document_title: List of NFL franchise post-season droughts

question_text: when is the last time the bills made the playoffs

text: Active team droughts[edit]

text: Post-season droughts[edit]

text: Updated through the 2016-17 post season.

text:
0^0
Longest drought in team history

0†0
Tied for Longest drought in team history

text:
Playoff Droughts [1][2]

0Team0
Last earned appearance in post-season
Seasons

Buffalo Bills ^
1999 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
17

Cleveland Browns ^
2002 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
14

Los Angeles Rams ^
2004 NFC Divisional Playoffs
12

Jacksonville Jaguars ^
2007 AFC Divisional Playoffs
9

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2007 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
9

Tennessee Titans †
2008 AFC Divisional Playoffs
8

New York Jets
2010 AFC Championship Game
6

Chicago Bears
2010 NFC Championship Game
6

Philadelphia Eagles
2013 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
3

Los Angeles Chargers
2013 AFC Divisional Playoffs
3

New Orleans Saints
2013 NFC Divisional Playoffs
3

San Francisco 49ers
2013 NFC Championship Game
3

Baltimore Ravens
2014 AFC Divisional Playoffs
2

Indianapolis Colts
2014 AFC Championship Game
2

Cincinnati Bengals
2015 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1

Minnesota Vikings
2015 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
1

Washington Redskins
2015 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
1

Arizona Cardinals
2015 NFC Championship Game
1

Denver Broncos
Super Bowl L
1

Carolina Panthers
Super Bowl L
1

2016 Playoff Teams

Miami Dolphins
2016 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
—

Oakland Raiders
2016 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
—

New York Giants
2016 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
—

Detroit Lions
2016 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
—

Kansas City Chiefs
2016 AFC Divisional Playoffs
—

Houston Texans
2016 AFC Divisional Playoffs
—

Dallas Cowboys
2016 NFC Divisional Playoffs
—

Seattle Seahawks
2016 NFC Divisional Playoffs
—

Pittsburgh Steelers
2016 AFC Championship Game
—

Green Bay Packers
2016 NFC Championship Game
—

New England Patriots
Super Bowl LI
—

Atlanta Falcons
Super Bowl LI
—

text: At 17 seasons, the Bills' playoff drought is also the longest in major North American professional sports.[3]

text: Playoff game victory droughts[edit]

text:
Updated through the 2016 season.
Sortable table, click on header arrows.

text:
0^0
Longest drought in team history

0†0
Tied for longest drought in team history

0♦0
Most consecutive losses in team history

0¤0
Tied for most consecutive losses in team history

0♣ ♣0
Most consecutive losses in NFL history

text:
Current Playoff Loss Streak[1]

Team
Last playoff game win
Seasons
Since Win
Loss
Streak
Playoff Losses - Teams

Cincinnati Bengals ^
1990 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
26
♦ 8
1990 Divisional - Los Angeles
2005 Wild Card - Pittsburgh
2009 Wild Card - New York Jets
2011 Wild Card - Houston
2012 Wild Card - Houston
2013 Wild Card - San Diego
2014 Wild Card - Indianapolis
2015 Wild Card - Pittsburgh

Detroit Lions
1991 NFC Divisional Playoffs*
25
♣ ♣ 9
1991 NFC Championship - Washington
1993 Wild Card - Green Bay
1994 Wild Card - Green Bay
1995 Wild Card - Philadelphia
1997 Wild Card - Tampa Bay
1999 Wild Card - Washington
2011 Wild Card - New Orleans
2014 Wild Card - Dallas
2016 Wild Card - Seattle

Buffalo Bills ^
1995 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
21
♦ 4
1995 Divisional - Pittsburgh
1996 Wild Card - Jacksonville
1998 Wild Card - Miami
1999 Wild Card - Tennessee

Cleveland Browns ^
1994 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
19**
2
1994 Divisional - Pittsburgh
2002 Wild Card - Pittsburgh

Miami Dolphins ^
2000 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
16
4 ¤
2000 Divisional - Oakland
2001 Wild Card - Baltimore
2008 Wild Card - Baltimore
2016 Wild Card - Pittsburgh

Oakland Raiders ^
2002 AFC Championship*
14
2 ¤
2002 Super Bowl - Tampa Bay
2016 Wild Card - Houston

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XXXVII*
14
2
2005 Wild Card - Washington
2007 Wild Card - New York Giants

Tennessee Titans
2003 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
13
3 ¤
2003 Divisional - New England
2007 Wild Card - San Diego
2008 Divisional - Baltimore

Los Angeles Rams
2004 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
12
1
2004 Divisional - Atlanta

Washington Redskins
2005 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
11
4 ¤
2005 Divisional - Seattle
2007 Wild Card - Seattle
2012 Wild Card - Seattle
2015 Wild Card - Green Bay

Jacksonville Jaguars ^
2007 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
9
1
2007 Divisional - New England

Philadelphia Eagles
2008 NFC Divisional Playoffs
8
4
2008 NFC Championship - Arizona
2009 Wild Card - Dallas
2010 Wild Card - Green Bay
2013 Wild Card - New Orleans

Minnesota Vikings
2009 NFC Divisional Playoffs*
7
3
2009 NFC Championship - New Orleans
2012 Wild Card - Green Bay
2015 Wild Card - Seattle

New York Jets
2010 AFC Divisional Playoffs
6
1
2010 AFC Championship - Pittsburgh

Chicago Bears
2010 NFC Divisional Playoffs*
6
1
2010 NFC Championship - Green Bay

New York Giants
2011 !Super Bowl XLVI
5
1
2016 Wild Card - Green Bay

Los Angeles Chargers
2013 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
3
1
2013 Divisional - Denver

New Orleans Saints
2013 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
3
1
2013 Divisional - Seattle

San Francisco 49ers
2013 NFC Divisional Playoffs
3
1
2013 NFC Championship - Seattle

Baltimore Ravens
2014 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
2
1
2014 Divisional - New England

Dallas Cowboys
2014 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
2
2
2014 Divisional - Green Bay
2016 Divisional - Green Bay

Indianapolis Colts
2014 AFC Divisional Playoffs
2
1
2014 AFC Championship - New England

Kansas City Chiefs
2015 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
1
2
2015 Divisional - New England
2016 Divisional - Pittsburgh

Arizona Cardinals
2015 NFC Divisional Playoffs*
1
1
2015 NFC Championship - Carolina

Carolina Panthers
2015 NFC Championship*
1
1
2015 Super Bowl - Denver

Denver Broncos
Super Bowl 50*
1
0
3 game win streak

2016 Playoff0
Winners

Houston Texans
2016 AFC Wild Card Playoffs
—
1
2016 Divisional - New England

Seattle Seahawks
2016 NFC Wild Card Playoffs
—
1
2016 Divisional - Atlanta

Pittsburgh Steelers
2016 AFC Divisional Playoffs
—
1
2016 AFC Championship - New England

Green Bay Packers
2016 NFC Divisional Playoffs
—
1
2016 NFC Championship - Atlanta

Atlanta Falcons
2016 NFC Championship*
—
1
2016 Super Bowl - New England

New England Patriots
Super Bowl LI*
—
0
3 game win streak

Team
Last playoff game win
Seasons
Since Win
Loss
Streak
Playoff Losses - Teams

text:
(*): Franchise earned a bye in the Wild Card round.
(**): Franchise dormant 1996–1998.

text: AFC/NFC Championship game appearance droughts[edit]

text: This is also a list of the last time a particular club won a Divisional playoff game.

text:
Drought Reference [1]

Seasons
Team
Last appearance
in Conference Championship Game
Result

28
Cincinnati Bengals ^
1988 AFC
Won vs. Buffalo

25
Washington Redskins ^
1991 NFC
Won vs. Detroit

25
Detroit Lions ^
1991 NFC
Lost vs. Washington

24
Miami Dolphins ^
1992 AFC
Lost vs. Buffalo

24**
Cleveland Browns ^
1989 AFC
Lost vs. Denver

23
Buffalo Bills ^
1993 AFC
Won vs. Kansas City

23
Kansas City Chiefs †
1993 AFC
Lost vs. Buffalo

21
Dallas Cowboys ^
1995 NFC
Won vs. Green Bay

17
Jacksonville Jaguars ^
1999 AFC
Lost vs. Tennessee

15
Houston Texans ^
1985Never*
y —

15
Los Angeles Rams ^
2001 NFC
Won vs. Philadelphia

14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2002 NFC
Won vs. Philadelphia

14
Oakland Raiders ^
2002 AFC
Won vs. Tennessee

14
Tennessee Titans
2002 AFC
Lost vs. Oakland

9
Los Angeles Chargers
2007 AFC
Lost vs. New England

8
Philadelphia Eagles
2008 NFC
Lost vs. Arizona

7
New Orleans Saints
2009 NFC
Won vs. Minnesota

7
Minnesota Vikings
2009 NFC
Lost vs. New Orleans

6
New York Jets
2010 AFC
Lost vs. Pittsburgh

6
Chicago Bears
2010 NFC
Lost vs. Green Bay

5
New York Giants
2011 NFC
Won vs. San Francisco

4
Baltimore Ravens
2012 AFC
Won vs. New England

3
San Francisco 49ers
2013 NFC
Lost vs. Seattle

2
Indianapolis Colts
2014 AFC
Lost vs. New England

2
Seattle Seahawks
2014 NFC
Won vs. Green Bay

1
Denver Broncos
2015 AFC
Won vs. New England

1
Arizona Cardinals
2015 NFC
Lost vs. Carolina

1
Carolina Panthers
2015 NFC
Won vs. Arizona

.75
Z2016 Conference Finalists
2015
z

—
Pittsburgh Steelers
2016 AFC
Lost vs. New England

.5 —
New England Patriots
2016 AFC
Won vs. Pittsburgh

—
Green Bay Packers
2016 NFC
Lost vs. Atlanta

—
Atlanta Falcons
2016 NFC
Won vs. Green Bay

text:
(*): Franchise first played in 2002 season
(**): Franchise dormant 1996–1998.

text: Super Bowl or NFL Championship appearance droughts[edit]

text:
Last appearance in Super Bowl or
NFL Championship[1][4]

Seasons
Team
Last appearance
in Super Bowl
NFL
Season
Result

59
Detroit Lions
7003195700000000000♠ 1957 NFL Championship Game
1957
Won vs. Cleveland

48
New York Jets
7003196800000000000♠ Super Bowl III
1968
Won vs. Baltimore Colts

47
Kansas City Chiefs
7003196900000000000♠ Super Bowl IV
1969
Won vs. Minnesota

44*
Cleveland Browns*
7003196910000000000♠1969.1 1969 NFL Championship Game
1969
Lost vs. Minnesota

