Finger Lakes

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/finger-lakes

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How deep is Finger Lakes?618 feet (188 m)
2. How big is Finger Lakes?Seneca Lake (66.9 sq mi / 173 km2)
3. What is the location?Central and Western New York, USA
4. What is the geological term?Finger lake (long, narrow lake in an overdeepened glacial valley)
5. What are the Finger Lakes and why do they look like fingers?They are eleven long, skinny lakes in New York that were carved by glaciers, giving them a finger‑like shape.
6. Why do the Finger Lakes have cold water and special fish?Their deep, cold waters create temperature layers that support diverse fish and attract many waterfowl.

Glacial Trough: A long, steep-sided valley carved by the erosive action of a glacier.
Bathymetry: The measurement of depth of a body of water.
Viticulture: The cultivation and harvesting of grapes, especially for winemaking.
Eutrophication: Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion.