How do the Great Lakes drain into the Atlantic Ocean?

The Great Lakes system drains from west to east, eventually emptying into the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence River.12

The water flows through the lakes in a connected sequence:
* Lake Superior discharges into Lake Huron via the St. Marys River.1
* Lake Michigan flows northward into Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac.1
* Lake Huron drains into Lake Erie through the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River.1
* Lake Erie discharges into Lake Ontario via the Niagara River (which includes Niagara Falls) and the Welland Canal.1
* Lake Ontario serves as the final lake in the chain, discharging into the St. Lawrence River.31

From Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River flows eastward, passing through the St. Lawrence Seaway and eventually reaching the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of St. Lawrence.432