40
Minnesota Vikings
7003197700000000000♠ Super Bowl XI
1976
Lost vs. Oakland

32
Miami Dolphins
7003198400000000000♠ Super Bowl XIX
1984
Lost vs. San Francisco

28
Cincinnati Bengals
7003198800000000000♠ Super Bowl XXIII
1988
Lost vs. San Francisco

25
Washington Redskins
7003199100000000000♠ Super Bowl XXVI
1991
Won vs. Buffalo

23
Buffalo Bills
7003199300000000000♠ Super Bowl XXVIII
1993
Lost vs. Dallas

22
Jacksonville Jaguars
7000100000000000000♠ Never (enfranchised 1995)

Y —

22
Los Angeles Chargers
7003199400000000000♠ Super Bowl XXIX
1994
Lost vs. San Francisco

21
Dallas Cowboys
7003199500000000000♠ Super Bowl XXX
1995
Won vs. Pittsburgh

17
Tennessee Titans
7003199900000000000♠ Super Bowl XXXIV
1999
Lost vs. St. Louis Rams

15
Houston Texans
7000200000000000000♠ Never (enfranchised 2002)

Y —

15
Los Angeles Rams †
7003200100000000000♠ Super Bowl XXXVI
2001
Lost vs. New England

14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7003200200000000000♠ Super Bowl XXXVII
2002
Won vs. Oakland

14
Oakland Raiders
7003200210000000000♠ Super Bowl XXXVII
2002
Lost vs. Tampa Bay

12
Philadelphia Eagles
7003200400000000000♠ Super Bowl XXXIX
2004
Lost vs. New England

10
Chicago Bears
7003200600000000000♠ Super Bowl XLI
2006
Lost vs. Indianapolis

8
Arizona Cardinals
7003200800000000000♠ Super Bowl XLIII
2008
Lost vs. Pittsburgh

7
New Orleans Saints
7003200900000000000♠ Super Bowl XLIV
2009
Won vs. Indianapolis

7
Indianapolis Colts
7003200900000000000♠ Super Bowl XLIV
2009
Lost vs. New Orleans

6
Green Bay Packers
7003201000000000000♠ Super Bowl XLV
2010
Won vs. Pittsburgh

6
Pittsburgh Steelers
7003201010000000000♠ Super Bowl XLV
2010
Lost vs. Green Bay

5
New York Giants
7003201100000000000♠ Super Bowl XLVI
2011
Won vs. New England

4
Baltimore Ravens
7003201200000000000♠ Super Bowl XLVII
2012
Won vs. San Francisco

4
San Francisco 49ers
7003201210000000000♠ Super Bowl XLVII
2012
Lost vs. Baltimore Ravens

2
Seattle Seahawks
7003201420000000000♠ Super Bowl XLIX
2014
Lost vs. New England

1
Carolina Panthers
7003201500000000000♠ Super Bowl 50
2015
Lost vs. Denver

1
Denver Broncos
7003201500000000000♠ Super Bowl 50
2015
Won vs. Carolina

0
Atlanta Falcons
7003201600000000000♠ Super Bowl LI
2016
Lost vs. New England

0
New England Patriots
7003201600000000000♠ Super Bowl LI
2016
Won vs. Atlanta

text:
(*): Cleveland's drought does not include three seasons (1996–1998) where the franchise was dormant.
(†): Team was based in St. Louis.

text: Super Bowl win droughts[edit]

text: This list also counts all seasons since a team last won the league championship.

text:
Drought References[1][4]

Seasons
Team
Last Super Bowl crown
(1966–present)
NFL
Season
Last League Championship crown
Before 1970 Merger
(1920–1969)
Seasons

51
Arizona Cardinals[a]
Never
—
1947 NFL Championship
69

51
Detroit Lions
Never
—
1957 NFL Championship
59

51
Philadelphia Eagles
Never
—
1960 NFL Championship
56

51
Tennessee Titans[b]
Never
—
1961 AFL Championship
55

51
Los Angeles Chargers
Never
—
1963 AFL Championship
53

51
Buffalo Bills
Never
—
1965 AFL Championship
51

48
Cleveland Browns [d]
Never
—
1964 NFL Championship
49

51
Minnesota Vikings
Never
—
1969 NFL Championship[c]
47

51
Atlanta Falcons
Never (enfranchised 1966)
—

49
Cincinnati Bengals
Never (enfranchised 1968)
—

48
New York Jets[e]
Super Bowl III
1968

47
Kansas City Chiefs[e]
Super Bowl IV
1969

43
Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl VIII
1973

33
Oakland Raiders[f]
Super Bowl XVIII
1983

31
Chicago Bears
Super Bowl XX
1985

25
Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXVI
1991

22
Jacksonville Jaguars
Never (enfranchised 1995)
—

22
Carolina Panthers
Never (enfranchised 1995)
—

22
San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIX
1994

21
Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXX
1995

17
Los Angeles Rams[g]
Super Bowl XXXIV
1999

15
Houston Texans
Never (enfranchised 2002)
—

14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XXXVII
2002

10
Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl XLI
2006

8
Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XLIII
2008

7
New Orleans Saints
Super Bowl XLIV
2009

6
Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XLV
2010

5
New York Giants
Super Bowl XLVI
2011

4
Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XLVII
2012

3
Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl XLVIII
2013

1
Denver Broncos
Super Bowl 50
2015

0
New England Patriots
Super Bowl LI
2016

text:
a Team won as the Chicago Cardinals in 1947.
b Team won as the Houston Oilers in 1961.
c AFL and NFL league champions met in Super Bowls I thru IV before the 1970 merger (1966–1969). They are not generally counted in the overall league championship list.
d Cleveland's drought does not include three seasons (1996–98) when the franchise was dormant.
e Super Bowl winner was not the NFL league champion till after 1970 merger (Super Bowl V).
f Team was based in Los Angeles when it won Super Bowl XVIII.
g Team was based in St. Louis when it won Super Bowl XXXIV.

text: Super Bowl crown droughts by division[edit]

text:
Division
Last Super Bowl crown
Seasons

AFC South
XLI — Colts
10

NFC South
XLIV — Saints
7

NFC North
XLV — Packers
6

NFC East
XLVI — Giants
5

AFC North
XLVII — Ravens
4

NFC West
XLVIII — Seahawks
3

AFC West
50 — Broncos
1

AFC East
LI — Patriots
0

text: Cities/regions awaiting first Super Bowl crown[edit]

text: Listed according to seasons waited. Current NFL cities/regions only

text:
Last city to leave list - Seattle, 2013 season

City/region
Seasons waited
Conference Title(s)
Team(s)
Notes

Detroit
51
None
Detroit Lions (1966–)
Played in the 1991 NFC Championship Game

Philadelphia
51
1980, 2004
Philadelphia Eagles (1966–)
Played in Super Bowls XV and XXXIX

Buffalo
51
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
Buffalo Bills (1966–)
Played in Super Bowls XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII

Atlanta
51
1998, 2016
Atlanta Falcons (1966–)
Played in Super Bowls XXXIII and LI

Minneapolis–St. Paul
51
1969, 1973, 1974, 1976
Minnesota Vikings (1966–)
Played in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX, and XI

Cincinnati
49
1981, 1988
Cincinnati Bengals (1968–)
Played in Super Bowls XVI and XXIII

Cleveland
48
None
Cleveland Browns (1966–)
Played in the 1986, 1987, and 1989 AFC Championship Games

Houston
46
None
Includes 31 Oilers seasons (1966–1996) and 15 Texans seasons (2002–)
Played in the 1978 and 1979 AFC Championship Games

Phoenix
29
2008
Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1988–)
Played in Super Bowl XLIII

Jacksonville
22
None
Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–)
Played in the 1996 and 1999 AFC Championship Games

Charlotte
22
2003, 2015
Carolina Panthers (1995–)
Played in Super Bowls XXXVIII and 50

Nashville
20
1999
Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1997–)
Played in Super Bowl XXXIV

text: Division title droughts[edit]

text: Listed according to seasons waited. Updated through the 2016 season.

text:
Franchise
0 0 Most recent0 0
division title
0Year0
Seasons

Cleveland Browns^
AFC Central
1989
24**

Detroit Lions^
NFC Central
1993
23

Buffalo Bills^
AFC East
1995
21

Jacksonville Jaguars^
AFC Central
1999
17

Oakland Raiders^
AFC West
2002
14

New York Jets
AFC East
2002
14

Los Angeles Rams†
NFC West
2003
13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC South
2007
9

Miami Dolphins^
AFC East
2008
8

Tennessee Titans
AFC South
2008
8

Los Angeles Chargers
AFC West
2009
7

Chicago Bears
NFC North
2010
6

New York Giants
NFC East
2011
5

New Orleans Saints
NFC South
2011
5

Baltimore Ravens
AFC North
2012
4

San Francisco 49ers
NFC West
2012
4

Philadelphia Eagles
NFC East
2013
3

Indianapolis Colts
AFC South
2014
2

Cincinnati Bengals
AFC North
2015
1

Denver Broncos
AFC West
2015
1

Washington Redskins
NFC East
2015
1

Minnesota Vikings
NFC North
2015
1

Carolina Panthers
NFC South
2015
1

Arizona Cardinals
NFC West
2015
1

2016 Division Champions

New England Patriots
AFC East
2016
—

Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC North
2016
—

Houston Texans
AFC South
2016
—

Kansas City Chiefs
AFC West
2016
—

Dallas Cowboys
NFC East
2016
—

Green Bay Packers
NFC North
2016
—

Atlanta Falcons
NFC South
2016
—

Seattle Seahawks
NFC West
2016
—

text: **Does not include the three seasons (1996–1998) during which the franchise suspended operations.

text: Historical team droughts[edit]

text: Playoff droughts of 5 plus seasons[edit]

text:
0^0
Denotes active streak

text:
Last place NFL finishes
Last place AFL finishes (1960–1969)

text:
List of Droughts[1]

Seasons
Team
Drought Duration
Division or Conference Last Place
finishes during drought
League Worst win-loss record
during drought

Last Place
Seasons

7001250000000000000♠25
Washington Redskins A !Washington Redskins
1946–1970
4
1950, 1952, 1960–1961
1961

7001250000000000000♠25
Arizona Cardinals A !Chicago / St. Louis Cardinals
1949–1973
5
1951, 1953–1954, 1957, 1959
1953, 1954, 1957 tie, 19591959 tie

7001240000000000000♠24
Pittsburgh Steelers A !Pittsburgh Steelers
1948–1971
5
1955, 1965, 1967–1969
1965, 1969 tie

7001200000000000000♠20
New Orleans Saints A !New Orleans Saints
1967–1986
9
1967, 1970–1972, 1975, 1977, 1980–1981, 1986
19751975 tie, 1980

7001170000000000000♠17
Denver Broncos A !Denver Broncos
1960–1976
8
1960, 1963–1967, 1970–1971
1960, 1963, 1964, 1965 tie, 1967

7001170000000000000♠17
Philadelphia Eagles A !Philadelphia Eagles
1961–1977
7
1962–1963, 1968–1970, 1972, 1975
1968 tie

7001170000000000000♠17
New York Giants D !New York Giants
1964–1980
9
1964, 1966, 1971, 1973–1974, 1976–1978, 1980
1964, 1966, 1974 tie

7001170000000000000♠17 ^
Buffalo Bills A !Buffalo Bills
2000–2016
8
2001–2002, 2008–2013
—

7001160000000000000♠16
Detroit Lions A !Detroit Lions
1936–1951
4
1942, 1946–1948
1942, 1946, 1948

7001150000000000000♠15
Arizona Cardinals B !Chicago Cardinals
1932–1946
10
1933, 1935–1936, 1938–1940, 1943–1946
1933, 1938 tie, 1939, 1943, 1944 tie[a], 1945

