Lake Erie Metropark
Dave Dempsey (St. Paul, MN)

"Sometimes it's the places in your Great Lakes back yard that you forget to appreciate. On a cool spring day last year, the sight of a mother and daughter relaxing and fishing together on the shore of Lake Erie at the metropark at the mouth of the Huron River in SE Michigan was a reminder that gems close to urban centers have great value."

Photos of the Great Lakes

The beauty and bounty of the Great Lakes provides a stunning subject for photographers. Yet this incredible natural resource is also threatened by pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species, overconsumption and water exportation.

In this section you’ll find photos documenting the Lakes’ beauty, bounty – and vulnerability. The featured photo will change weekly, but past photos are accessible via the archive below.

Do you have a photo to share? Please send an electronic copy to Brenna Wanous, Great Lakes Town Hall Manager, at brenna@greatlakestownhall.org. Please be sure to include the photographer’s name, and details concerning when and where the photo was taken, and what it depicts.

Please contact Brenna Wanous, also, if you're interested in using any of the photos posted on this web page or anywhere else in the Town Hall. Permissions vary from photo to photo.

Photo Archive

Click on the thumbnail images below to view a larger version. Again, if you're interested in using any of the photos posted on this web page or anywhere else in the Town Hall, please contact Brenna Wanous at brenna@greatlakestownhall.org.

	Flowing to Lake Michigan, Keweenah Penninsula Lisa from Muskegon, Michigan "This is a picture that was taken in September of 2004, at Fort Wilkins State Park, which is at the very tip of the Keeweenaw Peninsula. There is a cove of sorts, where the whitewater empties into the big lake. There are many many grape-sized and larger and smaller stones in this cove, some containing copper. This is, after all, copper country. If you were to turn the camera to the right (north) and walk approximately 1 block, you would look out upon a panoramic view of Lake Superior. If you had telescopic vision, you could stand at the cove and look 50 miles northwest and see Isle Royale National Park. My son attends university at Michigan Technological University, in Houghton, MI. He's in his 3rd year there. We drove him up the first two years. The first year there were too many orientation activities to make the drive out to this point. It was worth the wait."
	North Gratiot, Keweenah Penninsula John Griffith
	Round Nose Goby from Lake Muskegon Tom Matych "This is a picture of 82 goby caught in Muskegon Lake, in a little over an hour. The goby have been known to make native fish extinct, or destroy native fish, plus eat the eggs and fry of native fish thereby cutting off spawn attempts." Learn more about the round-nose goby and other invasive species threatening native Great Lakes wildlife.
	Shore ice in Grand Haven, MI Barbara Spring "I took this photo last winter on Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, MI. The shore ice is fascinating - the way it builds, melts, then builds again. I have a section in my book, The Dynamic Great Lakes, about our unique ice formations on the eastern side of Lake Michigan. It's hard to tell where the beach leaves off and where ice is layered over water - so be careful if you walk out by the ice. It is always shifting and changing with waves, weather and wind."
	Lake Michigan from Empire Bluffs Libby Harris