# Hypothetical Lake Erie Drain

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-lake-erie-drain/829248>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 10, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-lake-erie-drain/829248 "2019-02-10T00:03:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-lake-erie-drain/829248/41 "2019-02-13T21:16:59Z")

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> [@bibliophage](#):
>
> I did a quick back-of-the envelope calculation when I first read this post. Doubling average outflow of water from the lake would drain it in 2.5 years, which was faster than I’d expected. You’re suggesting that we drain it about seven times faster than that. I don’t know, but that much extra water might cause flooding along the St. Lawrence River.

The logical solution would be to build another trench in the St. Lawrence as far as the Quebec border, then let it find its own path.

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**Author:** ![GMANCANADA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gmancanada/32/2837_2.png) [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-lake-erie-drain/829248/42 "2019-02-14T06:13:58Z")

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@md2000 - I admire the balls you have to suggest that Canada might be able to wash everything East of the Quebec - Ontario border into the Atlantic. BTW - That is what you meant by

> [@](#):
>
> as far as the Quebec border, then let it find its own path.

.

I’m not sure Pierre Jr. would agree, apparently he has no chance of winning the next election without appeasing Quebec, but never-the-less well played sir. You’ve added a whole new dimension to the solution.

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**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-lake-erie-drain/829248/43 "2019-02-14T15:31:05Z")

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> [@GMANCANADA](#):
>
> @md2000 - I admire the balls you have to suggest that Canada might be able to wash everything East of the Quebec - Ontario border into the Atlantic. BTW - That is what you meant by .
> 
> I’m not sure Pierre Jr. would agree, apparently he has no chance of winning the next election without appeasing Quebec, but never-the-less well played sir. You’ve added a whole new dimension to the solution.

More along the lines of Quebec seems to always want to do things their own way, so let them. (i.e. Canada pension Plan, Quebec Pension Plan…) 😃

But of course, the logical way to completely drain Lake Erie would be to give Lake Ontario the same trench treatment until it is low enough to fully drain Erie. this would create significant new land on the Toronto waterfront which would be a windfall that Toronto and Ontario could argue over, until Doug Ford builds more subways into it.

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