One estimate was that 180 invasive species arein the Great Lakes, some having traveled in ballast water in international ships. Cleveland's director of public utilities Ben Stefanski pursued a massive effort to "scrub the Cuyahoga"; the effort cost $100million in bonds, according to one estimate. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. Settlers established commercial fisheries on the north coast of the lake around the 1850s. [28][74] The Great Lakes Institute of the University of Windsor has experts who study issues such as lake sediment pollution and the flow of contaminants such as phosphorus. Apple orchards are abundant in northeast Ohio to western New York. Lake Erie has: 1.) Human Ecology 12: 413429. The Miller Ferry from Catawba Island to Put-In-Bay and Middle Bass Island, the Kellys Island ferry from Marblehead to Kellys Island, and the Owen Sound Transportation Company from Leamington or Kingsville to Pelee Island and Sandusky. Ozbekcha / . This frictional convergence creates lift and enhances snowfall. The main natural outflow from the lake is via the Niagara River, which provides hydroelectric power to Canada and the U.S. as it spins huge turbines near Niagara Falls at Lewiston, New York, and Queenston, Ontario. Lake Erie islands tend to be in the westernmost part of the lake and have different characters. The glaciers were able to carve away more land on the eastern side of the lowland because the bedrock is made of shale which is softer than the carbonate rocks of dolomite and limestone on the western side. Stone Laboratory was donated to the Ohio State University by Julius Stone in 1925 as part of the university's Ohio Sea Grant College program. Fossils embedded in rock reveal intriguing details about animals, plants and other life-forms that once called Earth home. Situated on the International Boundary between Canada and the United States, Lake Erie's northern shore is the Canadian province of Ontario, specifically the Ontario Peninsula, with the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York on its western, southern, and eastern shores. [90], In 1999, a local TV station's Doppler weather radar detected millions of mayflies heading for Presque Isle in blue and green splotches on the radar in clouds measuring 10mi (16km) long. Commercial fishing in Lake Erie has been hurt by pollution as well as government regulations which limit the size of their catch; one report suggested that the numbers of fishing boats and employees had declined by two-thirds in recent decades. This animation shows a standing wave (black) depicted as a sum of two propagating waves traveling in opposite directions (blue and red). [73], The lake has been plagued with a number of invasive species, including zebra[49] and quagga mussels, the goby, and the grass carp. Scientists and others tried to address the problem beginning in the 1970s. The large lakes are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. [96], Lake Erie infamously became very polluted in the 1960s and 1970s as a result of the quantity of heavy industry situated in cities on its shores, with reports of bacteria-laden beaches and fish contaminated by industrial waste. How were the Great Lakes of North America formed? Formation Of The Great Lakes Map of the Great Lakes of North America. [132] The wreck belongs to the state of Ohio, and salvaging it is illegal, but divers can visit. [139] It is illegal for swimmers younger than 14 to attempt such a crossing. The campground offers camping along the the shores of the lake. This harvesting expanded the cave to its current size. The cracks are so predictable that the Put-in-Bay Ice Yacht Club prints them on a map On a normal winter day, the ice is dotted with 2,000 fishing shanties. [15], Periodically, a dead zone, or region of low oxygen, occurs in the lake, the location of which varies. The algal blooms result from growth of Microcystis, a toxic blue-green alga that the zebra mussels, which infest the lake, do not eat. Thus, the eastern and central basins of the modern lake are much deeper than the western basin, which averages only 25 feet (7.6m) deep and is rich in nutrients and fish. The other feared the lake was being emptied. A lighthouse off the coast of Cleveland, beset with cold lake winter spray, has an unusual artistic icy shape, although sometimes ice prevents the light from being seen by maritime vessels. [140] Currents can pose a problem, and there have been occasional incidents of drownings. [32] There are few bike repair shops in Ontario on the route.