MPCA Home > Water > Basins > Lake Superior

Although Minnesota is rich in lakes and streams, it is easy to pick the most spectacular waterbody in Minnesota. Lake Superior stands alone.

Why is Lake Superior Special?

Lake Superior is Big

• The surface of this magnificent lake is the largest freshwater body in the world. It is third largest by volume.
• A drop of water entering the lake at Duluth will take 173 years to reach Sault Ste. Marie. That means water that left the Duluth-Superior Harbor in 1832 is just now leaving the lake.
• It is a stunning 1,332 feet deep and the shoreline and islands that rim the lake stretch 2,726 miles.

Lake Superior is Vulnerable

Despite its immense size, Lake Superior is surprisingly vulnerable. The year-round cold temperatures of Lake Superior and small amount of nutrients entering the lake result in a simple and fragile food chain. Because Lake Superior is nourished by forests and watered by streams, changes on the land become changes in the lake. We find algae blooms in Lake Superior bays, decreasing clarity in the western arm of the lake, contaminated sediment in the Duluth-Superior harbor and toxic contaminants building up in the food chain.

 We Can Protect Lake Superior

Unlike waters such as the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, most of Lake Superior has never suffered the extreme degradation that once characterized these rivers. Slowly, carefully, and with considerable effort and expense, those waters are being reclaimed. The challenge with Lake Superior is to keep it as clean as it is now and to clean up the problems that have been found. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is tackling the restoration and protection of Lake Superior through a variety of approaches. Our Lake Superior programs include the following (note that the MPCA staff listed below can also be reached at 1-800-657-3864)

Lake Superior Programs

• Lake Superior Basin Planning: The MPCA is using a geographically based approach to water quality protection and restoration. This approach will help us to identify water quality problems, work with communities to establish shared goals and priorities and develop effective pollutant-reduction strategies. Contact: Brian Fredrickson at 218-723-4663 or brian.fredrickson@pca.state.mn.us.
  
  
• Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative (GLI): As part of an effort between Great Lakes States and EPA, the MPCA passed water quality regulations that apply to toxic chemicals in the Lake Superior watershed. Contact: Gary Kimball at 651-757-2495 or gary.kimball@pca.state.mn.us.
  
  
• Lake Superior Binational Program (LSBP): As one of the partners in this program, the MPCA is striving for zero discharge and zero emission of nine toxic chemicals from sources in the Lake Superior basin. Contact: Carri Lohse-Hanson at 651-757-2535 or carri.lohse-hanson@pca.state.mn.us.
  
  
• St. Louis River Area of Concern: The MPCA is one of many partners seeking to restore the quality of the water, sediment and habitat of the lower St. Louis River. Contact: Marc Hershfield at 218-723-2358 or marc.hershfield@pca.state.mn.us.

Publications

• 2003 Lake Superior Abandoned Household Waste Project
• North Shore Land Use Issues: The Real Costs of Growth (Fall 2000)
• Phase-out of Distribution Transformers Suspected to Contain PCBs at Three Utilities in the Minnesota Portion of the Lake Superior Basin

Lake Superior Barrels