Great Lakes form a single, naturally interconnected body of fresh water, within the Great Lakes Basin. They form a chain connecting the east-central interior of North America to the Atlantic Ocean. From the interior to the outlet at the Saint Lawrence River, water flows from Superior to Huron and Michigan, southward to Erie, and finally northward to Lake Ontario. The lakes drain a large watershed via many rivers, and are studded with approximately 35,000 islands. There are also several thousand smaller lakes, often called "inland lakes," within the basin. The surface area of the five primary lakes combined is roughly equal to
Great Lakes Basin the Great Lakes Charter of 1985, the 2001 Charter Annex, and the Agreements of 2005. While not a part of the Great Lakes Basin, Quebec's position along the Saint Lawrence Seaway makes it a partner in water resource management with Ontario and the eight US states mentioned above. There are many nuclear power plants in the Great Lakes Basin. Twenty power plants on the Canadian side. The radioactive waste they produce and release like radioactive tritium have not been collectively combined to ascertain the total impact on the area. Great Lakes Basin The Great Lakes Basin consists of the Great