7001150000000000000♠15
Green Bay Packers A !Green Bay Packers
1945–1959
4
1949, 1953, 1957, 1958
1957 tie, 1958

7001150000000000000♠15
Arizona Cardinals C !St. Louis / Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals
1983–1997
7
1985–1986, 1990–1992, 1995, 1997
—

7001140000000000000♠14
Pittsburgh Steelers B !Pittsburgh Pirates / Steelers
1933–1946
7
1933–1934, 1938–1939, 1941, 1944–1945
1938 tie, 1941, 1944 tie[a]

7001140000000000000♠14
Philadelphia Eagles B !Philadelphia Eagles
1933–1946
5
1935–1937, 1940, 1942
1935, 1936, 1940

7001140000000000000♠14
Kansas City Chiefs A !Kansas City Chiefs
1972–1985
5
1977–1979, 1983, 1985
19771977 tie

7001140000000000000♠14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers A !Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1983–1996
8
1983, 1985–1986, 1989, 1991, 1993–1995
19831983 tie, 1985 tie, 1986

7001140000000000000♠14
Cincinnati Bengals A !Cincinnati Bengals
1991–2004
6
1991–1993, 1998, 2001–2002
1993, 1998 tie, 2002

7001140000000000000♠14 ^
Cleveland Browns A !Cleveland Browns
2003–2016
12
2003–2006, 2008–2009, 2011–2016
2015 tie, 2016

7001130000000000000♠13
Chicago Bears A !Chicago Bears
1964–1976
5
1969–1970, 1972–1974
1969 tie

7001130000000000000♠13
San Diego Chargers A !San Diego Chargers
1966–1978
3
1972–1973, 1975
1975 tie

7001130000000000000♠13
Oakland Raiders A !Oakland Raiders
2003–2015
6
2004–2007, 2013–2014
2003 tie, 2006

7001120000000000000♠12
Detroit Lions B !Detroit Lions
1958–1969
2
1966, 1968
—

7001120000000000000♠12
San Francisco 49ers A !San Francisco 49ers
1958–1969
3
1963–1964, 1969
1963

7001120000000000000♠12
New England Patriots A !Boston / New England Patriots
1964–1975
4
1967, 1970, 1972, 1975
1970

7001120000000000000♠12
Atlanta Falcons A !Atlanta Falcons
1966–1977
3
1967–1968, 1974
1967, 1968 tie

7001120000000000000♠12 ^
Los Angeles Rams A !St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams
2005–2016
6
2007–2009, 2011, 2013–2014
2009, 2011 tie

7001110000000000000♠11
Los Angeles Rams B !Los Angeles Rams
1956–1966
4
1956, 1959, 1962, 1965
19591959 tie, 1962

7001110000000000000♠11
New York Jets A !New York Jets
1970–1980
1
1980
—

7001110000000000000♠11
Detroit Lions C !Detroit Lions
1971–1981
1
1979
19791979 tie

7001110000000000000♠11
Detroit Lions D !Detroit Lions
2000–2010
6
2001–2003, 2006, 2008–2009
2008

7001100000000000000♠10
Philadelphia Eagles C !Philadelphia Eagles
1950–1959
2
1956, 1958
1956

7001100000000000000♠10
Green Bay Packers B !Green Bay Packers
1983–1992
1
1988
—

7001100000000000000♠10
Seattle Seahawks A !Seattle Seahawks
1989–1998
4
1992–1994, 1996
1992 tie

7000900000000000000♠9
Green Bay Packers C !Green Bay Packers
1973–1981
2
1976, 1980
—

7000900000000000000♠9
Indianapolis Colts A !Baltimore / Indianapolis Colts
1978–1986
4
1978 - 1979, 1982, 1986
1981 tie, 1982

7000900000000000000♠9
San Diego Chargers B !San Diego Chargers
1983–1991
4
1984, 1986, 1989, 1991
—

7000900000000000000♠9
Los Angeles Rams C !Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams
1990–1998
6
1991–1994, 1997–1998
—

7000900000000000000♠9
Arizona Cardinals E !Arizona Cardinals
1999–2007
4
2000, 2002–2003, 2006
2003 tie

7000900000000000000♠9
Houston Texans A !Houston Texans
2002–2010
5
2002–2003, 2005–2007
2005

7000900000000000000♠9 ^
Tampa Bay Buccaneers B !Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2008–2016
6
2009, 2011–2015
20142014 tie

7000900000000000000♠9 ^
Jacksonville Jaguars A !Jacksonville Jaguars
2008–2016
4
2008–2009, 2012, 2016
2012 tie

7000800000000000000♠8
New York Jets B !New York Titans / Jets
1960–1967
2
1962–1963
—

7000800000000000000♠8
Tennessee Titans A !Houston Oilers
1970–1977
4
1970, 1972–1973, 1976
1972, 1973

7000800000000000000♠8
San Francisco 49ers B !San Francisco 49ers
1973–1980
2
1978–1979
1978, 1979 tie

7000800000000000000♠8
Atlanta Falcons B !Atlanta Falcons
1983–1990
7
1983–1985, 1987–1990
1987

7000800000000000000♠8
San Diego Chargers C !San Diego Chargers
1996–2003
5
1997–1998, 2000–2001, 2003
2000, 2003 tie

7000800000000000000♠8
San Francisco 49ers C !San Francisco 49ers
2003–2010
2
2004–2005
2004

7000800000000000000♠8 ^
Tennessee Titans B !Tennessee Titans
2009–2016
3
2010, 2014–2015
20142014 tie, 2015 tie

7000700000000000000♠7
Los Angeles Rams D !Cleveland Rams
1937–1944 [b]
2
1937, 1941
1937

7000700000000000000♠7
San Francisco 49ers D !San Francisco 49ers
1950–1956
0
—
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Oakland Raiders B !Oakland Raiders
1960–1966
2
1961–1962
1961, 1962

7000700000000000000♠7
Minnesota Vikings A !Minnesota Vikings
1961–1967
3
1961, 1966–1967
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Buffalo Bills B !Buffalo Bills
1967–1973
2
1968, 1971

1968
1971

7000700000000000000♠7
Cleveland Browns B !Cleveland Browns
1973–1979
3
1974–1975, 1977
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Seattle Seahawks B !Seattle Seahawks
1976–1982
3
1976, 1980–1981
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Detroit Lions E !Detroit Lions
1984–1990
1
1987
—

7000700000000000000♠7
New England Patriots A !New England Patriots
1987–1993
2
1990, 1992
1990, 1992 tie

7000700000000000000♠7
Indianapolis Colts B !Indianapolis Colts
1988–1994
2
1991, 1993
1991

7000700000000000000♠7
New Orleans Saints B !New Orleans Saints
1993–1999
3
1995–1996, 1999
—

7000700000000000000♠7
Miami Dolphins A !Miami Dolphins
2009–2015
1
2015
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Chicago Bears B !Chicago Bears
1957–1962
0
—
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Dallas Cowboys A !Dallas Cowboys
1960–1965
1
1960
1960

7000600000000000000♠6
Arizona Cardinals E !St. Louis Cardinals
1976–1981
2
1979, 1981
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Tennessee Titans C !Houston Oilers
1981–1986
4
1983–1986
19831983 tie

7000600000000000000♠6
Buffalo Bills C !Buffalo Bills
1982–1987
2
1984–1985
1984, 1985 tie

7000600000000000000♠6
Philadelphia Eagles D !Philadelphia Eagles
1982–1987
1
1984
—

7000600000000000000♠6
New York Jets C !New York Jets
1992–1997
3
1994–1996
1995, 1996

7000600000000000000♠6
Washington Redskins B !Washington Redskins
1993–1998
2
1993–1994
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Oakland Raiders C !Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders
1994–1999
0
—
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Chicago Bears C !Chicago Bears
1995–2000
4
1997–2000
—

7000600000000000000♠6
Carolina Panthers A !Carolina Panthers
1997–2002
2
2001–2002
2001

7000600000000000000♠6
Miami Dolphins B !Miami Dolphins
2002–2007
3
2004, 2006–2007
2007

7000600000000000000♠6 ^
New York Jets D !New York Jets
2011–2016
2
2014, 2016
—

7000600000000000000♠6 ^
Chicago Bears E !Chicago Bears
2011–2016
3
2014–2016
—

7000500000000000000♠5
New York Giants D !New York Giants
1951–1955
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Chicago Bears D !Chicago Bears
1951–1955
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Indianapolis Colts C !Baltimore Colts
1953–1957
1
1954
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Cleveland Browns C !Cleveland Browns
1959–1963
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Buffalo Bills D !Buffalo Bills
1975–1979
2
1976–1977
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Cincinnati Bengals B !Cincinnati Bengals
1976–1980
3
1978–1980
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Washington Redskins C !Washington Redskins
1977–1981
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Cincinnati Bengals C !Cincinnati Bengals
1983–1987
1
1987
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Dallas Cowboys B !Dallas Cowboys
1986–1990
2
1988, 1989
1988, 1989

7000500000000000000♠5
Tennessee Titans D !Houston / Tennessee Oilers
1994–1998
1
1994
1994

7000500000000000000♠5
Kansas City Chiefs B !Kansas City Chiefs
1998–2002
1
2002
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Washington Redskins D !Washington Redskins
2000–2004
1
2004
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Jacksonville Jaguars B !Jacksonville Jaguars
2000–2004
0
—
—

7000500000000000000♠5
New Orleans Saints C !New Orleans Saints
2001–2005
1
2005
—

7000500000000000000♠5
Denver Broncos B !Denver Broncos
2006–2010
1
2010
—

Seasons
Team
Drought Duration
Last Place
Seasons
League Worst win-loss record
during drought

Division or Conference Last Place
finishes during drought

text: Most consecutive post-season losses in team history[edit]

text: This is a sortable table of all 32 current NFL teams. Ten teams have multiple losing streaks where they lost an equal number of post season games before breaking the drought.

text: Updated through the 2016 regular season.

text:
0^0
Denotes active drought

text:
Team
Streak lasted
Last win
Games Lost
Playoff Losses
Score
Opponent
Next win

Arizona Cardinals
7001510000000000000♠ 51 years
1947
Championship
4.1 !4
1948 NFL Champ.
1974 Div.
1975 Div.
1982 1st Round
-1 !0–7
14–30
23–35
16–41
Eagles
Vikings
Rams
Packers
1998 Wild Card

Atlanta Falcons
7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
2004 Divisional
4.2 !4
2004 NFC Champ.
2008 Wild Card
2010 Div.
2011 Wild Card
10–27
24–30
21–48
2–24
Eagles
Cardinals
Packers
Giants
2012 Divisional

Baltimore Ravens
7000700000000000000♠ 7 years
2001
Wild Card
3.1 !3
2001 Div.
2003 Wild Card
2006 Div.
10–27
17–20
6–15
Steelers
Titans
Colts
2008 Wild Card

Buffalo Bills^
7001210000000000000♠ 21 years
1995
Div !1995
Wild Card
4.3 !4
1995 Div.
1996 Wild Card
1998 Wild Card
1999 Wild Card
21–40
27–30
17–24
16–22
Steelers
Jaguars
Dolphins
Titans
TBD

