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Ice Age
A Cold Climate over 10000 years ago froze the northern hemisphere. -
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St. Lawrence rift.
The Saint Lawrence rift, formed approximately 570 million years ago, the basis for Lakes Ontario and Erie were created, along with what would become the Saint Lawrence River. -
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Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls were formed approximately 10,000 years ago when retreating glaciers exposed the Niagara escarpment, allowing the waters of Lake Erie to flow north to Lake Ontario. -
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Glaciers
Large glaciers retreated over North America -
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Glacial Erosion
As the glaciers advanced giant sheets of ice flowed across the land, leveling mountains, and carving out massive valleys. -
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Melting
After the glaciers melted the water from the glaciers filled the huge holes and valleys left by the erosion of the glaciers and created the great lakes. -
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Life
As the last glaciers began retreating some 14,000 years ago, they left an ecological frontier rich in new habitats that were rapidly exploited by species immigrating from the east, south and west. These biological pioneers formed new communities that could thrive in the specialized environments created by the glaciers and sustained by the Great Lakes. As populations adapted to the special conditions in the basin, new forms of life began to evolve, further enriching the biological diversity of th -
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Gneiss complexes
Recent radiometric age data indicates that there are four crystalline rock complexes 3,400 million years old in the Lake Superior region. The best-known units are the Morton Gneiss and the Montevideo Gneiss. -
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Lake Levels
Lake levels drop over a period of 10000 years to their current state today. -
Jan 1, 1535
Jacques Cartier
Reached as far as present day montreal on his expidition. -
Samuel De Champlain
He began exploring North America in 1603, establishing the city of Quebec in the northern colony of New France, and mapping the Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes, before settling into an administrative role as the de facto governor of New France in 1620. -
Jean Nicolet
Who arrived in the area of Wisconsin in 1634. -
Fishing
Commercial fishing began around 1820, -
Naval Station Great Lakes
The Training Station at Newport, Rhode Island, only got started in 1881. Before that, enlisted Sailors joined the Navy and went directly to a ship. All their training took place underway. -
Boundary Waters Treaty
In 1909, the United States and Canada cooperatively negotiated the Boundary Waters Treaty. This treaty established the International Joint Commission which is a permanent binational body addressing, among other important boundary issues ,water quality, concerns and the regulation of water levels and flows between the two countries. -
Death of Erie
Reports since the 1950s of the "death" of Lake Erie serve as a reminder of the human impact on natural ecosystems. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Cuyahoga River, which empties into Lake Erie, caught fire due to oily pollutants on its surface. -
St. Lawrence Seaway
Completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway -
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was signed. -
Shallow Waters
Measurements taken last month show Lake Huron and Lake Michigan have reached their lowest ebb since record keeping began in 1918, and the lakes could set additional records over the next few months, the corps said. The lakes were 29 inches below their long-term average and had declined 17 inches since January 2012. -
Great Lakes Dredging Plan
In five letters to Senate Appropriations subcommittee chairmen, Great Lakes senators highlighted programs that preserve and protect the lakes. The funding, they argue, is critical to the millions of people who depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, jobs, and quality of life.