Great Lakes Information Network Maps & GIS

The mission of Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) is to provide a centralized location to discover, publish, and acquire geospatial data for areas within the Great Lakes region. The site has four major components: 1) a portal for viewing and exploring the Great Lakes and associated data layers, 2) a data portal (GLIN GIS) through which GIS and geospatial data for the Great Lakes can be published and acquired, 3) a gallery of downloadable images depicting Great Lakes geophysical data, and 4) a collection of links and tools intended to connect users to additional resources relating to Great Lakes datasets.

The GIS datasets are each available in multiple geospatial formats, and are neatly organized into several categories.  These categories include:

1) Biota, including the distribution of invasive species such as zebra mussels and sea lamprey, as well as a variety of salmon, trout, whitefish and other fish species. 

2) Boundaries/Political, including Congressional District Boundaries, Provincial/State Boundaries, County Boundaries, Urbanized Areas, and Lake Michigan Islands and Shoreline.

3) Climatology/Meteorology/Atmosphere, including Toxic Air Emissions Inventory, and National Climate Data Center station locations.

4) Elevation for the areas surrounding the Great Lakes. Also bathymetry for Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, plus Lake St. Clair. 

5) Environment, including Coastal Margins, Nearshore/Offshore Habitat Zones, Areas of Concern, Aquatic/Terrestrial Ecoregions, Stream Gauges, and Impaired Waters as per the Clean Water Act).

6) Geoscientific Information, including Landsat 4-7 Coverage, Shoreline Classification, and Substrate Type.

7) Health, including a MODIS image of the Great Lakes.

8) Inland Waters/Hydrography, including Areas of Concern, Shorelines, Watersheds, and Fish Spawning Access.

9) Society, including Surrounding Cities, Golf Courses, Parks, and Scenic Rivers.

10) Structure/Facilities, including Airports, Dams, and Coastal Ocean Observing Stations. 

11) Transportation, including Harbours, Marinas, Ports, and Shipping Routes.

Although the Great Lakes Information Network allows you to create a user profile, it is not required in order to download the datasets

PLEASE NOTE: Some datasets provide coverage for all the Great Lakes, although many only provide coverage for one lake.  The GRIN draws data from many sources, and since many of these sources are American, most of the datasets pertain only to the Lake Michigan Basin.