NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM—1965 395 
CORPS OF INGLES, U. S. AW 
GREAT LAGS SURVEY 
HISTORY 
The U. S. Lake Survey was created as the result of the Congressional 
Act of 3 March 1841 which authorized a "Hydrographical Survey of the 
Northern and Northwestern Lakes," The hydrographic surveys led the Lake 
Survey into a number of related scientific fields: e.g.; into hydraulics 
and hydrology, because the lake levels vary and the variations are pertinent 
to compilation of the surveys and use of the resulting navigation charts; 
into meteorology, prior to the establishment of the U. S, Weather Bureau, 
because of the impact of weather on ane conduct of the hydrographic 
surveys; into geology through the sampling of lake and river bottom materials, 
to provide information on anchorages and the composition of shoals and reefs, 
and through study of movement of the earth's crust to determine the impact 
of this phenomenon on chart datums and navigable depths. 
Since 1898, the Lake Survey has been assigned a two-fold mission 
which, simply stated, consists of (a) the publication of navigation charts 
of the Great Lakes (later expanded to cover contiguous waters) and (b) the 
study of all matters affecting the hydraulics and hydrology of the Great 
Lakes. Under the hydraulies and hydrology portion of its mission the Lake 
Survey activities are summarized briefly in the following Hnicheeeaisee 
During the period prion to 1898, stations were maintained where ~ 
precipitation, temperature, wind direction and velocity were observed, and 
