in winter.

History and Recovery

In the 1960s and 1970s, Lake Erie was badly polluted. Factories and cities dumped waste into the water. The Cuyahoga River, which flows into the lake, even caught fire. People worked hard to clean up the lake, and it is much healthier today.

Fun Facts

• Lake Erie is the shallowest of all five Great Lakes.
• The lake borders Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan.
• Lake Erie has many shipwrecks on its bottom from storms over the centuries.

Did You Know?

The Cuyahoga River that flows into Lake Erie caught fire in 1969 because it was so polluted, and that event helped start the modern environmental movement!