[32]. [6][10] It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes[11][12] and also has the shortest average water residence time. They accidentally came upon the Crystal Cave. The tribal name "erie" is a shortened form of the Iroquoian word erielhonan, meaning "long tail". [74], Other invasive species in Lake Erie include spiny water fleas, fishhook water fleas, sea lamprey, and white perch. [14] As of the 2010s, much of the phosphorus in the lake comes from fertilizer applied to no-till soybean and corn fields, but washed into streams by heavy rains. [107] One estimate was that $5billion was spent to upgrade plants to treat sewage. [109] The lake contains steelhead,[110] walleye (known in Canada as pickerel),[39][110] largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,[110] perch,[110] lake trout, king salmon, whitefish, smelt, and many others. Eries harbor entrance channel is 29 feet deep. [37] American soldiers swept through the Ontario area around Port Rowan burning towns and villages. [20][21] The region around the lake is known as the "thunderstorm capital of Canada" with "breathtaking" lightning displays. He neared the Canada shore a little below Long Point he was accordingly driven towards Buffalo Night was drawing on and it became apparent that he could not, with this current, get away from the water before dark, and after nightfall it would not be safe to come down. Joint U.S.Canadian agreements pushed 600 of 864 major industrial dischargers to meet requirements for keeping the water clean. a Central basin with an average depth of 60 feet; and 3.) [126] A longer growing season because of the lake-moderated temperatures make the risk of early frosts less likely. Incidents occurred of the oily surfaces of tributary rivers emptying into Lake Erie catching fire: in 1969, Cleveland's Cuyahoga River erupted in flames,[98] chronicled in a Time magazine article which lamented a tendency to use rivers flowing through major cities as "convenient, free sewers";[56] the Detroit River caught fire on another occasion. These storms produced areas of wind damage, large hail to golf ball size, heavy rain, and an EF0 tornado in Sanilac County before moving eastward into Canada and the lakes during the evening. However, most glacial lakes around Ohio were much smaller and are now completely drained as they were dammed directly by the glacial . Create your account View this answer Lake Erie was formed relatively recently by the retreat of a large glacier. It's estimated that at least half of the planet's oxygen comes from these unsung creatures, who produce it through photosynthesis before releasing it into the. Anglers target walleye and yellow perch, with some effort directed at rainbow trout. The Great Lakes, which are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. [1] The escarpment is not a fault line but the result of unequal erosion. Business boomed; in 1901, the Carnegie Company proposed building a new harbor near Erie, Pennsylvania, in Elk Creek to accommodate shipments from its tube-plant site nearby. [49] Notable rum runners included Thomas Joseph McGinty and the Purple Gang. [128] One report suggests there are more wrecks per square mile than any other freshwater location, including wrecks from Indigenous watercraft. Commercial landings are dominated by yellow perch and walleye, with substantial quantities of rainbow smelt and white bass also taken. [88], The Lake Erie water snake, a subspecies of the northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon), lives in the vicinity of Ohio's Put-in-Bay Harbor and had been placed on the threatened species list. The Coast Guard attempted to interdict the Canadian liquor with its Rum Patrol,[50][51][52][53][54] and a casino operated on Middle Island. [69] The area around Port Rowan has special trees that grow because of the "tempering effect of the lake", and species include tulip trees, dogwood, sassafras, and sour gum. [117] Cuts of 30 to 45 percent for certain fish were made in 2007. Common non-indigenous fish species include the rainbow smelt, alewife, white perch and common carp. This conflict is complex, dating from the 1960s and earlier, with the result in the United States that, in 2011, commercial fishing was mostly eliminated from Great Lakes states. In 1991, the 19th-century paddle steamer Atlantic was discovered. Lake Erie Geology The Lake Erie basin was gouged out of Earth's crust years by rivers and glaciers between 1 million and 12,600 years ago. One account suggests that climate change is causing greater evaporation of lake water, leading to warmer temperatures, as well as thinner or nonexistent ice in winter, which is fueling concerns that "Erie appears to be shrinking" and is the most likely candidate among the five Great Lakes to "turn into a festering mud puddle. [28] Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes because the ice was relatively thin and lacked erosion power when it reached that far south, according to one view. [113] Because of the threat of PCBs, It was recommended, that persons eat no more than one walleye meal per month. [126], The drainage basin has led to well fertilized soil. "I went out to the shore of the lake again and again, to try and see the other side, but I could see no hill, mountain, nor city of