Long-term freshwater quality monitoring data for over 40 sites in the St. Lawrence River basin for the past 15 years or longer for nutrients, metals, major ions, and other physical-chemical variables are included in this dataset. Monitoring is conducted by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) as well as through the Canada-Quebec Water Quality Monitoring Agreement and the St. Lawrence Action Plan to assess water quality status and long-term trends, detect emerging issues, establish water quality guidelines and track the effectiveness of remedial measures and regulatory decisions. Data for sites operated by the province are available from Quebec's Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change Ministry. Supplemental Information http://www.ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lan g=En&n=50947E1B-1

Water quality and ecosystem health data collected using a risk-based monitoring approach to support the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement are included in this dataset. By conducting regular, systematic measurements of the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the Great Lakes Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is able to: measure the natural changes and conditions of water quality; determine changes over time, at various locations, of water contaminants and/or threats; support development of science-based guidelines for water, fish, and sediment; identify emerging issues and threats; track the results of remedial measures and regulatory decisions; report and assess science results through performance indicators and in an Open Science environment to support an ecosystem approach to environmental and resource management in the Great Lakes. Data are collected by Environment and Climate Change Canada to meet federal commitments related to the Great Lakes as transboundary waters crossing, inter- provincial and international borders under the authorities of the Department of the Environment Act, the Canada Water Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and the Boundary Waters Treaty including the commitments under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

This dataset provides water quality analyses of lake surface samples and river samples collected throughout the ice-free season (May/June to October) from 2016 to 2019 from the Lake St. Clair nearshore, with a focus on the Thames River discharge area. Data includes nutrients and related biological parameters, including: • Phosphorus • Nitrogen • Suspended solids • Chlorophyll • Bacteria • Algal toxins Samples were collected by Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) staff. Work was conducted in collaboration and partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the Great Lakes Institute of Ecosystem Research (GLIER, University of Windsor), Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LVTCA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Keywords: Lake St. Clair, Thames River, Detroit River, Lake Erie, Water Quality, Nearshore, Cyanobacteria, Cyanotoxins, Phosphorus, Nutrients, Eutrophication, algal blooms

The Nova Scotia Automated Surface Water Quality Monitoring Network was established in 2002 to assess water quality in surface waters across the province at five stations. In 2019 the station list was modified to reduce overlap with Environment and Climate Change Canada surface water quality monitoring stations. The results are used to help manage water resources, determine baseline water quality in lakes and watercourses throughout the province, evaluate the impact of human activities on surface water, and assess long term trends in water quality. The following weblink connects to a Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change web map that includes the five monitoring station locations within the province and an alternative method for downloading the same datasets: http://nse.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7ded7a30bef44f848e8a4fc8672c89bd

Long-term freshwater quality monitoring data for over 14 sites in the Fraser River Basin for the past 15 years or longer for nutrients, metals, major ions, and other physical-chemical variables are included in this dataset. Monitoring is conducted by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and under the Canada-British Columbia Water Quality Monitoring Agreement to assess water quality status and long-term trends, detect emerging issues, establish water quality guidelines and track the effectiveness of remedial measures and regulatory decisions. Supplemental Information. http://www.ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=50947E1B-1

This project monitors water quality at 14 sites (streams and lakes) within the Long Beach Unit of the Park. A total of 46 water quality parameters are recorded at each site twice per year (spring and fall), including concentrations of nutrients, metals, and physical properties. The thresholds applied to the data are standards prescribed by the federal or provincial government for freshwater aquatic life and overall water quality is ranked based on the annual average CCME WQI (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index). This measure is used to report and act on issues related to water quality and water pollution in the park from external sources, answering the important questions of: (1) Is water quality, in selected streams or lakes of the Long Beach Unit, within set water quality limits for aquatic wildlife as determined from concentrations of anthropogenically generated contaminants and (2) Is the overall water quality within the specified quality bounds?

Contaminants surveillance data in freshwater at sites in the Pacific Basin are included in this dataset. Measurements may include physical-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, alkalinity, and major ions; nutrients, metals, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, pesticides and persistent organic pollutants. The number of sites varies from year-to-year, and sampling frequencies vary from one location to another, as surveillance activities are adjusted according to evolving environmental pressures and governmental programs. Data are collected in order to determine baseline water quality status, evaluate the effectiveness of management actions, verify compliance with water quality objectives, and identify emerging issues.

Water quality is a globally accepted and widely used measure for assessing and monitoring the condition of freshwater ecosystems. It has a pivotal affect on the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The physical and chemical characteristics of water have a strong influence on aquatic biota and freshwater ecosystem processes. As a result, changes in water quality may provide an early warning of environmental stress to aquatic ecosystems. The water quality index (WQI) is a tool that was developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to summarize complex water chemistry data to a single index in order to simplify and standardize water quality assessment and reporting across the country. Water samples are taken twice a year at the same location from 18 lakes during June and August.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) uses satellite remote sensing to monitor lake-wide water quality indicators across Canadian inland waters. Remote sensing provides a cost-effective solution to obtain frequent lake-wide water quality observations in support of lake science and inland water quality management on an on-going basis. The datasets presented in this collection provide long-term satellite-derived monitoring of water quality indicators, contributing to programs such as the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative and Great Lakes Nutrient Initiative. These data include imagery and summary statistics in support of ECCC’s EOLakeWatch interactive data portal including daily algal bloom indices and imagery, historical algal bloom indices and imagery, and annual algal bloom reports. Citation: Binding, C.E., Pizzolato, L., & Zeng, C. (2021). EOLakeWatch; delivering a comprehensive suite of remote sensing algal bloom indices for enhanced monitoring of Canadian eutrophic lakes. Ecological Indicators, 121, 106999. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106999

