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[[Image:GreatLakes NOAA.jpg|thumb|right|300pxthumb|250px|Great Lakes basin]]The '''Great Lakes''' are a series of five lakes located between the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] in north central [[North America]]. Together they are the largest group of fresh water lakes on [[Earth]], making up 18% of total world supply.
The Great Lakes includecomprise:
* [[Lake Superior]]
* [[Lake Michigan]] - ''The only Great Lake located entirely in the United States.''
Great Lake Details
|-
! Lake !! Area <br>(sq . miles) !! Volume <br>(cubic miles) !! Maximum Depth depth <br>(ftfeet) !! Height Above Sea Level above sea level <br>(ftfeet) !! Shoreline <br>(miles) !! Outlet(s)
|-
|Superior||31,700||2900||1332||600||2726||St. Marys River
|}
Although several other large lakes and islands make up part of the Great Lakes System. They drain through the [[Saint Lawrence riverRiver]] into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. In 1959 the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened the Great Lakes to Ocean ocean-going boats, allowing travel well into the heart of North America. Although the Great Lakes themselves had been connected before this with by a series of canals.
Since 1909 the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] have cooperated on the management and control of lake water with the International Joint Commission (IJC). At [[Niagara Falls]], as much as 60% of the water is diverted for [[Hydro-electric hydroelectric power]] generation for [[Ontario]] and [[New York State]].
Because of the large size of the lakes many of the larger cities experience lake effect snow, where westerly winds capture moisture over the unfrozen lakes and when cooled over the land, heavy snows can fall. Additionally the lakes can moderate the warm temperatures in the summer, and release the heat in the fall.