the asylum I sought," he once told an interviewer. Steel Winds, a former steel mill site in Buffalo, has been developed as an urban wind farm housing 14 turbines capable of generating up to 35 megawatts of electricity. Since warm, moist air is less dense than cold air, the heated air rises. [139] In Port Dover, Ontario, swimmers do high-dives at the annual "Polar Bear Swim" on the beach. Many industrial and municipal sources have since been greatly reduced. This can create depressions in the land that fill with water to form lakes. Short-term level changes are often caused by seiches that are particularly high when southwesterly winds blow across the length of the lake during storms. Lake Erie forms the boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Many people drive to other islands for dinner with friends. Conservancy secures 113 acres along Lake Erie", "Central Canada charms: On the Erie shores, a very eerie sight", "Disabled athlete swims 12 miles across Lake Erie", "Girl, 14, smashes week-old record for Lake Erie swim", "In Pictures: Revellers from coast to coast greet the New Year with a traditional cold-water swim", "Remains of Calgary rescuer recovered from Lake Erie: Woman, 53, missing since Monday", "Frozen Lighthouse: Nature's Artwork On Lake Erie (VIDEO)", "3 Greenpeace members held in Lake Erie stunt", "5 nabbed on Lake Erie beach for entering Canada illegally", Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, Great Lakes Basin Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Program, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Great LakesSaint Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Erie&oldid=1164153257, Articles with dead external links from December 2012, Articles using infobox body of water without alt, Articles using infobox body of water without alt bathymetry, Articles with text in Iroquoian languages, Articles with WorldCat Entities identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, 799mi (1,286km) plus 72mi (116km) for islands, Kelleys Island has activities such as beach lounging, hiking, biking, and viewing the deep, Pelee Island is reached by ferry from Leamington, Ontario, or by plane or ferry in, This page was last edited on 8 July 2023, at 03:50. [19] The "waves build very quickly", according to other accounts. Even in the coldest winters, there are dangerous patches of thin ice. [61], The effects of the warmer lake water is reduced when the lake freezes over. [21] Sometimes fierce waves springing up unexpectedly have led to dramatic rescues; in one instance, a Cleveland resident trying to measure the dock near his house became trapped but was rescued by a fire department diver from Avon Lake, Ohio: In a tug of war against the waves, the two were finally hauled out by rope. [79] This problem was extreme in the mid- and late 1960s, and the Lake Erie Wastewater Management Study conducted by the Buffalo District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined that the eutrophication was caused by point sources such as industrial outfalls and municipal sanitary and storm sewer outfalls, as well as diffuse sources, such as overland runoff from farm and forest land. In the 1970s and 1980s, as pollution in the lake declined, counts of walleyes which were caught grew from 112,000 in 1975 to 4.1million in 1985, with estimates of the numbers of walleyes in the lake at around 33 million in the basin, with many of 8 pounds (3.6kg) or more. [30] The name may also come from the word eri, meaning "cherry tree". In the Devonian era, Lake Erie was a tropical reef. Answer and Explanation: 1 Become a Study.com member to unlock this answer! In early August, the 2019 bloom was expected to measure 7.5 on the severity index, but could range between 6 and 9. The varying depths of the lakes are in part attributed to the differences in the thickness of the ice at the time of glaciation. [116], Estimates vary about the fishing market for the Great Lakes region. The largest is Pelee Island. [128] One estimate is that Lake Erie has a quarter of all 8,000 estimated shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. [78], An ongoing concern is that nutrient overloading from fertilizers and human and animal waste, known as eutrophication, in which additional nitrogen and phosphorus enter the lake, will cause plant life to "run wild and multiply like crazy". The seaway connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. [74] Zebra mussels and gobies have been credited with the increased population and size of smallmouth bass in Lake Erie. It has a surface area of 9,990 square miles (25,874km2)[7] with a length of 241 statute miles (388km; 209nmi)[7] and breadth of 57 statute miles (92km; 50nmi)[7] at its widest points. By 1990 the quality of the water in the lake had improved greatly. [124] The Canadian region of Lake Erie's north shore is becoming a more prominent wine region as well; it has been