By Jason Chavis
Lake of the Woods Facts
Lake of the Woods is one of the most popular tourist sites on the North American continent. The lake covers areas in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are a number of laws that limit motor vehicles and certain recreational water craft as well as fishing regulations. The area is a subject of continued controversy and political dialogue between the U.S. and
Canada.
Geography
Lake of the Woods is located in the northernmost section of the continental United States. It separates an area of land known as the Northwest Angle from the rest of the country and can only be reached by crossing the river or traveling from the other side by way of Canada.
Features
A number of rivers and lakes feed into Lake of the Woods. Among them are Rainy River, Shoal Lake and Kakagi Lake. The lake itself drains into the Winnipeg River and ultimately Lake Winnipeg and on to the Hudson Bay.
Significance
Lake of the Woods covers an area of over 4,900 square miles, however, due to its shape, the shoreline stretches for 65,000 miles. The area also contains an estimated 14,544 islands.
Fun Fact
Lake of the Woods is a favorable destination for a number of bird watchers. It has a large population of American white pelicans and several hundred bald eagles. It also is a favorable nesting area for the piping plover.
Considerations
The International Lake of the Woods Control Board controls the water levels of the lake. This is joint operation between Canadian and U.S. officials per a treaty signed in 1925 following concerns over water levels discovered in 1912.
Resources
About the Author:
Jason lives and works out of Minneapolis. After 11 years of professional writing, he is the author of four books, two movies and a play as well as numerous articles for Scientific American, The History Channel, City Pages and The Onion. Jason is a graduate of the film school at USC.
Photo Credits:
NASA, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lake_of_da_woods.jpg
