How was Lake Erie created?

The glaciers moved across the northern United States and Canada during the last ice age, scouring out the land and creating basins that would later become the Great Lakes. The glaciers retreated approximately 10,000 years ago, leaving behind a large ice-dammed lake called Lake Agassiz. As the glaciers continued to melt, the water level in Lake Agassiz rose until it overflowed and created the Niagara Falls. The water rushed down the Niagara Escarpment and into Lake Ontario, which was once a much smaller lake. As Lake Ontario filled up, the water overflowed and created the St. Lawrence River. The water from Lake Ontario also spilled over a low divide and created Lake Erie.