Lake Ontario and its ecosystem

Lake Ontario is not just one of the main American attractions. Among other things, it is also an important commercial, shipping and tourist site. In literal translation from the Indian language its name means "great lake". This is not surprising, since it played a very important role for the life of the local tribes. The same great importance is for the modern inhabitants of Canada and the USA, who live in coastal areas.

Location

Speaking about where Lake Ontario is located, first of all we should mention the fact that it is one of the elements of the "Great Lakes" system. They lie right on the border between the US and Canada. On the one hand, the system is limited to the American city of New York, and on the other - by the Canadian province of the same name. Around there are many coastal towns that provide opportunities for various entertainment and outdoor activities on the shores. Lake Ontario on the map of the "Great Lakes" is the lowest and is located at an altitude of about 75 meters above sea level.

Dimensions

As already noted above, the lake is located simultaneously in the territory of two states. It is the smallest in the system. Parameters in length and width are 311 and 85 kilometers respectively. The area of this reservoir is about 18.96 thousand square kilometers. The average depth of Lake Ontario is about 86 meters, and the largest is fixed at 244 meters. It should be noted that this indicator in the system is second only to the Upper Lake. As for the size of the coastline, its length is 1146 kilometers. Ontario is on the fourteenth place on the planet.

Water circulation of the lake

The main distinctive feature of the reservoir is that it has the greatest ratio between the area of the watershed and the surface. Most water (about 80 percent) falls into Ontario from the Niagara River and Lake Erie. Approximately 14 percent of the existing volume is generated by tributaries (the largest of these are the Humber, Don, Genesi, Katarakui and Trent), and the rest is precipitation. Virtually all the water from Lake Ontario (almost 93 percent) flows into the St. Lawrence River. As for the remaining seven percent of water, it evaporates.

Origin

According to scientists, Lake Ontario was formed under the influence of a glacier that cut it out of the rocks. Later he retired to the valley of the modern St. Lawrence River, where he melted. The source at that time was below sea level, therefore the reservoir though not for long, but all the same represented one of oceanic bays. After the ice completely left, the earth gradually rose to a height of about two thousand meters. It should be noted that this process continues even now. The height increases by an average of thirty centimeters per hundred years.

Settlement of coastal areas

On the Canadian coast, in the western part, there is a city agglomeration of a rather large size. Its main cities are Toronto, Ontario and Hamilton. In the world it is still known as the "Golden Horseshoe". It should be noted and the fact that in the coastal regions of the lake lives about one in four Canadian. As for the American side, rural settlements and small ports are predominant here. The only exception here is the city of Rochester. In 2004, the ferry service between him and Toronto began.

Gardening

An interesting feature that characterizes Lake Ontario is that the flowering of fruit trees on its southern shore is always delayed until the danger of spring frosts passes. This is due to breezes. This feature has made the area one of the main in the US, where large-scale production of pears, apples, peaches and plums. As for the Canadian territory, here in the gardening dominated by vineyards, which are contained for the purpose of further production of wine.

Ecosystem and the purpose of its maintenance

The ecosystem of the lake requires proper attention to itself and needs numerous measures for its preservation and restoration. First of all, this is due to the support of biological subsystems, which are reproduced independently. At present, the water that fills the lake of Ontario contains a lot of pollutants, which negatively affects the condition of not only fish, but also the simplest microorganisms. In addition, it can harm the health of humans and animals living in its shores. In this regard, now in Canada there are a number of organizations that function under the aegis of the national government and are called upon to preserve the local ecosystem that is considered unique. The fact is that some animals, plants and birds that live here do not meet anywhere else.