# You'd think a lake that hold 20% of the world's fresh water would be better known! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 29, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153 "2008-07-29T22:17:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153/21 "2008-07-30T23:35:21Z")
(waving hand) I knew! I took a limnology class in the eighties from Dr. Goldman at UC Davis. He had visited there and we got to see his slides. He made sure we all appreciated the natural wonder of its depth and volume, and that we knew about the species that had evolved there. Sadly, it’s long enough ago that I couldn’t name one. We also got a boat trip on Lake Tahoe, which is an interesting lake, itself. And a recipe for lime vinegrette, which was worth one point on the final. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153/22 "2008-07-30T23:50:50Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] Now I’m somewhat disenchanted with our “Great” Lakes. Maybe they should be called the Pretty Good Lakes [/QUOTE] Superior’s still the biggest by surface area. And everyone knows that surface area is more important than volume. So what if we don’t have seals? We got trout. Lots and lots of trout. You can eat 'em. Ever try Friday Night Seal Fry? Trust me, you want to stick with the trout. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153/23 "2008-07-30T23:58:02Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] Superior’s still the biggest by surface area. And everyone knows that surface area is more important than volume. [/QUOTE] Only shallow people that is. 😉 Tomorrow I get to drive along the north shore of Superior for a few hours. Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153/24 "2008-07-31T00:23:14Z")
[QUOTE=Muffin] Only shallow people that is. 😉 [/QUOTE] :smack: Oh my, did I ever walk into that one! ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153/25 "2008-07-31T06:58:10Z")
[QUOTE=t-bonham@scc.net] And given the vast amount of pollution that was dumped into it during the Soviet days (and may still be dumping into it), I would hesitate to call it “fresh” water. [/QUOTE] Two words: [Lake. Erie.](http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water5.html) ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153/26 "2008-07-31T10:47:46Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] :smack: Oh my, did I ever walk into that one! [/QUOTE] Wade, dear, wade. 🙂 15 minutes to departure – TBay to Manitouwadge this morning, stay over in Marathon, then return tomorrow. Life is good. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153/27 "2008-07-31T17:03:40Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] Now I’m somewhat disenchanted with our “Great” Lakes. Maybe they should be called the Pretty Good Lakes [/QUOTE] Hey! At least we aren’t _compensating_! I knew about Lake Baikul. In the winter, they use to lay down rails and the train would go over it for most of the winter. Cool and scary at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153/28 "2008-07-31T17:35:47Z")
Just because the lake sometimes comes up when Googling the Makarov do I know of it, that and a news blurb I read a week or so ago. Actually, the news blurb caught my eye because the name Baikal is so closely tied to the Mak… I guess the 2nd instance is more an extension of the first. Maybe no one has been to the bottom, but recently they made it 1637 meters down. That’s one deep lake! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youd-think-a-lake-that-hold-20-of-the-worlds-fresh-water-would-be-better-known/458153.md?page=1)