Carolina Panthers
7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
2005
Divisional
3
2005 NFC Champ.
2008 Div.
2013 Div.
14–34
13–33
10–23
Seahawks
Cardinals
49ers
2014 Div !2014 Wild Card

Chicago Bears
7001120000000000000♠ 12 years
1994
AF !1994
Wild Card
3.2 !3
1994 Div.
2001 Div.
2005 Div.
15–44
19–33
21–29
49ers
Eagles
Panthers
2006 Divisional

Cincinnati Bengals^
7001260000000000000♠ 26 years
1990 Div !1990
Wild Card
8
1990 Div.
2005 Wild Card
2009 Wild Card
2011 Wild Card
2012 Wild Card
2013 Wild Card
2014 Wild Card
2015 Wild Card
10–20
17–31
14–24
10–31
13–19
10–27
10–26
16–18
Raiders
Steelers
Jets
Texans
Texans
Chargers
Colts
Steelers
TBD

Cleveland Browns
7001170000000000000♠ 17 years
1969 Divisional
6
1969 NFL Champ.
1971 Div.
1972 Div.
1980 Div.
1982 1st Round
1985 Div.
7–27
3–20
14–20
12–14
10–27
21–24
Vikings
Colts
Dolphins
Raiders
Raiders
Dolphins
1986 Divisional

Dallas Cowboys
7001130000000000000♠ 13 years
1996
Div !1996
Wild Card
6.2 !6
1996 Div.
1998 Wild Card
1999 Wild Card
2003 Wild Card
2006 Wild Card
2007 Div.
17–26
7–20
10–27
10–29
20–21
17–21
Panthers
Cardinals
Vikings
Panthers
Seahawks
Giants
2009 Wild Card

Denver Broncos
7000900000000000000♠ 9 years
1977
Conference
Championship
5.1 !5
1977 !Super Bowl XII
1978 Div.
1979 Wild Card
1983 Wild Card
1984 Div.
10–27
10–33
7–13
7–31
17–24
Cowboys
Steelers
Oilers
Seahawks
Steelers
1986 Divisional

Detroit Lions^
7001250000000000000♠ 25 years
1991
Divisional
9
1991.2 !1991 NFC Champ.
1993 Wild Card
1994 Wild Card
1995 Wild Card
1997 Wild Card
1999 Wild Card
2011 Wild Card
2014 Wild Card
2016 Wild Card
10–41
24–28
12–16
37–58
10–20
13–27
28–45
20–24
6-26
Redskins
Packers
Packers
Eagles
Buccaneers
Redskins
Saints
Cowboys
Seahawks
TBD

Green Bay Packers
005 (2 loss) streaks
7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
1997 Conference
Championship
2.2 !2
1997.2 !Super Bowl XXXII
1998 Wild Card
24–31
27–30
Broncos
49ers
2001 Wild Card

7000200000000000000♠ 2 years
2001
Wild Card
2.3 !2
2001.1 !2001 Div.
2002 Wild Card
17–45
7–27
Rams
Falcons
2003 Wild Card

7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
2003
Wild Card
2.4 !2
2003.1 !2003 Div.
2004 Wild Card
17–20 (OT)
17–31
Eagles
Vikings
2007 Divisional

7000300000000000000♠ 3 years
2007
Divisional
2.5 !2
2007.2 !2007 NFC Champ.
2009 Wild Card
20–23 (OT)
45–51 (OT)
Giants
Cardinals
2010 Wild Card

7000200000000000000♠ 2 years
2012
Wild Card
2.6 !2
2012 Div.
2013 Wild Card
31–45
20–23
49ers
49ers
2014 Divisional

Houston Texans
7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
2012 Wild Card
2
2012.1 !2012 Divisional
2015 Wild Card
28–41
0–30
Patriots
Chiefs
2016 Wild Card

Indianapolis Colts
002 (5 loss) streaks
7001240000000000000♠24 years
1971
Divisional
5.2 !5
1971.1 !1971 AFC Champ.
1975 Div.
1976 Div.
1977 Div.
1987 Div.
0–21
10–28
14–40
31–37 (2 OT)
21–38
Dolphins
Steelers
Steelers
Raiders
Browns
1995 Wild Card

7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
1995
Divisional
5.3 !5
1995.3 !1995 AFC Champ.
1996 Wild Card
1999 Div.
2000 Wild Card
2002 Wild Card
16–20
14–42
16–19
17–23 (OT)
0–41
Steelers
Steelers
Titans
Dolphins
Jets
2003 Wild Card

Jacksonville Jaguars
002 (2 loss) streaks
2 years
1996
Divisional
2.6 !2
1996.2 !1996 AFC Champ.
1997 Wild Card
6–20
17–42
Patriots
Broncos
1998 Wild Card

7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
1999
Divisional
2.7 !2
1999.2 !1999 AFC Champ.
2005 Wild Card
14–33
3–28
Titans
Patriots
2007 Div !2007 Wild Card

Kansas City Chiefs
7001210000000000000♠ 21 years
1993
Divisional
8
1993.2 !1993 AFC Champ.
1994 Wild Card
1995 Div.
1997 Div.
2003 Div.
2006 Wild Card
2010 Wild Card
2013 Wild Card
13–30
17–27
7–10
10–14
31–38
8–23
7–30
44–45
Bills
Dolphins
Colts
Broncos
Colts
Colts
Ravens
Colts
2015 Wild Card

Los Angeles Chargers
7001130000000000000♠ 13 years
1994
AFC Championship
4.8 !4
1994.2 !Super Bowl XXIX
1995 Wild Card
2004 Wild Card
2006 Div.
26–49
20–35
17–20 (OT)
21–24
49ers
Colts
Jets
Patriots
2007 Div !2007 Wild Card

Los Angeles Rams
7001230000000000000♠ 23 years
1951
Championship
5.5 !5
1952 Nat. Conf.
1955 NFL Champ.
1967 NFL W Conf.
1969 NFL W Conf.
1973 Div.
21–31
14–38
7–28
20–23
16–27
Lions
Browns
Packers
Vikings
Cowboys
1974 Divisional

Miami Dolphins
002 (4 loss) streaks
7000900000000000000♠ 9 years
1973
Super Bowl
4.5 !4
1974 Div.
1978 Wild Card
1979 Div.
1981 Div.
26–28
9–17
14–34
38–41 (OT)
Raiders
Oilers
Steelers
Chargers
1982 First Round

7001160000000000000♠ 16 years
2000
Wild Card
4.9 !4
2000 Div.
2001 Wild Card
2008 Wild Card
2016 Wild Card
0–27
3–20
9–27
12–30
Raiders
Ravens
Ravens
Steelers
TBD

Minnesota Vikings
7000900000000000000♠ 9 years
1988
Wild Card
6.3 !6
1988 Div.
1989 Div.
1992 Wild Card
1993 Wild Card
1994 Wild Card
1996 Wild Card
9–34
13–41
7–24
10–17
18–35
15–45
49ers
49ers
Redskins
Giants
Bears
Cowboys
1997 Wild Card

New England Patriots
7001220000000000000♠ 22 years
1963
Divisional
4.6 !4
1963 AFL Champ.
1976 Div.
1978 Div.
1982 1st Round
10–51
21–24
14–31
13–28
Chargers
Raiders
Oilers
Dolphins
1985 Wild Card

New Orleans Saints
7001320000000000000♠ 32 years
1967 Enfranchised
No Playoff
Wins
till 2000
4.7 !4
1987 Wild Card
1990 Wild Card
1991 Wild Card
1992 Wild Card
10–44
6–16
20–27
20–36
Vikings
Bears
Falcons
Eagles
2000 Wild Card

New York Giants
7001180000000000000♠ 18 years
1938
Championship
6.4 !6
1939 NFL Champ.
1941 NFL Champ.
1943 East Div.
1944 NFL Champ.
1946 NFL Champ.
1950 Am. Conf.
0–27
9–37
0–28
7–14
14–24
3–8
Packers
Bears
Redskins
Packers
Bears
Browns
1956 Championship

New York Jets
005 (2 loss) streaks
7001140000000000000♠ 14 years
1968
Super Bowl III
2.8 !2
1969 AFL Div.
1981 Wild Card
6–13
27–31
Chiefs
Bills
1982 First Round

7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
1982 2nd Round
2.9 !2
1982.1 !1982 AFC Champ.
1985 Wild Card
0–14
14–26
Dolphins
Patriots
1986 Wild Card

7001120000000000000♠ 12 years
1986 Wild Card
2.91 !2
1986 Div.
1991 Wild Card
20–23 (2 OT)
10–17
Browns
Oilers
1998 World !1998 Divisional

7000400000000000000♠ 4 years
1998 Divisional
2.92 !2
1998.1 !1998 AFC Champ.
2001 Wild Card
10–23
24–38
Broncos
Raiders
2002 Div !2002 Wild Card

7000500000000000000♠ 5 years
2004
Wild Card
2.93 !2
2004.1 !2004 Divisional
2006 Wild Card
17–20 (OT)
16–37
Steelers
Patriots
2009 Wild Card

Oakland Raiders
004 (2 loss) streaks
7000300000000000000♠ 3 years
1970
Divisional
2.94 !2
1970 AFC Champ.
1972 Div.
17–27
7–13
Colts
Steelers
1973 Divisional

7000700000000000000♠ 7 years
1983
Super Bowl XVIII
2.95 !2
1984 Wild Card
1985 Div.
7–13
20–27
Seahawks
Patriots
1990 Divisional

7000300000000000000♠ 3 years
1990 Divisional
2.96 !2
1990.2 !1990 AFC Champ.
1991 Wild Card
3–51
6–10
Bills
Chiefs
1993 Wild Card

7001140000000000000♠ 14 years
2002 AFC Championship
2.96 !2
1990.2 !Super Bowl XXXVIII
2016 Wild Card
24-41
14-27
Bucs
Texans
TBD

Philadelphia Eagles
7001120000000000000♠ 12 years
1980
Conference
Championship
5.4 !5
1980.1 !Super Bowl XV
1981 Wild Card
1988 Div.
1989 Wild Card
1990 Wild Card
10–27
21–27
12–20
7–21
6–20
Raiders
Giants
Bears
Rams
Redskins
1992 Wild Card

Pittsburgh Steelers
002 (3 loss) streaks
7000500000000000000♠ 5 years
1989
Wild Card
3.3 !3
1989.1 !1989 Div.
1992 Div.
1993 Wild Card
23–24
3–24
24–27
Broncos
Bills
Chiefs
1994 Divisional

7000400000000000000♠4 years
2010 AFC Championship
3
2010.1 !Super Bowl XLV
2011 Wild Card
2014 Wild Card
25–31
23–29
17–30
Packers
Broncos
Ravens
2015 Wild Card

San Francisco 49ers
7000400000000000000♠4 years
1984
Super Bowl XIX
3.4 !3
1985 Wild Card
1986 Div.
1987 Div.
3–17
3–49
24–36
Giants
Giants
Vikings
1988 Divisional

Seattle Seahawks
7001210000000000000♠ 21 years
1984
Su !1984
Wild Card
6.5 !6
1984.2 !1984 Div.
1987 Wild Card
1988 Div.
1999 Wild Card
2003 Wild Card
2004 Wild Card
10–31
20–23 (OT)
13–21
17–20
27–33 (OT)
20–27
Dolphins
Oilers
Bengals
Dolphins
Packers
Rams
2005 Divisional