dubbed the Lake Erie North Shore, or LENS region, and includes Pelee Island,[125] and since it is farther north than comparable wine-growing areas in the world, the length of the days in the summer are longer. In 2007, one estimate of the total market for fishing in the Great Lakes, including commercial and recreational fishing, was $4billion annually. It had support from both political parties, including United States Senator George Voinovich of Ohio and Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, but is not popular in the southwestern states because of frequent drought conditions and water scarcity. [143], There have been unconfirmed reports of persons spotting a creature akin to the Loch Ness Monster, beginning in the 19th century and sometimes called "Bessie" or "South Bay Bessie". [115] Five other people reported seeing something similar on three separate occasions, but there is no scientific evidence of such a creature. Great Lakes Location of the Great Lakes in North America The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the east-central interior of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. [107] Cleanup efforts were described in 1979 as a notable environmental success story, suggesting that the cumulative effect of legislation, studies, and bans had reversed the effects of pollution:[107]. Britannica does not review the converted text. [114], The longest fish in Lake Erie is reportedly the sturgeon which can grow to 10 feet (3.0m) long and weight 300 pounds (140kg), but it is an endangered species and mostly lives on the bottom of the lake. limbata. a shallow Western basin with an average depth of less than 30 feet; 2.) After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. These are found in some localities along the Lake Erie shores of Ohio, either alone or embedded within . [91] These insects were a sign of Lake Erie's move back to health, since the mayflies require clean water to thrive. Mr. Mob: The Life and Crimes of Moe Dalitz. [111] In 1992, there were accounts of fishermen regularly catching walleye weighing up to 12 pounds (5.4kg). They ride in cars with the roofs and doors chopped off so they can escape if the vehicles fall through the ice. Still, the commercial fishery is the target of critics who would like to see the lake managed for the exclusive benefit of sport fishing and the various industries serving the sport fishery. [130], In 1998, the wreckage of Adventure became the first shipwreck registered as an "underwater archaeological site"; when it was discovered that Adventure's propeller had been removed and given to a junkyard. U.S. Route 30 west of Delphos, Ohio, and U.S. Route 20 west of Norwalk and east of Cleveland were formed in this manner. [33] For decades after those wars, the land around eastern Lake Erie was claimed and utilized by the Iroquois as a hunting ground. Publishers: (1) Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail National Scenic Byway (2) Ohio Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (3) Ohio Sea Grant; Editors: Art Weber, Melinda Huntley of the Ohio Sea Grant College Program. Management of the fishery is by consensus of all management agencies with an interest in the resource and work under the mandate of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. [145], The lake has been a shipping lane for maritime vessels for centuries. [67] A plan by Samsung to build an offshore wind farm on the north shore of the lake, from Port Maitland to Nanticoke for a distance of 15.5mi (24.9km),[68] has been met with opposition from residents. [108] But there has been no substantial progress on this issue since 2007. [56] A report in Time magazine in 1969 described the lake as a "gigantic cesspool" since only three of 62 beaches were rated "completely safe for swimming".[56]. The combination of overfishing and the eutrophication of the lake by pollution caused the population to collapse, and in the mid-1980s, the blue walleye was declared extinct. To share with more than one person, separate addresses with a comma. [77] The shore of the lake is also host to invasive species of the Phragmites reed genus. The lake can be thought of as a common asset with multiple purposes including being a fishery. When the monsoons bring rain, the lake fills and has a salinity similar to. [111] Not all walleyes thrived. Lake Erie has four major portsDetroit, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; Toledo, Ohio; and Buffalo, New York. Strong winds have caused lake currents to shift sediment on the bottom, leading to shifting sandbars that have been the cause of shipwrecks. [49] Many lake residents take advantage of the ice and travel; some drive to Canada and back:[66]. [108] According to chemical engineer Peter Douglas, there is sufficient storage space beneath Lake Erie to hold between 15 and 50 years of liquid CO2 emissions from the 4,000 megawatt Nanticoke coal