Minnesota is known as “The Land of 10,000 Lakes” and officially there are 11,842 lakes more than 10 acres (40,000 m²) in size. The prevalence of lakes has generated many repeat names. For example, there are more than 200 Mud Lakes, 150 Long Lakes, and 120 Rice Lakes. Minnesota's waters flow outward in three directions: 1) north to Hudson Bay in Canada; 2) east to the Atlantic Ocean; and 3) south to the Gulf of Mexico. Wisconsin and Michigan both have waters that flow east to the Atlantic Ocean and south to the Gulf of Mexico. Wetlands acreage present in 1850: 18.6 million acres (7.5 million hectares). Wetlands acreage present in 2008: 10.6 million acres (4.3 million hectares). Massive ice sheets at least 1 kilometer thick completely [...]
