A recent statement by President Joe Biden claiming that Minnesota has “a thousand lakes” has been fact-checked and found to be inaccurate. Minnesota, often touted as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” actually boasts a significantly higher number of lakes.
The state is known for its abundance of lakes, with the official count standing at 11,842 lakes that are 10 acres or larger. This figure was determined through a state survey conducted in 1968, which also identified a total of 15,291 lake basins, although 3,257 of these were dry at the time of the survey. If the criteria were expanded to include all basins over 2.5 acres, Minnesota’s count of lakes would increase to 21,871.
President Biden’s reference to “a thousand lakes” falls considerably short of the actual number, overlooking the state’s well-known geographical feature. Minnesota’s large number of lakes is a point of pride and a well-known fact, making the President’s understatement a notable deviation from the commonly accepted data.
Minnesota takes great pride in its abundance of lakes. The President’s comment against the number of lakes possibly borders on ‘state slander’, jokingly.