Michigan tops the nation when it comes to how much of its surface area is covered by water, by percentage, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.
Across the 50 U.S. states, water area percentages ranged from 41.5% for Michigan, to 0.2% for New Mexico, a largely arid state in the southwest. In the Great Lakes region, Michigan was No. 1 for water area at 40,175 square miles, the USGS data show.
Water area calculations in the 2010 USGS data included only “perennial” water. All other water (intermittent, glacier, and marsh/swamp) was included as part of land area calculations. The water area data represents the sum of inland and coastal water, and the Great Lakes — which boosts Michigan’s total.
While Michigan was at the top in percentage covered, Alaska has the most overall area covered by water, according to the data.
Here’s what to know.
How does Michigan rank for water percentage?
Michigan ranked first for percentage of water area at 41.5% water area, the data shows. The state includes 40,175 square miles of water area and 96,714 square miles overall.
When considering total amount of water area, Alaska comes first at 94,743 square miles, compared to Michigan’s about 40,175 square miles, the USGS data says.
What does the USGS say about water area?
According to 2018 report, the USGS website summarized 2010 data, listing land and water area statistics for the 50 U.S. states. The data was collected from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Geography: State Area Measurements.
What is the USGS?
The U.S. Geological Survey is a federal agency focused on nationwide environmental scientific research, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The USGS provides science about the natural hazards that threaten lives and livelihoods, the water, energy, minerals, and other natural resources Americans rely on, the health of its ecosystems and environment, and the impacts of climate and land-use change.
Its scientists develop methods and tools to enable timely, relevant, and useful information about the Earth and its processes.
How many square miles of water and land does Michigan have?
The USGS data breaks down Michigan’s land and water coverage in multiple categories:
How many square miles of water and land does Alaska have?
Here is the USGS data for Alaska’s land and water coverage in multiple categories:
What other states were top 10 for water area percentage?
Here are the other states among the top 10 for percentage of water area, according to the data:
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Great Lakes boost Michigan to top of US list for water coverage. How the states stack up
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