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
002 (3 loss) streaks
7001180000000000000♠ 18 years
1979
Divisional
3.5 !3
1979.2 !1979 NFC Champ.
1981 Div.
1982 1st Round
0–9
0–38
17–30
Rams
Cowboys
Cowboys
1997 Wild Card

7000300000000000000♠3 years
1999
Divisional
3.6 !3
1999.3 !1999 NFC Champ.
2000 Wild Card
2001 Wild Card
6–11
3–21
9–31
Rams
Eagles
Eagles
2002 Divisional

Tennessee Titans^
004 (3 loss) streaks
7001170000000000000♠ 17 years
1961 AFL
Championship
3.7 !3[Hou]
1962 AFL Champ.
1967 AFL Champ.
1969 AFL Div.
17–20 (2 OT)
7–40
7–56
Chief !Dallas Texans
Raiders
Raiders
1978 Wild Card

7000300000000000000♠ 3 years
1988
Wild Card
3.8 !3[Hou]
1988 Div.
1989 Wild Card
1990 Wild Card
10–17
23–26 (OT)
14–41
Bills
Steelers
Bengals
1991
Wild Card

7000800000000000000♠ 8 years
1991
Div !1991
Wild Card
3.9 !3[Hou]
1991.1 !1991 Divisional
1992 Wild Card
1993 Divisional
24–26
38–41 (OT)
20–28
Broncos
Bills
Chiefs
1999
Wild Card

7001130000000000000♠ 13 years
2003
Wild Card
3.91 !3
2003.3 !2003 Div.
2007 Wild Card
2008 Div.
14–17
6–17
10–13
Patriots
Chargers
Ravens
TBD

Washington Redskins
002 (4 loss) streaks
7001100000000000000♠ 10 years
1972
NFC Championship
4.9 !4
1972.2 !Super Bowl VII
1973 Div.
1974 Div.
1976 Div.
7–14
20–27
10–19
20–35
Dolphins
Vikings
Rams
Vikings
1982 First Round

7001110000000000000♠ 11 years
2005
Wild Card
4.9 !4
2005 Div.
2007 Wild Card
2012 Wild Card
2015 Wild Card
10–20
14–35
14–24
18–35
Seahawks
Seahawks
Seahawks
Packers
TBD

Team
Streak lasted
Last win
Games Lost
Playoff Games
Score
Opponent
Next win

text: Hou These three streaks occurred when the team was known as the Houston Oilers.

text: Longest post-season droughts in team history[edit]

text:
Updated through the 2016 season.
Note that the NFL did not institute a permanent playoff tournament until 1967 and that the NFL Championship Game and any impromptu one-game playoffs (played only in the event of a tie atop the division standings) were the only postseason matchups in this era (the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl is considered an exhibition game for the purpose of this list).

text:
0^0
Denotes active streak

text:
No post season appearances

Team
Longest streak with
no post-season appearances
Seasons

Washington Redskins
1946–1970
25

Arizona Cardinals
1949–1973
25

Pittsburgh Steelers
1948–1971
24

New Orleans Saints
1967–1986
20

Denver Broncos
1960–1976
17

Philadelphia Eagles
1961–1977
17

New York Giants
1964–1980
17

Buffalo Bills^
2000–2016^
17

Detroit Lions
1936–1951
16

Green Bay Packers
1945–1959
15

Kansas City Chiefs
1972–1985
14

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1983–1996
14

Cincinnati Bengals
1991–2004
14

Cleveland Browns^
2003–2016^
14

Chicago Bears
1964–1976
13

Los Angeles Chargers
1966–1978
13

Oakland Raiders
2003–2015
13

San Francisco 49ers
1958–1969
12

New England Patriots
1964–1975
12

Atlanta Falcons
1966–1977
12

Los Angeles Rams^
2005–2016^
12

New York Jets
1970–1980
11

Seattle Seahawks
1989–1998
10

Indianapolis Colts
1978–1986
9

Houston Texans
2002–2010
9

Jacksonville Jaguars^
2008–2016^
9

Tennessee Titans
1970–1977
8

Minnesota Vikings
1961–1967
7

Miami Dolphins
2009–2015
7

Dallas Cowboys
1960–1965
6

Carolina Panthers
1997–2002
6

Baltimore Ravens
1996–1999
4

Team
Longest streak with
no post-season appearances
Seasons

No post season victories

Team
Longest streak with
no post-season victories
Seasons

Arizona Cardinals
1948–1997
50

Pittsburgh Steelers
1933–1971
39

Detroit Lions
1958–1990
33

New Orleans Saints
1967–1999
33

Washington Redskins
1944–1971
28

Cincinnati Bengals^
1991–2016^
26

Indianapolis Colts
1972–1994
23

Los Angeles Rams
1952–1973
22

New York Giants
1959–1980
22

New England Patriots
1964–1984
21

Kansas City Chiefs
1970–1990
1994–2014
21

Buffalo Bills^
1996–2016^
21

San Francisco 49ers
1950–1969
20

Chicago Bears
1964–1983
20

Seattle Seahawks
1985–2004
20

Cleveland Browns^
1995, 1999–2016^
19

Philadelphia Eagles
1961–1978
18

Denver Broncos
1960–1976
17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1980–1996
17

Green Bay Packers
1945–1960
16

Tennessee Titans
1962–1977
16

Los Angeles Chargers
1964–1979
16

Miami Dolphins^
2001–2016^
16

Oakland Raiders^
2003–2016^
14

New York Jets
1969–1981
13

Atlanta Falcons
1966–1977;
1979–1990
12

Dallas Cowboys
1997–2008
12

Houston Texans
2002–2010
9

Jacksonville Jaguars^
2008–2016^
9

Minnesota Vikings
1961–1968;
1989–1996
8

Carolina Panthers
2006–2013
8

Baltimore Ravens
2002–2007
6

Team
Longest streak with
no post-season victories
Seasons


document_title: Great Lakes

question_text: which great lake lies entirely in the us

question_tokens: which great lake lies entirely in the us

root

text: Great Lakes

text: Geography[edit]

text: Though the five lakes reside in separate basins, they form a single, naturally interconnected body of fresh water, within the Great Lakes Basin. The lakes form a chain connecting the east-central interior of North America to the Atlantic Ocean. From the interior to the outlet at the Saint Lawrence River, water flows from Superior to Huron and Michigan, southward to Erie, and finally northward to Lake Ontario. The lakes drain a large watershed via many rivers, and are studded with approximately 35,000 islands.[13] There are also several thousand smaller lakes, often called "inland lakes," within the basin.[14] The surface area of the five primary lakes combined is roughly equal to the size of the United Kingdom, while the surface area of the entire basin (the lakes and the land they drain) is about the size of the UK and France combined.[15] Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes that is located entirely within the United States; the others form a water boundary between the United States and Canada. The lakes are divided among the jurisdictions of the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Both Ontario and Michigan include in their boundaries portions of four of the lakes: Ontario does not border Lake Michigan, and Michigan does not border Lake Ontario. New York and Wisconsin's jurisdictions extend into two lakes, and the remaining states into one of the lakes.

tag: p

text: Bathymetry[edit]

text:
Lake Erie
Lake Huron
Lake Michigan
Lake Ontario
Lake Superior

Surface area[5]
9,910 sq mi (25,700 km2)
23,000 sq mi (60,000 km2)
22,300 sq mi (58,000 km2)
7,340 sq mi (19,000 km2)
31,700 sq mi (82,000 km2)

Water volume[5]
116 cu mi (480 km3)
850 cu mi (3,500 km3)
1,180 cu mi (4,900 km3)
393 cu mi (1,640 km3)
2,900 cu mi (12,000 km3)

Elevation[16]
571 ft (174 m)
577 ft (176 m)
577 ft (176 m)
246 ft (75 m)
600.0 ft (182.9 m)

Average depth[15]
62 ft (19 m)
195 ft (59 m)
279 ft (85 m)
283 ft (86 m)
483 ft (147 m)

Maximum depth[17]
210 ft (64 m)
748 ft (228 m)
925 ft (282 m)
804 ft (245 m)
1,333 ft (406 m)

Major settlements[18]
Buffalo, NY
Erie, PA
Cleveland, OH
Lorain, OH
Toledo, OH
Sandusky, OH
Alpena, MI
Bay City, MI
Owen Sound, ON
Port Huron, MI
Sarnia, ON
Chicago, IL
Gary, IN
Green Bay, WI
Sheboygan, WI
Milwaukee, WI
Kenosha, WI
Racine, WI
Muskegon, MI
Traverse City, MI
Hamilton, ON
Kingston, ON
Mississauga, ON
Oshawa, ON
Rochester, NY
Toronto, ON
Duluth, MN
Marquette, MI
Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Superior, WI
Thunder Bay, ON

tag: table

text:
Relative elevations, average depths, maximum depths, and volumes of the Great Lakes.

Notes:
The area of each rectangle is proportionate to the volume of each lake. All measurements at Low Water Datum.

Source:
EPA[16]

text: As the surfaces of Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Erie are all approximately the same elevation above sea level, while Lake Ontario is significantly lower, and because the Niagara Escarpment precludes all natural navigation, the four upper lakes are commonly called the "upper great lakes". This designation, however, is not universal. Those living on the shore of Lake Superior often refer to all the other lakes as "the lower lakes", because they are farther south. Sailors of bulk freighters transferring cargoes from Lake Superior and northern Lake Michigan and Lake Huron to ports on Lake Erie or Ontario commonly refer to the latter as the lower lakes and Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior as the upper lakes. This corresponds to thinking of Lakes Erie and Ontario as "down south" and the others as "up north". Vessels sailing north on Lake Michigan are considered "upbound" even though they are sailing toward its effluent current.[25]

text: Primary connecting waterways[edit]

text:
The Chicago River and Calumet River systems connect the Great Lakes Basin to the Mississippi River System through man-made alterations and canals.
The St. Marys River, including the Soo Locks, connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron.
The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan to Lake Huron (which are hydrologically one).
The St. Clair River connects Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair.
The Detroit River connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie.
The Niagara River, including Niagara Falls, connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
The Welland Canal, bypassing the Falls, connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
The Saint Lawrence River and the Saint Lawrence Seaway connect Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which connects to the Atlantic Ocean.

tag: ul

text: Lake Michigan–Huron[edit]

text: Lakes Huron and Michigan are sometimes considered a single lake, called Lake Michigan–Huron, because they are one hydrological body of water connected by the Straits of Mackinac.[26] The straits are 5 miles (8 km) wide[15] and 120 feet (37 m) deep; the water levels – currently at 577 feet (176 m) – rise and fall together,[27] and the flow between Michigan and Huron frequently reverses direction.

