Great lake!

Inquiring minds (also known as my infomaniac friend Mrs. Are) have asked for some fun facts about Lake Michigan, and I'm happy to oblige, because I, too, am fascinated by its ocean-like expanse, and because I really can't think of anything else post-worthy today.

(As a side note: Do you think I could win an award for the most persistent use of parentheses and hyphens in a blog? I'm fairly confident I'd place in said competition.)

• Lake Michigan is the third largest Great Lake by surface area and the sixth largest freshwater lake in the world.
• Lake Michigan is approximately 300 miles long and averages 75 miles across, covering an area of 22,400 square miles -- which is equal to the combined areas of the states of Maryland, Massachusetts and Delaware!
• Lake Michigan is 335 feet above Lake Ontario and 581 feet above sea level. The deepest point in the lake is 923 feet.
• Because Lake Michigan is joined to Lake Huron at the Straits of Mackinac, they are considered one lake hydrologically.
• There is a diversion from the lake into the Mississippi River basin through the Illinois Waterway at the Chicago River.
• Small lunar tidal effects have been documented for Lake Michigan.
• The northern part of the Lake Michigan watershed is covered with forests, sparsely populated, and economically dependent on natural resources and tourism, while the southern portion is heavily populated with intensive industrial development and rich agricultural areas along the shore.
• Lake Michigan is only seven short blocks from my apartment.