Lake Superior is relatively, well, massive, with 3,000 cubic miles (12,100 cubic km) of water (an average depth of ~500 feet, ~1300 feet at its deepest point) and a total
surface area of about 82,102km
2 (31, 700 mi
2), a length of 563km (350 mi) and a
breadth of 257km (160 mi). The majority of the lake belongs to the
United States, approximately 30,000km
2 is on
Canadian soil, the shoreline is nearly 2,800 miles (4,400km).
It is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the entire world, second only (volume-wise) to a
lake located in Russia. The fish population has suffered in past years due to
overfishing, and the inevitable pollution problems. Projects have been formed and are still underway to
replenish, as the fishing industry in the area suffered greatly when
whitefish and
lake trout dwindled dangerously low.
Lake Superior is somewhat less polluted than its
chain mates, despite the presence of pulp and paper mills on the north shore.
The area surrounding Superior is less than ideal for agriculture as the soil is inadequate for most all crops, and the climate is generally too cold to make for an ideal growth season. Lake Superior drains partially into
Lake Huron via the
St. Mary's River. The drainage basin is spread across the
Canadian Shield (compromised of rocks that are millions of years old, they do not dissolve easily which keeps
mineral levels fairly low in the water), it extends to parts of
Michigan,
Minnesota, and
Wisconsin, as well as portions of
Ontario.
data researched and meticulously picked through at www.great-lakes.net among other places that were less useful.. and my brain. thank you brain.