Lake Ontario facts

The ferry from Kingston at the eastern end of Lake Ontario to Wolf Island. Lake Ontario is the smallest of all the Great Lakes, with a surface area of 7,34 square miles (18,96 square kilometers), but the lake is deep. Its water volume is about four times that of Lake Erie, which is 393 cubic miles (1,64 cubic kilometers), although its width and length are similar. In 217, the water level in Lake Ontario reached its highest point in 1 years. This led to large-scale floods and ground erosion.

At the easternmost tip of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is located at the bottom of Niagara Falls. It borders Ontario in the southwest and north, and new york in the south. The St Lawrence River is the outlet of the lake to the Atlantic Ocean. There are many lagoons and estuarine dams in the lake, which are made of sand, mud or other debris and close the bay area.

There are many islands on the lake, including the Kuril Islands, an archipelago of nearly 2, islands bordering the United States and Canada. Although many islands are small and even uninhabitable, the largest is Wolf Island. It is 48 square miles (124 square kilometers).

Ontario is probably the most polluted of the Great Lakes. All other lakes flow into here, causing pollution. According to the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, it also receives runoff from neighboring farms and enterprises.

Toronto is located on the northwest coast of Lake Ontario. (Lissandra Melo Shutterstock) Formation and History

Like all great lakes, today's Lake Ontario is the result of glacier movement and melting at the end of the recent ice age.

The name of this lake comes from "beautiful lake" in Iroquois. The first European to see Lake Ontario was Etien Brulley, a French explorer and a disciple of Samuel de champlain. According to the Canadian Museum of History, Burray is believed to have arrived in Lake Huron and Lake Ontario around 1615. This lake has a rich history of commerce and trade, especially after the war in 1812, when the canal was built and transported by heavy ships. Before the railway was built, Lake Ontario was a commercial center, which eclipsed ships as a way of transporting goods. Water temperature in Lake Ontario < P > Due to the depth of the lake and the warm weather from the southwest, Lake Ontario rarely freezes. The water temperature reached about 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius) in August and dropped to about 37 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) in February. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the lake usually freezes only around the lake, and the port is closed from mid-December to mid-April. A grizzly bear with a red neck sits on a nest in Ontario and shouts to its spouse. (Brian Guest Shutterstock)

Although the whole area is affected by lake effect snow, there is a prominent snow belt on the southeast coast, which can be submerged by 2 feet (6 cm) of snow every year. The farthest influence of lake effect snow can be felt in Syracuse, New York, which is one of the cities with the largest snowfall in the United States. Lake Ontario flora and fauna

Walleye, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon, as well as some trout species, including rainbow and steelhead salmon, are all fish swimming in the waters of Lake Ontario. In coastal areas, invaded mussels cover most of the lake bottom.

The climate of Lake Ontario is favorable for the growth of fruit trees, and this area has become the main growing area of apples, cherries, peaches, pears and plums.

Because of its location, Lake Ontario is the habitat of many migratory birds. Swan, raccoon, duck, goose, grizzly bear and other waterfowl are all wild animals in Lake Ontario. Eagles, eagles and other raptors are also common in this area.

Additional reporting by Alinabr, Adford, field science writer

Biography of additional resources: Samuel de champlain Travel Channel: Great Lakes Video EPA: Physical Characteristics of Great Lakes

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