Lake St. Clair (French:Lac Sainte-Claire) is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named after Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day it was discovered by European explorers. It is part of the Great Lakes system, and along with the St. Clair River and Detroit River, Lake St. Clair connects Lake Huron (to its north) with Lake Erie (to its south). It has a total surface area of about 430 square miles (1,100 km) and average depth of just 11 ft (3.4 m); to ensure an uninterrupted waterway government agencies on both sides of the lake have maintained a deep shipping channel through the shallow lake for well over a century.