text: Other significant bodies of water[edit]

text:
Lake Nipigon, connected to Lake Superior by the Nipigon River, is surrounded by sill-like formations of mafic and ultramafic igneous rock hundreds of meters high. The lake lies in the Nipigon Embayment, a failed arm of the triple junction (centered beneath Lake Superior) in the Midcontinent Rift System event, estimated at 1,109 million years ago.
Green Bay is an arm of Lake Michigan, located along the south coast of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the east coast of Wisconsin. It is separated from the rest of the lake by the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin, the Garden Peninsula in Michigan, and the chain of islands between them, all of which were formed by the Niagara Escarpment.
Lake Winnebago, connected to Green Bay by the Fox River, serves as part of the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway and is part of a larger system of lakes in Wisconsin known as the Winnebago Pool.
Grand Traverse Bay is an arm of Lake Michigan located on Michigan's west coast, being one of the largest natural harbors in the Great Lakes. The bay has one large peninsula[28] and one major island known as Power Island. Its namesake is derived from when Jacques Marquette crossed the bay from Norwood to Northport calling it La Grande Traversee.[29]
Georgian Bay is an arm of Lake Huron, extending northeast from the lake entirely within Ontario. The bay, along with its narrow westerly extensions of the North Channel and Mississagi Strait, is separated from the rest of the lake by the Bruce Peninsula, Manitoulin Island, and Cockburn Island, all of which were also formed by the Niagara Escarpment.
Lake Nipissing, connected to Georgian Bay by the French River, contains two volcanic pipes, which are the Manitou Islands and Callander Bay.[30] These pipes were formed by a violent, supersonic eruption of deep-origin. The lake lies in the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben, a Mesozoic rift valley that formed 175 million years ago.
Lake Simcoe, connected to Georgian Bay by the Severn River, serves as part of the Trent–Severn Waterway, a canal route traversing Southern Ontario between Lakes Ontario and Huron.
Lake St. Clair, connected with Lake Huron (to its north) by the St. Clair River and with Lake Erie (to its south) by the Detroit River. Although it is 17 times smaller in area than Lake Ontario and only rarely included in the listings of the Great Lakes,[31][32] proposals for its official recognition as a Great Lake are occasionally made, which would affect its inclusion in scientific research projects, etc., designated as related to "The Great Lakes".[33]

text: Islands[edit]

text: Dispersed throughout the Great Lakes are approximately 35,000 islands.[13] The largest among them is Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, the largest island in any inland body of water in the world.[34] The second-largest island is Isle Royale in Lake Superior.[35] Both of these islands are large enough to contain multiple lakes themselves—for instance, Manitoulin Island's Lake Manitou is the world's largest lake located on a freshwater island.[36]

text: Shipping connection to the ocean[edit]

text: The Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway make the Great Lakes accessible to ocean-going vessels.[37] However, shifts in shipping to wider ocean-going container ships—which do not fit through the locks on these routes—have limited container shipping on the lakes. Most Great Lakes trade is of bulk material, and bulk freighters of Seawaymax-size or less can move throughout the entire lakes and out to the Atlantic.[38] Larger ships are confined to working in the lakes themselves. Only barges can access the Illinois Waterway system providing access to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. Despite their vast size, large sections of the Great Lakes freeze over in winter, interrupting most shipping from January to March. Some icebreakers ply the lakes, keeping the shipping lanes open through other periods of ice on the lakes.

text: The Great Lakes are also connected by canal to the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Illinois River (from the Chicago River) and the Mississippi River. An alternate track is via the Illinois River (from Chicago), to the Mississippi, up the Ohio, and then through the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway (a combination of a series of rivers and lakes and canals), to Mobile Bay and the Gulf. Commercial tug-and-barge traffic on these waterways is heavy.[39]

text: Pleasure boats can also enter or exit the Great Lakes by way of the Erie Canal and Hudson River in New York. The Erie Canal connects to the Great Lakes at the east end of Lake Erie (at Buffalo, New York) and at the south side of Lake Ontario (at Oswego, New York).

text: Water levels[edit]

text: In 2009, the lakes contained 84% of the surface freshwater of North America;[40] if the water were evenly distributed over the entire continent's land area, it would reach a depth of 1.5 meters (5 feet).[15] The source of water levels in the lakes is tied to what was left by melting glaciers when the lakes took their present form. Annually, only about 1% is "new" water originating from rivers, precipitation, and groundwater springs that drain into the lakes. Historically, evaporation has been balanced by drainage, making the level of the lakes constant.[15] While the lake levels have been preserved, intensive human population growth only began in the region in the 20th century and continues today.[15] At least two human water use activities have been identified as having the potential to affect the lakes' levels: diversion (the transfer of water to other watersheds) and consumption (substantially done today by the use of lake water to power and cool electric generation plants, resulting in evaporation).[41]

text: The water level of Lake Michigan–Huron had remained fairly constant over the 20th century,[42] but has nevertheless dropped more than 6 feet from the record high in 1986 to the low of 2013.[43] One newspaper reported that the long-term average level has gone down about 20 inches because of dredging and subsequent erosion in the St. Clair River. Lake Michigan–Huron hit all-time record low levels in 2013; according to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the previous record low had been set in 1964.[43] By April 2015 the water level had recovered to 7 inches (17.5 cm) more than the "long term monthly average".[44]

text: Name origins[edit]

text: Statistics[edit]

text: The Great Lakes contained 21% of the world's surface fresh water around the year 2000: 5,472 cubic miles (22,810 km3), or 6.0×1015 U.S. gallons (2.3×1016 liters). This is enough water to cover the 48 contiguous U.S. states to a uniform depth of 9.5 feet (2.9 m). Although the lakes contain a large percentage of the world's fresh water, the Great Lakes supply only a small portion of U.S. drinking water on a national basis.[51]

text: The total surface area of the lakes is approximately 94,250 square miles (244,100 km2)—nearly the same size as the United Kingdom, and larger than the U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire combined.[52]

text: The Great Lakes coast measures approximately 10,500 miles (16,900 km);[15] however, the length of a coastline is impossible to measure exactly and is not a well-defined measure (see Coastline paradox). Of the total 10,500 miles (16,900 km) of shoreline, Canada borders approximately 5,200 miles (8,400 km), while the remaining 5,300 miles (8,500 km) are bordered by the United States. Michigan has the longest shoreline of the United States, bordering roughly 3,288 miles (5,292 km) of shoreline, followed by Wisconsin (820 miles (1,320 km)), New York (473 miles (761 km)), and Ohio (312 miles (502 km)).[53] Traversing the shoreline of all the lakes would cover a distance roughly equivalent to travelling half-way around the world at the equator.[15]

text: Geology[edit]

text: It has been estimated that the foundational geology that created the conditions shaping the present day upper Great Lakes was laid from 1.1 to 1.2 billion years ago,[15][54] when two previously fused tectonic plates split apart and created the Midcontinent Rift, which crossed the Great Lakes Tectonic Zone. A valley was formed providing a basin that eventually became modern day Lake Superior. When a second fault line, the Saint Lawrence rift, formed approximately 570 million years ago,[15] the basis for Lakes Ontario and Erie were created, along with what would become the Saint Lawrence River.

text: The Great Lakes are estimated to have been formed at the end of the last glacial period (the Wisconsin glaciation ended 10,000 to 12,000 years ago), when the Laurentide Ice Sheet receded.[11] The retreat of the ice sheet left behind a large amount of meltwater (see Lake Algonquin and Lake Chicago) that filled up the basins that the glaciers had carved, thus creating the Great Lakes as we know them today.[55] Because of the uneven nature of glacier erosion, some higher hills became Great Lakes islands. The Niagara Escarpment follows the contour of the Great Lakes between New York and Wisconsin. See also Glacial Lake Iroquois and Champlain Sea.

text: Land below the glaciers "rebounded" as it was uncovered.[56] Because the glaciers covered some areas longer than others, this glacial rebound occurred at different rates.

text: Climate[edit]

text: The Great Lakes have a humid continental climate, Köppen climate classification Dfa (in southern areas) and Dfb (in northern parts)[57] with varying influences from air masses from other regions including dry, cold Arctic systems, mild Pacific air masses from the West, and warm, wet tropical systems from the south and the Gulf of Mexico.[58] The lakes themselves also have a moderating effect on the climate; they can also increase precipitation totals and produce lake effect snowfall.[57]

text: Lake effect[edit]

text: The most well-known winter effect of the Great Lakes on regional weather is the lake effect in snowfall, which is sometimes very localized. Even late in winter, the lakes often have no icepack in the middle. The prevailing winds from the west pick up the air and moisture from the lake surface, which is slightly warmer in relation to the cold surface winds above. As the slightly warmer, moist air passes over the colder land surface, the moisture often produces concentrated, heavy snowfall that sets up in bands or "streamers". This is similar to the effect of warmer air dropping snow as it passes over mountain ranges. During freezing weather with high winds, the "snow belts" receive regular snow fall from this localized weather pattern, especially along the eastern shores of the lakes. Snow belts are found in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, United States; and Ontario, Canada.

text: The lakes also moderate seasonal temperatures to some degree, but not with as large an influence as do large oceans; they absorb heat and cool the air in summer, then slowly radiate that heat in autumn. They protect against frost during transitional weather, and keep the summertime temperatures cooler than further inland. This effect can be very localized and overridden by offshore wind patterns. This temperature buffering produces areas known as "fruit belts", where fruit can be produced that is typically grown much farther south. For instance, Western Michigan has apple and cherry orchards, and vineyards cultivated adjacent to the lake shore as far north as the Grand Traverse Bay and Nottawasaga Bay in central Ontario. The eastern shore of Lake Michigan and the southern shore of Lake Erie have many successful wineries because of the moderating effect, as does the Niagara Peninsula between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. A similar phenomenon allows wineries to flourish in the Finger Lakes region of New York, as well as in Prince Edward County, Ontario on Lake Ontario's northeast shore. Related to the lake effect is the regular occurrence of fog over medium-sized areas, particularly along the shorelines of the lakes. This is most noticeable along Lake Superior's shores.

text: The Great Lakes have been observed to help intensify storms, such as Hurricane Hazel in 1954, and the 2011 Goderich, Ontario tornado, which moved onshore as a tornadic waterspout. In 1996 a rare tropical or subtropical storm was observed forming in Lake Huron, dubbed the 1996 Lake Huron cyclone. Rather large severe thunderstorms covering wide areas are well known in the Great Lakes during mid-summer; these Mesoscale convective complexs or MCCs[59] can cause damage to wide swaths of forest and shatter glass in city buildings. These storms mainly occur during the night, and the systems sometimes have small embedded tornadoes, but more often straight-line winds accompanied by intense lightning.

text: Ecology[edit]

text: Historically, the Great Lakes, in addition to their lake ecology, were surrounded by various forest ecoregions (except in a relatively small area of southeast Lake Michigan where savanna or prairie occasionally intruded). Logging, urbanization, and agriculture uses have changed that relationship. In the early 21st century, Lake Superior's shores are 91% forested, Lake Huron 68%, Lake Ontario 49%, Lake Michigan 41%, and Lake Erie, where logging and urbanization has been most extensive, 21%. Some of these forests are second or third growth (i.e. they have been logged before, changing their composition). At least 13 wildlife species are documented as becoming extinct since the arrival of Europeans, and many more are threatened or endangered.[15] Meanwhile, exotic and invasive species have also been introduced.