The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program provides data and information to track Canada’s performance on key environmental sustainability issues. The data collection contains datasets that track water quality within Canada. The Water quality in Canadian rivers indicators provide a measure of the ability of river water across Canada to support plants and animals. At each monitoring site, water quality data are compared to water quality guidelines to create a rating for the site. If measured water quality is below the guidelines, it can maintain a healthy ecosystem. Water quality at a monitoring site is considered excellent when substances in a river are very rarely measured above their guidelines. Conversely, water quality is rated poor when measurements are usually above their guidelines, sometimes by a wide margin. Information is provided to Canadians in a number of formats including: static and interactive maps, charts and graphs, HTML and CSV data tables and downloadable reports. See the supplementary documentation for the data sources and details on how the data were collected and how the indicator was calculated. Supplemental Information Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators - Home page: https://www.canada.ca/environmental-indicators

This Data set provides detailed information about the quality of drinking water.

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) has designed a Water Quality Index (WQI) to translate complex water quality data into an overall integrated score from 0-100. This score is based on the number of measured variables, which have observations exceeding water quality thresholds (i.e., scope); the number of these exceedances in the dataset (i.e., frequency); and the magnitude by which the observations exceed the guidelines (i.e., amplitude). These water quality parameters are crucial indicators of the physical, chemical or biological conditions in aquatic systems and processes. The purpose of the water quality monitoring program at Kouchibouguac National Park is to use this index to calculate a score and evaluate the status of our freshwater ecosystems. The methods for this measure involve a once-a-month sampling, from May to November, of permanent stations in five tributaries: Kouchibouguacis River, Tweedie Brook, Black River, Rankin Brook, and Portage River. At each station, a number of water quality parameters are measured in situ as well as the collection of samples that are sent for laboratory analysis of chemical content three times a year in the Spring, Summer, and Fall to capture seasonal variation. In addition, ten key variables (i.e., total phosphorus, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, pH, total alkalinity, aluminium, calcium, total suspended solids, turbidity, total organic carbon) were selected to include in the WQI calculation in order to reflect the regional situation and account for possible natural or anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., eutrophication or oxygen deficits, acidification, land-use changes) related to deforestation, agriculture, and urbanization activities.

Surface freshwater quality monitoring in the Fraser River Basin is carried out under the Canada-British Columbia Water Quality Monitoring Agreement. Monitoring is conducted to assess water quality status and long-term trends, detect emerging issues, establish water quality guidelines and track the effectiveness of remedial measures and regulatory decisions.

Water Quality is measured annually in both streams and lakes in Gwaii Haanas. Many water quality parameters are collected and they can be grouped into three categories: (1) Physical (e.g. temperature, depth); (2) Chemical (e.g. pH, nutrients) and (3) Biological (chlorophyll a). Water quality is a key component of aquatic habitat and changes to any parameters can be caused by the surrounding landscape, climate, in-stream processes, and natural and human impacts. Depending on the parameter, significant changes can impact biota from algae to fish and birds. This data is also posted to, and available from ECCC's CABIN database.

One component of this initiative aims to improve current understanding of nutrient dynamics and cyanobacterial and harmful bloom (cHAB) occurrences on Lake of the Woods. Research will focus on investigating the sources of nutrients and additional mechanisms influencing cHAB development and transport on the lake, determining cHAB composition and toxicity, and improving lake-wide monitoring capabilities through remote sensing observations. Results will document the status, trends, and drivers of blooms, and the risk they may pose, in order to inform on appropriate management and mitigation strategies. Here, as part of this effort, phosphorus concentrations are being provided. It is anticipated that other water quality data will be provided once available and quality assured.

What? Water samples are collected in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in various freshwater lakes and streams. When? Water samples are taken in select park lakes biannually (ie. spring and fall) and in select park streams annually (during fall season). How? Water samples are collected by hand in identified park waters and sent into Environment Canada for analysis of identified parameters. Why? Water quality is a globally accepted and widely used measure for assessing the condition of freshwater ecosystems and has a pivotal effect on the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The physical and chemical characteristics of water have a strong influence on aquatic biota and freshwater system processes. Additionally, many of the primary stressors to freshwater processes (ie. acidification, eutrophication, deforestation) are reflected in changes to water quality. Changes in water quality may provide an early warning of environmental stress to aquatic ecosystems.

Oceanographic data from stationary moorings deployed as part of the Centre for Marine Applied Research's (CMAR) Coastal Monitoring Program.

Water quality and ecosystem health data collected in the Great Lakes and priority tributaries to determine baseline water quality status, long term trends and spatial distributions, the effectiveness of management actions, determine compliance with water quality objectives and identify emerging issues are included in this dataset.

A water quality monitoring station on the Kootenay River at Kootenay Crossing (and Kicking Horse River station near Field) are operated by Environment Canada in partnership with Parks Canada. The Canadian Council of Minister’s metric of Water Quality Index (WQI) is a unitless value between 0 and 100. Once the WQI value has been calculated, water quality is classified to Excellent, Good, Fair, Marginal, Poor. For each 3-year period an indicator of change from one period to the subsequent period is assessed.

This map displays an assessment of surface water quality risk for the agricultural area of Alberta. Agricultural activities that may have an impact on surface water quality, including livestock, crop production and agrochemical use, were identified and used to produce this map. The classes shown on the map were ranked from 0 (lowest risk) to 1 (highest risk).This resource was created in 2002 using ArcGIS.