{"id":3035,"date":"2023-03-15T18:17:33","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T17:17:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/?p=3035"},"modified":"2023-03-15T18:17:33","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T17:17:33","slug":"what-connects-lake-michigan-to-the-mississippi-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/what-connects-lake-michigan-to-the-mississippi-river\/","title":{"rendered":"What connects lake michigan to the mississippi river?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Great Lakes and the Mississippi River are two of North America’s most important water resources. They are also connected. The Chicago River is a man-made connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. The Chicago River was originally created to Reverse the Flow of the Chicago River and to keep sewage and pollution out of Lake Michigan. Today, the Chicago River still serves that purpose, but it is also a major recreation destination in the city of Chicago.<\/p>\n

The Chicago River.<\/p>\n

Can a boat go from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River? <\/h2>\n

Yes, it is possible to travel around the entire United States by boat. This is a popular route for many boaters, often called Loopers, who do it year after year. There is a specific route called the Great Loop which extends from any of the Great Lakes and then follows Lake Michigan and then travels to and through one of many rivers like the Illinois and the Wabash which eventually take you to the Mississippi.<\/p>\n

The Lake Michigan-Huron-Ontario water system is the largest in the world and is responsible for the transport of fresh water from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The system is made up of the following rivers: the St. Clair, the Detroit, the Erie, the Niagara, the Illinois, the Chicago, the Wisconsin, the Fox, and the Mississippi.<\/p>\n

Does Lake Michigan empty into the Mississippi River <\/h3>\n