Abstract
The Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway Maritime System, depicted in Figure 1, has been extremely important to the development of the North American mid-continent and continues to play a vital role in the West Michigan economy. The System allows ocean vessels to carry freight between the Lakes states and overseas destinations, and also allows for movement of goods on laker vessels both wholly within the Lakes and between the Lakes and eastern ports such as Montreal and Quebec City. However, the System’s overall importance to the region’s economy has been reduced, and the nature of the contribution has moved towards intra-lake commerce and away from Seaway ocean-related commerce. At the same time, the Great Lake’s position as the world’s largest fresh water body and its role in tourism and the overall quality of life in the region has become more recognized.