text: Fauna[edit]

text: The organisms living on the bottom of shallow waters are similar to those found in smaller lakes. The deep waters, however, contain organisms found only in deep, cold lakes of the northern latitudes. These include the delicate opossum shrimp (order mysida), the deepwater scud (a crustacean of the order amphipoda), two types of copepods, and the deepwater sculpin (a spiny, large-headed fish).[61]

text: The Great Lakes are an important source of fishing. Early European settlers were astounded by both the variety and quantity of fish; there were 150 different species in the Great Lakes.[15] Throughout history, fish populations were the early indicator of the condition of the Lakes and have remained one of the key indicators even in the current era of sophisticated analyses and measuring instruments. According to the bi-national (U.S. and Canadian) resource book, The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book: "The largest Great Lakes fish harvests were recorded in 1889 and 1899 at some 67,000 tonnes (66,000 long tons; 74,000 short tons) [147 million pounds]."[62]

text: By 1801, the New York Legislature found it necessary to pass regulations curtailing obstructions to the natural migrations of Atlantic salmon from Lake Erie into their spawning channels. In the early 19th century, the government of Upper Canada found it necessary to introduce similar legislation prohibiting the use of weirs and nets at the mouths of Lake Ontario's tributaries. Other protective legislation was passed, as well, but enforcement remained difficult.[63]

text: On both sides of the Canada–United States border, the proliferation of dams and impoundments have multiplied, necessitating more regulatory efforts. Concerns by the mid-19th century included obstructions in the rivers which prevented salmon and lake sturgeon from reaching their spawning grounds. The Wisconsin Fisheries Commission noted a reduction of roughly 25% in general fish harvests by 1875. The states have removed dams from rivers where necessary.[clarification needed][64]

text: Overfishing has been cited as a possible reason for a decrease in population of various whitefish, important because of their culinary desirability and, hence, economic consequence. Moreover, between 1879 and 1899, reported whitefish harvests declined from some 24.3 million pounds (11 million kg) to just over 9 million pounds (4 million kg).[65] By 1900, commercial fishermen on Lake Michigan were hauling in an average of 41 million pounds of fish annually.[66] By 1938, Wisconsin's commercial fishing operations were motorized and mechanized, generating jobs for more than 2,000 workers, and hauling 14 million pounds per year.[66] The population of giant freshwater mussels was eliminated as the mussels were harvested for use as buttons by early Great Lakes entrepreneurs.[65] Since 2000, the invasive quagga mussel has smothered the bottom of Lake Michigan almost from shore to shore, and their numbers are estimated at 900 trillion.[66]

text: The influx of parasitic lamprey populations after the development of the Erie Canal and the much later Welland Canal led to the two federal governments of the US and Canada working on joint proposals to control it. By the mid-1950s, the lake trout populations of Lakes Michigan and Huron were reduced, with the lamprey deemed largely to blame. This led to the launch of the bi-national Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

text: The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book (1972) noted: "Only pockets remain of the once large commercial fishery."[62] But, water quality improvements realized during the 1970s and 1980s, combined with successful salmonid stocking programs, have enabled the growth of a large recreational fishery.[67] The last commercial fisherman left Milwaukee in 2011 because of overfishing and anthropogenic changes to the biosphere.[66]

text: Since the 19th century an estimated 160 new species have found their way into the Great Lakes ecosystem; many have become invasive; the overseas ship ballast and ship hull parasitism are causing severe economic and ecological impacts.[68][69] According to the Inland Seas Education Association, on average a new species enters the Great Lakes every eight months.[69]

text: Introductions into the Great Lakes include the zebra mussel, which was first discovered in 1988, and quagga mussel in 1989. The mollusks are efficient filter feeders, competing with native mussels and reducing available food and spawning grounds for fish. In addition, the mussels may be a nuisance to industries by clogging pipes. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that the economic impact of the zebra mussel could be about $5 billion over the next decade.[70]

text: The alewife first entered the system west of Lake Ontario via 19th-century canals. By the 1960s, the small silver fish had become a familiar nuisance to beach goers across Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie. Periodic mass dieoffs result in vast numbers of the fish washing up on shore; estimates by various governments have placed the percentage of Lake Michigan's biomass, which was made up of alewives in the early 1960s, as high as 90%. In the late 1960s, the various state and federal governments began stocking several species of salmonids, including the native lake trout as well as non-native chinook and coho salmon; by the 1980s, alewife populations had dropped drastically.[71] The ruffe, a small percid fish from Eurasia, became the most abundant fish species in Lake Superior's Saint Louis River within five years of its detection in 1986. Its range, which has expanded to Lake Huron, poses a significant threat to the lower lake fishery.[72] Five years after first being observed in the St. Clair River, the round goby can now be found in all of the Great Lakes. The goby is considered undesirable for several reasons: it preys upon bottom-feeding fish, overruns optimal habitat, spawns multiple times a season, and can survive poor water quality conditions.[73]

text: Several species of exotic water fleas have accidentally been introduced into the Great Lakes, such as the spiny waterflea, Bythotrephes longimanus, and the fishhook waterflea, Cercopagis pengoi, potentially having an effect on the zooplankton population. Several species of crayfish have also been introduced that may contend with native crayfish populations. More recently an electric fence has been set up across the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in order to keep several species of invasive Asian carp out of the area. These fast-growing planktivorous fish have heavily colonized the Mississippi and Illinois river systems.[74] The sea lamprey, which has been particularly damaging to the native lake trout population, is another example of a marine invasive species in the Great Lakes.[75] Invasive species, particularly zebra and quagga mussels, may be at least partially responsible for the collapse of the deepwater demersal fish community in Lake Huron,[76] as well as drastic unprecedented changes in the zooplankton community of the lake.[77]

text: Flora[edit]

text: See also: Flora of the Great Lakes region, and Index: Trees of the Great Lakes region.

text: Native habitats and ecoregions in the Great Lakes region include:

text:
Eastern forest-boreal transition
Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests
Southern Great Lakes forests
Central forest-grasslands transition
Upper Midwest forest-savanna transition
Western Great Lakes forests
Central Canadian Shield forests
Laurentian Mixed Forest Province
Beech-maple forest
Habitats of the Indiana Dunes

text: Plant lists include:

text:
List of Michigan flowers
List of Minnesota wild flowers
List of Minnesota trees

text: Logging

text: Logging of the extensive forests in the Great Lakes region removed riparian and adjacent tree cover over rivers and streams, which provide shade, moderating water temperatures in fish spawning grounds. Removal of trees also destabilized the soil, with greater volumes washed into stream beds causing siltation of gravel beds, and more frequent flooding.

text: Running cut logs down the tributary rivers into the Great Lakes also dislocated sediments. In 1884, the New York Fish Commission determined that the dumping of sawmill waste (chips and sawdust) had impacted fish populations.[78]

text: Pollution[edit]

text: The first U.S. Clean Water Act, passed by a Congressional override after being vetoed by US President Richard Nixon in 1972, was a key piece of legislation,[79] along with the bi-national Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement signed by Canada and the U.S. A variety of steps taken to process industrial and municipal pollution discharges into the system greatly improved water quality by the 1980s, and Lake Erie in particular is significantly cleaner.[80] Discharge of toxic substances has been sharply reduced. Federal and state regulations control substances like PCBs. The first of 43 "Great Lakes Areas of Concern" to be formally "de-listed" due to successful cleanup was Ontario's Collingwood Harbour in 1994; Ontario's Severn Sound followed in 2003.[81] Presque Isle Bay in Pennsylvania is formally listed as in recovery, as is Ontario's Spanish Harbour. Dozens of other Areas of Concern have received partial cleanups such as the Rouge River (Michigan) and Waukegan Harbor (Illinois).[82]

text: Until 1970, mercury was not listed as a harmful chemical, according to the United States Federal Water Quality Administration. Within the past ten years mercury has become more apparent in water tests. Mercury compounds have been used in paper mills to prevent slime from forming during their production, and chemical companies have used mercury to separate chlorine from brine solutions. Studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency have shown that when the mercury comes in contact with many of the bacteria and compounds in the fresh water, it forms the compound methyl mercury, which has a much greater impact on human health than elemental mercury due to a higher propensity for absorption. This form of mercury is not detrimental to a majority of fish types, but is very detrimental to people and other wildlife animals who consume the fish. Mercury has been known for health related problems such as birth defects in humans and animals, and the near extinction of eagles in the Great Lakes region.[83]

text: The amount of raw sewage dumped into the waters was the primary focus of both the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and federal laws passed in both countries during the 1970s. Implementation of secondary treatment of municipal sewage by major cities greatly reduced the routine discharge of untreated sewage during the 1970s and 1980s.[84] The International Joint Commission in 2009 summarized the change: "Since the early 1970s, the level of treatment to reduce pollution from waste water discharges to the Great Lakes has improved considerably. This is a result of significant expenditures to date on both infrastructure and technology, and robust regulatory systems that have proven to be, on the whole, quite effective."[85] The commission reported that all urban sewage treatment systems on the U.S. side of the lakes had implemented secondary treatment, as had all on the Canadian side except for five small systems.[citation needed]

text: However contrary to federal laws in both countries, those treatment system upgrades have not yet eliminated Combined sewer Overflow events.[citation needed] This describes when older sewerage systems, which combine storm water with sewage into single sewers heading to the treatment plant, are temporarily overwhelmed by heavy rainstorms. Local sewage treatment authorities then must release untreated effluent, a mix of rainwater and sewage, into local water bodies. While enormous public investments such as the Deep Tunnel projects in Chicago and Milwaukee have greatly reduced the frequency and volume of these events, they have not been eliminated. The number of such overflow events in Ontario, for example, is flat according to the International Joint Commission.[85] Reports about this issue on the U.S. side highlight five large municipal systems (those of Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Milwaukee and Gary) as being the largest current periodic sources of untreated discharges into the Great Lakes.[86]

text: Phosphate detergents were historically a major source of nutrient to the Great Lakes algae blooms in particular in the warmer and shallower portions of the system such as Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay, Green Bay, and the southernmost portion of Lake Michigan. By the mid-1980s, most jurisdictions bordering the Great Lakes had controlled phosphate detergents,[87] resulting in sharp reductions in the frequency and extent of the blooms.[citation needed]

text: In 2013, news of a garbage patch of plastic pollution in the lakes was reported.[88]

text: History[edit]

text: Several Native American tribes inhabited the region since at least 1000 BC, after the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. The peoples of the Great Lakes traded with the Hopewell culture from around 1000 AD, as copper nuggets have been extracted from the region, and fashioned into ornaments and weapons in the mounds of Southern Ohio. The brigantine Le Griffon, which was commissioned by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was built at Cayuga Creek, near the southern end of the Niagara River, and became the first known sailing ship to travel the upper Great Lakes on August 7, 1679.[89]

text: The Rush–Bagot Treaty signed in 1818, after the War of 1812 and the later Treaty of Washington eventually led to a complete disarmament of naval vessels in the Great Lakes. Nonetheless, both nations maintain coast guard vessels in the Great Lakes.

text: During settlement, the Great Lakes and its rivers were the only practical means of moving people and freight. Barges from middle North America were able to reach the Atlantic Ocean from the Great Lakes when the Welland canal opened in 1824 and the later Erie Canal opened in 1825.[90] By 1848, with the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal at Chicago, direct access to the Mississippi River was possible from the lakes.[91] With these two canals an all-inland water route was provided between New York City and New Orleans.