plant. [49] Occasionally there have been mass die-offs of certain species of fish, sometimes for reasons unknown, such as many numbers of rainbow smelt in May 2010. Situated below Lake Huron, Erie's primary inlet is the Detroit River. Physiographic features formed by glacial erosion of the Lake Erie bedrock are highlighted in the detailed bathymetry. "[38], In 1837, rebellions broke about between Canadian settlers and the British Colonial government. [86] The largest Lake Erie blooms to date occurred in 2015, exceeding the severity index at 10.5 and in 2011 at a 10, according to the NOAA. [91] Sometimes, the clouds of mayflies have caused power outages[92] and roads to become slippery with squashed insects. The only basis for Background The Lake Erie Cooperative Weed Management Area (LECWMA) was formed in 2010 as a partnership between regional governmental and non-governmental conservation organizations to deliver invasive species management, education, and assistance for coastal wetland landowners in northwestern Ohio. [23] Pennsylvania had a special $3 stamp on fishing licenses to help "compensate commercial fishermen for their losses", but this program ended after five years. Image credit: Michael Shake/Shutterstock.com The formation and location of the Great Lakes is a direct result of ancient glaciation and geology, yet the precise age of the lakes is not known. Attempts failed to stock coho salmon, and its numbers are dwindling. Which of the Great Lakes is the largest? There were reports of disasters usually from sea captains passing information to reporters; in 1868, the captain of the Grace Whitney saw a sunken vessel with "three men clinging to the masthead," but he could not help because of the gale and high seas.[44]. Lake Erie was formed thousands of years ago by the advance and retraction of northern . McFarland. Surface area: 82,414 square kms. 10+. Along its north shore is one of the richest areas of Canada's fruit and vegetable production; this southernmost tip, particularly in the area around Leamington, is known as Canada's "tomato capital". the lake's current form is less than 4,000 years old. [32], During the War of 1812, Oliver Hazard Perry captured an entire British fleet in 1813[36] near Put-in-Bay, Ohio, despite having inferior numbers. During the Glacial Epoch of the Earth's history (500,000 to 2 million years ago,), glaciers melted and formed lakes. Since the 1970s environmental regulation has led to a great increase in water quality and the return of economically important fish species such as walleye and other biological life. Great Lakes Lake Erie, fourth largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. In short, Lake Erie is in danger of dying by suffocation. . [36] Most wrecks are undiscovered but believed to be well preserved and at most 200 feet (61m) below the water surface. [104] There have been instances of beach closings at Presque Isle because of unexplained E. Coli contaminations,[105] possibly caused by sewer water overflows after heavy downpours. As many as three glaciers advanced and retreated over the land, causing temporary lakes to form in the time periods in between each of them. It forms the boundary between Canada (Ontario) to the north and the United States (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York) to the west, south, and east. An outbreak of multicell clusters and supercells developed across Southeast Michigan on the afternoon of July 14, 2023. [129] Other wrecks include the fish tub Neal H. Dow (1910), the "steamer-cum-barge" Elderado (1880),[129] W. R. Hanna,[36] Dundee which sank north of Cleveland in 1900,[36] F. H. Prince,[36] and The Craftsman. [132] In addition, there are wrecks of smaller vessels, with occasional drownings of fishermen. a cold, deep Eastern basin which bottoms out at over 200 feet deep. [64] In contrast, Lake Michigan has never completely frozen over since the warmer and deeper portion is in the south, although it came close to being totally frozen during three harsh winters over the past century. Since the flow is a direct function of the Lake Erie water elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. "[49] In 2010, the Windsor Star reported that the lake experienced record-breaking water temperatures, reaching 81F (27C) in mid-August and compared the lake to a "bath tub". [39] The lake's fish population accounts for an estimated 50% of all fish inhabiting the Great Lakes. Lake Erie, the shallowest of the lakes, has the highest population in its basin and is under continuous assault by the forces of human activity, invasive species and climate change. [36] In 2003, divers discovered the steamer Canobie near Presque Isle, which had sunk in 1921. Like the other Great Lakes, Erie produces lake-effect snow when the first cold winds of winter pass over the warm waters. Heavy lake-effect snowfalls can occur when cold air travels 60 miles (97km) or longer over