Geographical WI: A 6th Great Lake

Not too many millenia ago there was a sixth Great Lake, Lake Agassiz, far larger than the existing five until the melt from retreating glaciers finally broke through to Hudson Bay and the five current Great Lakes.
 
By Great Lake, I assume you mean in the same drainage system?

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It looks to me that the only place where one could fit something like that is Ontario or Quebec.

As for its effect on history, this could mean more French presence in Canada as the fur trappers move along the Great Lakes into central Quebec.
 
I'd think it would depend on where exactly it was in relation to the others, and how big. The first impacts that come to mind are in terms of trade. Based on where the ice sheet was historically, it would probably be northeast or somewhere to the west of Lake Superior.
 
Because it's tiny.

An to answer the OP, just have the Georgian Bay considered its own separate lake. It's not like the three big ones aren't already connected anyways.
 
If you're trying to keep it in the same basin, there's room in Michigan and southern Ontario for a smaller one.

Or, maybe a larger Lake Nipigon (4.5 times more surface area than Lake St. Claire, by the way :)) , although the depression you need to make probably also expands the basing a little.


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Wisconsin-Illinois Great Lake?

Greater Lake Nipigon is good (fits into existing geomorphology) but I'm wondering if 'Lake WisIll' is a starter. Looking at improving rainfall in the Midwest we are, see?
 
If you're trying to keep it in the same basin, there's room in Michigan and southern Ontario for a smaller one.

Or, maybe a larger Lake Nipigon (4.5 times more surface area than Lake St. Claire, by the way :)) , although the depression you need to make probably also expands the basing a little.


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Put it just beyond Superior (connected by straits) between Minnesota and Ontario. And make it the biggest. More opportunities for fishermen. Less bickering over the border.:)
 
This is going to have a huge impact on the natives in the region. Who cares about 16th century French furtrappers, the OP just disrupted thousands of years of migration patterns :eek:
 
This is going to have a huge impact on the natives in the region. Who cares about 16th century French furtrappers, the OP just disrupted thousands of years of migration patterns :eek:

This is very true, but I'm not sure what the exact effects would be. Does anyone know how various native groups used the lakes? I would assume that an additional lake would increase communication and trade.

There's also the question of local environmental effects, lake effect and all that.
 
Greater Lake Nipigon is good (fits into existing geomorphology) but I'm wondering if 'Lake WisIll' is a starter.
Putting it there, you're going to have to

1) move the Mississippi basin over a bit, or
2) either have the Big Muddy drain into the Great Lakes or
3) some of the Great Lakes drain to the Gulf of Mexico

With 2, you still have the Missouri watershed going to the Gulf of Mexico, so it's still one of the longest Rivers in the world.

With 3, it's probably not all of the great lakes. Depending on the elevation of the new lake and it's connection to Michigan, you could get just Michigan, or Michigan + Huron + Superior draining into it, with Lake St. Claire have outlets going both ways. Erie and Ontario will still go down to the Atlantic.

Of course, anywhere you put the lake will mean shifting some basins around.

I think your best bet is to have a POD early in the ice age with a modified glaciation, although this is difficult to do as well. What would happen if the driftless area weren't driftless? Could you even get the driftless area to not be driftless?

Looking at improving rainfall in the Midwest we are, see?
I'm not all that certain that the Great Lakes really effect rainfall that much. I'm no climatologist, though, but it seems to me that most of the humidity we get comes up from the Gulf.

Besides, unless by Midwest you mean the Great Plains, there generally isn't much need for more rainfall here.

This is very true, but I'm not sure what the exact effects would be. Does anyone know how various native groups used the lakes? I would assume that an additional lake would increase communication and trade.

All I can tell you is that the lakes were a significant 'highway' of trade and migration for Native Americans. Depending on where you put the lake, you'll definitely see much different migrations.

The Ojibwe and the Iroquois, and several other nations which I also know little about, are very closely associated with the Lakes.

But also, look at whatever nations were into the areas where the extra lake is going to be. A WisIll lake, for example, might very well lead to a larger Mississippian Civilization expansion into the lakes. Or, it might lead to a Siouan nation with larger influence in the Great Lakes.

This, of course, assumes you can trap enough butterflies to make these nations still exist.
 
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