text: The main business of many of the passenger lines in the 19th century was transporting immigrants. Many of the larger cities owe their existence to their position on the lakes as a freight destination as well as for being a magnet for immigrants. After railroads and surface roads developed, the freight and passenger businesses dwindled and, except for ferries and a few foreign cruise ships, has now vanished. The immigration routes still have an effect today. Immigrants often formed their own communities and some areas have a pronounced ethnicity, such as Dutch, German, Polish, Finnish, and many others. Since many immigrants settled for a time in New England before moving westward, many areas on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes also have a New England feel, especially in home styles and accent.

text: Since general freight these days is transported by railroads and trucks, domestic ships mostly move bulk cargoes, such as iron ore, coal and limestone for the steel industry. The domestic bulk freight developed because of the nearby mines. It was more economical to transport the ingredients for steel to centralized plants rather than try to make steel on the spot. Grain exports are also a major cargo on the lakes.

text: In the 19th century and early 20th centuries, iron and other ores such as copper were shipped south on (downbound ships), and supplies, food, and coal were shipped north (upbound). Because of the location of the coal fields in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and the general northeast track of the Appalachian Mountains, railroads naturally developed shipping routes that went due north to ports such as Erie, Pennsylvania and Ashtabula, Ohio.

text: Because the lake maritime community largely developed independently, it has some distinctive vocabulary. Ships, no matter the size, are called boats. When the sailing ships gave way to steamships, they were called steamboats—the same term used on the Mississippi. The ships also have a distinctive design (see Lake freighter). Ships that primarily trade on the lakes are known as lakers. Foreign boats are known as salties. One of the more common sights on the lakes has been since about 1950 the 1,000‑by‑105-foot (305-by-32-meter), 78,850-long-ton (80,120-metric-ton) self-unloader. This is a laker with a conveyor belt system that can unload itself by swinging a crane over the side.[92] Today, the Great Lakes fleet is much smaller in numbers than it once was because of the increased use of overland freight, and a few larger ships replacing many small ones.

text: During World War II, the risk of submarine attacks against coastal training facilities motivated the United States Navy to operate two aircraft carriers on the Great Lakes, USS Sable (IX-81) and USS Wolverine (IX-64). Both served as training ships to qualify naval aviators in carrier landing and takeoff.[93] Lake Champlain briefly became the sixth Great Lake of the United States on March 6, 1998, when President Clinton signed Senate Bill 927. This bill, which reauthorized the National Sea Grant Program, contained a line declaring Lake Champlain to be a Great Lake. Not coincidentally, this status allows neighboring states to apply for additional federal research and education funds allocated to these national resources.[94] Following a small uproar, the Senate voted to revoke the designation on March 24 (although New York and Vermont universities would continue to receive funds to monitor and study the lake).[95]

text: In the early years of the 21st century, water levels in the Great Lakes were a concern.[96] Researchers at the Mowat Centre said that low levels could cost $19bn by 2050.[97]

text: Economy[edit]

text: Shipping[edit]

text: Except when the water is frozen during winter, more than 100 lake freighters operate continuously on the Great Lakes,[98] which remain a major water transport corridor for bulk goods. The Great Lakes Waterway connects all the lakes; the smaller Saint Lawrence Seaway connects the lakes to the Atlantic oceans. Some lake freighters are too large to use the Seaway, and only operate on the Waterway and lakes.

text: In 2002, 162 million net tons of dry bulk cargo were moved on the Lakes. This was, in order of volume: iron ore, grain and potash.[99] The iron ore and much of the stone and coal are used in the steel industry. There is also some shipping of liquid and containerized cargo but most container ships cannot pass the locks on the Saint Lawrence Seaway because the ships are too wide.

text: Only four bridges are on the Great Lakes other than Lake Ontario because of the cost of building structures high enough for ships to pass under. The Blue Water Bridge is, for example, more than 150 feet high and more than a mile long.[98]

text: Drinking water and compact[edit]

text: The Great Lakes are used to supply drinking water to tens of millions of people in bordering areas. This valuable resource is collectively administered by the state and provincial governments adjacent to the lakes, who have agreed to the Great Lakes Compact to regulate water supply and use.

text: Recreation[edit]

text: Tourism and recreation are major industries on the Great Lakes.[100] A few small cruise ships operate on the Great Lakes including a couple of sailing ships. Sport fishing, commercial fishing, and Native American fishing represent a U.S.$4 billion a year industry with salmon, whitefish, smelt, lake trout, bass and walleye being major catches. Many other water sports are practiced on the lakes such as yachting, sea kayaking, diving, kitesurfing, powerboating, and lake surfing.

text: The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River.[101]

text: Great Lakes passenger steamers[edit]

text: From 1844 through 1857, palace steamers carried passengers and cargo around the Great Lakes.[102] In the first half of the 20th century large luxurious passenger steamers sailed the lakes in opulence.[103] The Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company had several vessels at the time and hired workers from all walks of life to help operate these vessels.[104] Several ferries currently operate on the Great Lakes to carry passengers to various islands, including Isle Royale, Drummond Island, Pelee Island, Mackinac Island, Beaver Island, Bois Blanc Island (Ontario), Bois Blanc Island (Michigan), Kelleys Island, South Bass Island, North Manitou Island, South Manitou Island, Harsens Island, Manitoulin Island, and the Toronto Islands. As of 2007, four car ferry services cross the Great Lakes, two on Lake Michigan: a steamer from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and a high speed catamaran from Milwaukee to Muskegon, Michigan, one on Lake Erie: a boat from Kingsville, Ontario, or Leamington, Ontario, to Pelee Island, Ontario, then onto Sandusky, Ohio, and one on Lake Huron: the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun [105] runs between Tobermory and South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island, operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Company. An international ferry across Lake Ontario Rochester, New York, to Toronto ran during 2004 and 2005, but is no longer in operation.

text: Shipwrecks[edit]

text: The large size of the Great Lakes increases the risk of water travel; storms and reefs are common threats. The lakes are prone to sudden and severe storms, in particular in the autumn, from late October until early December. Hundreds of ships have met their end on the lakes. The greatest concentration of shipwrecks lies near Thunder Bay (Michigan), beneath Lake Huron, near the point where eastbound and westbound shipping lanes converge.

text: The Lake Superior shipwreck coast from Grand Marais, Michigan, to Whitefish Point became known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes". More vessels have been lost in the Whitefish Point area than any other part of Lake Superior.[106] The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve serves as an underwater museum to protect the many shipwrecks in this area.

text: The first ship to sink in Lake Michigan was Le Griffon, also the first ship to sail the Great Lakes. Caught in a 1679 storm while trading furs between Green Bay and Michilimacinac, she was lost with all hands aboard.[107] Its wreck may have been found in 2004,[108] but a wreck subsequently discovered in a different location was also claimed in 2014 to be Le Griffon.[109]

text: The largest and last major freighter wrecked on the lakes was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank on November 10, 1975, just over 17 miles (30 km) offshore from Whitefish Point on Lake Superior. The largest loss of life in a shipwreck out on the lakes may have been that of Lady Elgin, wrecked in 1860 with the loss of around 400 lives on Lake Michigan. In an incident at a Chicago dock in 1915, the SS Eastland rolled over while loading passengers, killing 841.

text: In August 2007, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced that it had found the wreckage of Cyprus, a 420-foot (130 m) long, century-old ore carrier. Cyprus sank during a Lake Superior storm on October 11, 1907, during its second voyage while hauling iron ore from Superior, Wisconsin, to Buffalo, New York. The entire crew of 23 drowned, except one, Charles Pitz, who floated on a life raft for almost seven hours.[110]

text: In June 2008, deep sea divers in Lake Ontario found the wreck of the 1780 Royal Navy warship HMS Ontario in what has been described as an "archaeological miracle".[111] There are no plans to raise her as the site is being treated as a war grave.

text: In June 2010, L.R. Doty was found in Lake Michigan by an exploration diving team led by dive boat Captain Jitka Hanakova from her boat the Molly V.[112] The ship sank in October 1898, probably attempting to rescue a small schooner, Olive Jeanette, during a terrible storm.

text: Still missing are the two last warships to sink in the Great Lakes, the French minesweepers, Inkerman and Cerisoles, which vanished in Lake Superior during a blizzard in 1918. 78 lives were lost making it the largest loss of life in Lake Superior and the greatest unexplained loss of life in the Great Lakes.

text: Related articles

text:
List of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes
Index: Shipwrecks in the Great Lakes
Great Storms of the North American Great Lakes
Great Lakes Storm of 1913

text: Legislation[edit]

text: In 1872, a treaty gave access to the St. Lawrence River to the United States, and access to Lake Michigan to the Dominion of Canada.[113] The International Joint Commission was established in 1909 to help prevent and resolve disputes relating to the use and quality of boundary waters, and to advise Canada and the United States on questions related to water resources. Concerns over diversion of Lake water are of concern to both Americans and Canadians. Some water is diverted through the Chicago River to operate the Illinois Waterway but the flow is limited by treaty. Possible schemes for bottled water plants and diversion to dry regions of the continent raise concerns. Under the U.S. "Water Resources Development Act",[114] diversion of water from the Great Lakes Basin requires the approval of all eight Great Lakes governors through the Great Lakes Commission, which rarely occurs. International treaties regulate large diversions.

text: In 1998, the Canadian company Nova Group won approval from the Province of Ontario to withdraw 158,000,000 U.S. gallons (600,000 m3) of Lake Superior water annually to ship by tanker to Asian countries. Public outcry forced the company to abandon the plan before it began. Since that time, the eight Great Lakes Governors and the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec have negotiated the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement[115] and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact[116] that would prevent most future diversion proposals and all long-distance ones. The agreements strengthen protection against abusive water withdrawal practices within the Great Lakes basin. On December 13, 2005, the Governors and Premiers signed these two agreements, the first of which is between all ten jurisdictions. It is somewhat more detailed and protective, though its legal strength has not yet been tested in court. The second, the Great Lakes Compact, has been approved by the state legislatures of all eight states that border the Great Lakes as well as the U.S. Congress, and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 3, 2008.[117]

text: The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, described as "the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades,"[118] was funded at $475 million in the U.S. federal government's Fiscal Year 2011 budget, and $300 million in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget. Through the program a coalition of federal agencies is making grants to local and state entities for toxics cleanups, wetlands and coastline restoration projects, and invasive species-related projects.

text: Coast Guard live fire exercises[edit]

text: In 2006, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) proposed a plan to designate 34 areas in the Great Lakes, at least 5 mi (8 km) offshore, as permanent safety zones for live fire machine gun practice. In August 2006, the plan was published in the Federal Register. The USCG reserved the right to hold target practice whenever the weather allowed with a two-hour notice. These firing ranges would be open to the public when not in use. In response to requests from the public, the Coast Guard held a series of public meetings in nine U.S. cities to solicit comment. During these meetings many people voiced concerns about the plan and its impact on the environment.[119] On December 18, 2006, the Coast Guard announced its decision to withdraw the entire proposal.[120] Officials said they would look into alternative ammunition, modifying the proposed zones and have more public dialogue before proposing a new plan.[121]