a large unfrozen lake. A previous forecast by the University of . The lake's formerly more extensive lakebed creates a favorable environment for agriculture in the bordering areas of Ontario, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. [138] In 2008, 14-year-old Jade Scognamillo swam from New York's Sturgeon Point to Ontario's Crystal Beach and completed the 11.9-mile (19.2-km) swim in five hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds, and became the youngest swimmer to make the crossing. The day began with fishermen setting down wooden pallets to create a bridge over a crack in the ice so they could roam farther out on the lake. [148] Drivers can cross from the United States to the Canadian town of Fort Erie by going over the Peace Bridge. Lake Erie has 31 islands (13 in Canada, 18 in the U.S.), located generally in the western side of the lake. [56] Sometimes poorly constructed sanitary systems meant that when old pipes broke, raw sewage would spill directly into the Cuyahoga River and into the lake. The drainage basin covers 30,140 square miles (78,100km2). [49] But winds can have a peaceful purpose as well; there have been proposals to place electricityproducing wind turbines in windy and shallow points in the lake and along the coast. [32] This area's many greenhouses produce a "variety of tropical plants rarely cultivated so far north", including some species of cacti, because of the lake's tempering effect. [128] One charter firm from western New York State takes about 1,500 divers to Lake Erie shipwrecks in a typical season from April through October.[128]. [31] Near Port Stanley, there is an Indigenous village dating from the 16th century known as the Southwold Earthworks where as many as 800 Neutral Indigenous peoples once lived; the archaeological remains include double earth walls winding around the grass-covered perimeter. [136], In 1997, The New York Times reporter Donna Marchetti took a bike tour around the Lake Erie perimeter, traveling 40 miles (64km) per day and staying at bed and breakfasts. Originally the cave was used to harvest crystals sold for the manufacturing of fireworks. [115][144] There were reports in 1990 of people seeing a "large creature moving in the water about 1,000 feet (300m) from their boat" described as black in color, about 35 feet (11m) long, with a snakelike head, and moving as fast as a boat. Lake Erie (42.2 N, 81.2W) has a mean elevation of 571 feet (174m)[8] above sea level. When fishermen realized late Saturday morning that the ice had broken away, they began to debate the best way off. All of these sources contribute nutrients, primarily phosphorus, to the lake. Reports are conflicting about the overall effect of global warming on the Great Lakes region, including Lake Erie. Lake Erie is the fourth largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. [110], In winter when the lake freezes, many fishermen go out on the ice, cut holes, and fish. [131] There was speculation that the sunken vessel had been a gambling ship, and therefore there might have been money aboard, but most historians were skeptical. British authorities in Canada were nervous about possible expansion by American settlers across Lake Erie, so Colonel Thomas Talbot developed the Talbot Trail in 1809 as a way to stimulate settlement to the area; Talbot recruited settlers from Ireland and Scotland, and there are numerous places named after him in southern Ontario, such as Port Talbot, the Talbot River, and Talbotville. ; Report that One Is to be Built at Elk Creek, Penn", "Avon Lake alcohol history turns into fundraising opportunity at Bicentennial Beer Festival coming up on September 22", "The Blade | Toledo's breaking news, sports, and entertainment watchdog", "America's Sewage System and the Price of Optimism", "In Angler's Freezer Since '62, Fish May Refute 'Extinction', "Many ingredients go into lake-effect snow", Answers: 10 snowiest 'cities' aren't all in New York, "First snow arrives off Lake Erie, spares Buffalo", "Dear Tom, Does much ice remain on northern Lake ", "Freezing of Lake Erie celebrated by those tired of lake-effect snow". [91] Zebra mussels filtering extra nutrients from the lake allows the mayfly larvae to thrive. While commercial fishing declined, sport fishing has remained. There was direct competition between commercial fishermen and sport fishermen (including charter boats and sales of fishing licenses) throughout the lake's history, with both sides seeking government assistance from either Washington or Ottawa, and trying to make their case to the public through newspaper reporting. It has been speculated that this is a weather-related phenomenon, working on similar principles as a mirage. [36] In 2007, the wreck of the steamship named after "Mad" Anthony Wayne was found near Vermilion, Ohio, in 50 feet (15m) of water; the vessel sank in 1850 after its boilers exploded, and 38 people died.