Lake Superior Day, 2019

Alger County, MI

Together, North America’s five roughly conjoined, aptly named Great Lakes hold more than six quadrillion gallons of fresh surface water. Or about one life-giving fifth of the world's present remaining supply.

Some might think that's a lot of water by god and by god, they'd be right. Just the same, should you also believe we can't damage that beyond all good repair or otherwise lose it outright, you're dreaming.

Pukaskwa, Ontario

Of the titular five, Lake Superior is by far the greatest. It holds more water than the others combined, and then some. By surface area, Superior is the largest freshwater lake on Earth, representing roughly 10% of its fresh surface water.

Pukaskwa, Ontario

Stand beside it and depending on the day/hour/minute, Superior dazzles with beauty, lifts spirits in awe or even shatters all notion of human primacy by exposing our entire race as a brief passage in an age-old story that continues on long after we're gone.

Reduced to pictures, open lake capped by big sky at the horizon barely hints of the water’s all powerful presence. It's far too easy to lift our gaze to the heavens, often at the expense of life as lived on Earth.

Copper Harbor, MI

Perhaps Superior is indecipherable. Probably, it visually translates best with terra firma included for reference.

Pukaskwa, Ontario

Generally, a slender spit of land. Often, precipitous. Beyond is the unknown. Even, one suspects, the unknowable.

Ontonagon County, MI

And isn’t that what keeps drawing us back? Proximity to Superior lends humans the sense that we’re not alone, because as an infinitesimal speck of a demonstrable yet mystifyingly magnificent whole, we belong.

Gogebic County, MI

It's said 100 non-native species already inhabit Lake Superior. Take that for an educated guess.

The scariest invasive currently seeking entry at the Great Lakes' southern border is commonly called Asian Carp. Maybe to distinguish four distinct foreign fish from our own common carp. Those originally came from Asia too and if you've looked at the link you know some Wisconsin fool saw fit to stock them in Lake Superior, circa 1897.

Not doing so would never have stopped the foreigner, it's true. But still.

At some point we live with an invader so long it becomes native, I think. Such is our common carp. Ask any kid who from local water fouled beyond native tolerance lifts for the first time a wild carp wriggling on gossamer string into the startling golden light of midsummer's day.

Look Ma, a fish!

Sadly for your children and theirs, among these latest Asian carp are known piscine berserkers. A horde gathers at the threshold of Lake Michigan that promises to fundamentally alter the Great Lakes' collective biologic, economic and cultural ecosystem if/when it breaches our puny show of resistance meant primarily to sustain lingering commerce rather than accept any responsibility for all that precious water.

An underwater cow fence. Sure. That'll do it.

It seems likely to me that Superior is sufficiently cold, deep and (essentially) barren that alone among the interconnected Lakes it might yet prove inhospitable to Asian Carp, which were also invited by us, though never intended to spread.

Ontario, Canada

So there’s that. On the other hand are the Gay sands.

Keweenaw County, MI

Taken as a sure sign of progress prior to the 1930's and largely ignored since, hidden beneath the lake's surface this creeping black death impinges upon Buffalo Reef, a critical spawning habitat for whitefish and lake trout. During the first half of the last century, Lake Trout were decimated by invasive sea lamprey.

Decades of human effort and expense today mercifully allow Superior’s signature fish to hold on in some bits of it. Not much longer at Buffalo Reef, should things continue apace.

So there’s that, too.

Gogebic County, MI

Thirty-six years ago about this time next month, Heather and I honeymooned approximately here:

Ontonagon County, MI

The actual campsite we stayed at – from the trees that shaded us to the ground we slept on – sloughed off and was swallowed by the lake years ago. The fresh air is the same.

Chipmunks and other critters that thrive on Superior’s ever shifting high edge remain, because they made adjustments.

Gogebic County, MI

Thousands have lived without love, not one without water. – W.H. Auden

Recently, the Native American phrase Mní Wičóni gained transcultural attention. Simply put, that means Water is life.

Keweenaw County, MI

Without fresh water, Earth is just another hot rock and we aren't on it.

Marquette County, MI

By continuing to value artificial wealth over the real deal, future prospects dim.

Gogebic County, MI

Our vaunted 'way of life' becomes more the stuff of myth and legend by the day. Even as at a mad pace we obsessively record its history and passing, both.

Agawa Rock, Ontario

Can meticulously compiled fact possibly tell that tale right? And to whom? There's just cause to wonder.

Despite what we've long believed, current hydrologic knowledge says there're only four Great Lakes, not five. Some days it seems most everything we think we know is proven wrong.

Industrially aged premises that've enabled us thus far are near played out, regardless who argues to the contrary or why. Truth is, we'll just have to adjust. Even chipmunks and trees do as much, while balanced hard along an unforgiving edge.

Gogebic County, MI

More or less officially, this coming Sunday is called Lake Superior Day. I suppose we tag things with titular days to remind us they exist.

No matter how far away or disconnected from the big lake you are, every day's the only right & proper day for to contemplate the ineffable glory of a water borne planet, and our rightful place on one.

At this greatest of all lakes, life naturally assumes penetrative force. Profound purpose is manifest. With that, the whole story is made clear. At least what you really need know to thrive as long as you might, during your little part of it.

All things said and done, in the end that's what makes it Superior.

Pukaskwa, Ontario