<P> Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland, is located on a peninsula extending into the lake . Several islands are found in the western end of the lake; these belong to Ohio except for Pelee Island and eight neighboring islands, which are part of Ontario . </P> <P> Major cities along Lake Erie include Buffalo; Erie, Pennsylvania; Toledo, Ohio; and Cleveland, Ohio . </P> <P> Islands tend to be located in the western side of the lake and total 31 in number (13 in Canada, 18 in the U.S.). The island - village of Put - in - Bay on South Bass Island attracts young crowds who sometimes wear "red bucket hats" and are prone to "break off cartwheels in the park" and general merriment . Kelleys Island was depicted by the Chicago Tribune as having charms that were "more subtle" than Put - in - Bay, and offers amenities such as beach lounging, hiking, biking and "marveling at deep glacial grooves left in limestone ." Pelee Island is the largest of Erie's islands, accessible by ferry from Leamington, Ontario and Sandusky, Ohio . The island has a "fragile and unique ecosystem" with plants rarely found in Canada, such as wild hyacinth, yellow horse gentian (Triosteum angustifolium) and prickly pear cactus, as well as two endangered snakes, the blue racer and the Lake Erie water snake . Songbirds migrate to Pelee in spring, and monarch butterflies stop over during the fall . </P> <P> Lake Erie has a lake retention time of 2.6 years, the shortest of all the Great Lakes . The lake's surface area is 9,910 square miles (25,667 km). Lake Erie's water level fluctuates with the seasons as in the other Great Lakes . Generally, the lowest levels are in January and February, and the highest in June or July, although there have been exceptions . The average yearly level varies depending on long - term precipitation . Short - term level changes are often caused by seiches that are particularly high when southwesterly winds blow across the length of the lake during storms . These cause water to pile up at the eastern end of the lake . Storm - driven seiches can cause damage onshore . During one storm in November 2003, the water level at Buffalo rose by 7 feet (2.1 m) with waves of 10--15 feet (3.0--4.6 metres) for a rise of 22 feet (6.7 m). Meanwhile, at the western end of the lake, Toledo experienced a similar drop in water level . Lake water is used for drinking purposes . </P>

Where does the water in lake erie come from