Long-term freshwater quality data from federal and federal-provincial sampling sites throughout Canada's aquatic ecosystems are included in this dataset. Measurements regularly include physical-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, alkalinity, major ions, nutrients and metals. Collection includes data from active sites, as well as historical sites that have a period of record suitable for trend analysis. Sampling frequencies vary according to monitoring objectives. The number of sites in the network varies slightly from year-to-year, as sites are adjusted according to a risk-based adaptive management framework. The Great Lakes are sampled on a rotation basis and not all sites are sampled every year. Data are collected to meet federal commitments related to transboundary watersheds (rivers and lakes crossing international, inter-provincial and territorial borders) or under authorities such as the Department of the Environment Act, the Canada Water Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, or to meet Canada's commitments under the 1969 Master Agreement on Apportionment.

Historical water quality data measured on a continuous basis at over 23 locations across Canada is included in this dataset. Most locations include hourly temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance and turbidity. Data are collected by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and in partnership with other federal departments and provinces and territories to enable the detection of short-term water quality events, and to determine trends in water quality, especially at transboundary sites (or Federal waters) in support of Federal legislation and international agreements, or to report on the status of Government of Canada priority aquatic ecosystems.

The map shows the locations of water quality network stations operated by the federal Water Quality Branch, Department of Fisheries and the Environment, and the provincial Water Quality Branches of Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. The federal and provincial monitoring programs provide natural water quality data, data on environmental contaminants, and interpretive information to a wide field of users in support of water resources management programs, pollution control and environmental assessment studies, legislation and research, and federal-provincial, interprovincial, and international agreements. The programs are designed essentially to detect and quantify water pollution, to determine water quality trends on a national and regional basis, and to measure the effectiveness of remedial pollution control measures on surface waters. In this way a better understanding will be achieved of the behaviour and fate of pollutants in the environment and their effects on physical, chemical, and biological systems. This increased knowledge will contribute to improved water resource planning. Initially, the International Hydrological Decade network consisted of about 200 sampling stations located on major rivers and streams across Canada. Besides providing data for industrial, municipal, and other government agencies, the network was designed to explore methods for predicting water quality conditions in streams, using existing and new data, and to study correlations of water quality, stream discharge, geological formations, and meteorology.

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.

Pesticides surveillance data in freshwater from federal and federal-provincial sites at various locations throughout Canada are included in this dataset. Measurements mostly include pesticides but could include physical-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, alkalinity, major ions, nutrients and metals. 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, determine event-based pulse concentrations, evaluate the effectiveness of management actions, verify compliance with water quality objectives, and/or identify emerging issues. Additional information on the surveillance project allows suitable data interpretation and can be obtained by contacting the data authority. More pesticides data are available as part of the National Long-term Water Quality Monitoring Data. http://www.ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=50947E1B-1

Long-term freshwater quality monitoring data for over 13 sites in the Columbia 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

The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program provides data and information to track Canada's performance on key environmental sustainability issues. The Water quality in Canadian rivers indicator provide a measure of the ability of river water across Canada to support plants and animals. These indicators provide information about the state of surface water quality and its change through time, to support water resource management. 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. Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: https://www.canada.ca/environmental-indicators

Long-term freshwater quality monitoring data for over eight sites in the Ottawa 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. http://www.ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=50947E1B-1

The theme on physicochemical monitoring of rivers and rivers presents data from all stations in networks monitoring water quality in rivers in Quebec and the St. Lawrence River. The purpose of networks for monitoring general water quality is to characterize, using current physicochemical and bacteriological parameters, the quality of water in spatial terms and to monitor the evolution of this quality over time. For the regular monitoring of the general quality of river and river water, the parameters measured are: total phosphorus, total nitrogen, nitrites and nitrates, ammonia nitrogen, chlorophyll a, pheopigments, faecal coliforms, faecal coliforms, turbidity, suspended matter, pH, conductivity, dissolved organic carbon and temperature. This data is used to calculate the Bacteriological and Physicochemical Water Quality Index (IQBP), a water quality classification index. The data set on physicochemical monitoring of rivers and rivers also includes the drainage areas of some of the stations. The attribute table provides a compilation of land use by category for the last year available at the time the data was generated. Follow-up is carried out annually.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

This dataset provides marine bacteriological water quality data for bivalve shellfish harvest areas in Canada (British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec). Shellfish harvest area water temperature and salinity data are also provided as adjuncts to the interpretation of fecal coliform concentration data. The latter is the indicator of fecal contamination monitored by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) within the framework of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP). The geospatial positions of the sampling sites are also provided. These data are collected by ECCC for the purpose of making recommendations on the classification of shellfish harvest area waters. ECCC recommendations are reviewed and adopted by Regional Interdepartmental Shellfish Committees prior to regulatory implementation by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

Long-term freshwater quality monitoring data for three sites in the Churchill 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) 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. The information supports activities of the Prairie Provinces Water Board (PPWB). 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?

Long-term freshwater quality monitoring data for over 10 sites in the Pacific Coastal 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

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 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

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.

Long-term freshwater quality monitoring data for six sites in the Assiniboine - Red 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) 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. The information informs the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative and supports activities of the Prairie Provinces Water Board (PPWB). Supplemental Information. http://www.ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=50947E1B-1

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 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.

This dataset is a simplified version of water quality measurements taken in Tuktut Nogait National Park. It is a collection of measurements which make up two water quality indexes: Nutrients and Major Ions (NMI) Index and Metals Index. The measurements are taken along the Hornaday River annually in early-July. The chemical composition of water influences the biological productivity and species composition of rivers. Changes in the water quality in the rivers and creeks in the Western Arctic can act as early indicators of ecosystem change. The presence of contaminants, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and radionuclides are a concern because they can have negative effects on Arctic ecosystems and human health. Furthermore, a changing climate in the Arctic can influence the nutrient levels in the streams and rivers as more nutrients will be released from thawing permafrost. As the expected effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems are still unknown, continuous monitoring is paramount.