CHAPTER XIV. 

 THE GLACIAL LAKE MAUMEE. 



II^TRODUCTORY. 



Lake Maumee is the first and highest of a series of large, definitely 

 outlined glacial lakes which occupied the Huron-Erie basin. This lake, as 

 noted in the discussion of the Fort Wayne and Defiance moraines, was 

 preceded by a few small, disconnected lakes which lay between the ice 

 margin and the divide south of Lake Erie, and which found outlets at 

 several points across the divide at levels somewhat higher than the Fort 

 Wayne outlet. 



Lake Maumee was limited on the south and west by a land bamer, 

 but its limits on the north and east were determined by the retreating ice 

 sheet. The Defiance moraine marks the position which the ice sheet held 

 during a large part of the lake's existence (see PI. XX). With the melting 

 back of the ice the lake expanded its area to the limits shown in PI. XXI. 

 The outlet past Fort Wayne was the lowest available point on the bordering 

 rim at the beginning of the lake's existence, but later, the ice having melted 

 away from another point equally low near Imlay, Mich., the lake for a 

 brief time seems to have had two outlets. 



With the further withdrawal of the ice a still lower outlet became 

 available, and with the change of outlet and lowering of level this lake's 

 history closed and that of its successor, Lake Whittlesey, had its beginning. 

 The latter in turn was succeeded by a lake with still different outlet and 

 lower level, and these chang-es were continued, as will be described in the 

 discussion which follows. 



Lake Maumee will here include the uppermost two beaches of the 

 Huron-Erie basin with the two outlets, the Fort Wayne and the Imlay, for 

 it now appears probable that the former outlet continued in operation after 

 the latter was opened. The beaches will be called the first Maumee and 

 the second Maumee, these names being more readily understood than any 

 other of the several names which have been applied. The name Lake 



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