this excellent hour documentary , written , produced and photographed by joe seamans , contains some facts that may amaze most of us , including : ; -lrb- box -rrb- the five lakes -- ontario , erie , huron , michigan and superior -- hold at least six quadrillion gallons of water , enough to flood all 48 contiguous states to a depth of 10 feet . ; -lrb- box -rrb- the largest lakes are so huge that they frequently have stormy `` seas '' that rival those found in the world 's oceans. ; -lrb- box -rrb- more than 10,000 vessels have sunk while crossing the great lakes . ; -lrb- box -rrb- the flow in the lakes is so complex that it may take nearly 100 years for toxic chemicals to completely wash out of their waters . ;