Welcome to the Watersheds Canada Resource Library!
Here you will find a comprehensive collection of free educational resources dedicated to helping rural shoreline property owners, families, municipalities, lake groups, and educators protect their lakes and restore natural habitat. Explore guides, best practices, case studies, lesson plans, and tools to become a freshwater protector. All resources are freely shareable so please include them in a newsletter, on social media, or printed for a community booth!
Funding support thanks to Peterborough K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation, and S.M. Blair Family Foundation.
How to Identify Salt Vulnerable Areas
Salt vulnerable areas are specific parts of freshwater systems that are particularly susceptible to contamination from salts. When addressing road salt concerns in a given community, these areas should be prioritized for monitoring and management as the potential impacts of salt pollution on freshwater wildlife are much higher. This blog post provides some ways to identify salt vulnerable areas near you.
I Spy With My Little Eye
This personal reflection from Habitat and Stewardship Program Manager Melissa Dakers provides a play-by-play of her experience with a night walleye count. She joined the crew of the Malcolm & Ardoch Lakes Landowners’ Association (MALLA) for the night to view the fish using the spawning beds she had worked hard to restore through our Fish Habitat program in the years prior.
In-Water Brush Piles (Woody Debris) Protocol video
This document outlines planning and implementation guidelines for an in-water brush pile project. It discusses the importance of woody debris in lake environments, the benefits of creating additional woody debris habitat, and the steps involved in planning and implementing an in-water brush pile project. The toolkit provides information on the necessary permits, materials, and equipment required for the project, as well as tips for communicating with stakeholders and evaluating the success of the project.
In-water fish habitat restoration project on Olmstead-Jeffrey Lakes
Walleye, pike, and bass on Olmstead-Jeffrey Lakes now have more places to live thanks to community-led restoration project that saw 18 woody debris piles deployed back into the two lakes. This project was made possible because of generous funding from Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund and the Pembroke Petawawa District Community Foundation, and with local partners including Olmstead-Jeffrey Lake Association, Muskrat Watershed Council, Watersheds Canada, Algonquin College Pembroke campus, and Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry – Pembroke. This fish habitat project on Olmstead and Jeffrey Lakes was one of many that Watersheds Canada has delivered in partnership with grassroots organizations and local volunteers over the past seven years. These projects have benefited fish species across Eastern and Central Ontario, specifically through walleye spawning bed enhancements, cold-water creek enhancements, trout bed enhancements, and in-water habitat enhancements through the deployment of brush bundles (woody debris).
Invasive Aquatic Species: The invaders we can and cannot see
When thinking of aquatic invasives, most people think of such species as Asian Carp, Zebra Mussels, or Eurasian milfoil. However, there is a new, much smaller invasive in town: the Spiny Waterflea. Read this blog post to learn what makes this miniscule invasive species so competitive against our native species, what its impacts are on them, and what options we have for managing it.
Its all about the WHY!
Read this reflection-style blog post from past executive director Barbara King to hear her take on what makes Watersheds Canada's work atmosphere, approach, and outlook on freshwater stewardship so unique and powerful.
Join the Monarch Butterfly on its epic journey from Canada to Mexico!
The Monarch Butterfly is one of the most iconic species of insect in North America, and is frequently seen as a symbol for conservation efforts. This blog post guides you throughout the multi-thousand mile journey taken by Monarch Butterflies each year from Canada down to California and even Mexico, and provides some ways that you can help them along the way by planting wildflowers or buying a symbolic adoption.
Lake Trout Spawning Bed Restoration - Paugh Lake, Ontario
Paugh Lake, located in the township of Madawaska Valley, Ontario, is known for its cold-water fishery. Wave action and ice movement and push had altered the rock formations on the spawning bed, making it less productive for the fish to spawn on. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has been monitoring the lake trout spawning in recent years on Paugh Lake and noticed a decline. Action was required to protect the lake trout population, and was taken thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Paugh Lake Property Owner’s Association, and funding from the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund, Honda Canada Foundation, and Ontario Wildlife Foundation. Sleds, ATVs, and a compact tractor transported seventeen tonnes of smaller gravel-sized stone across the plowed ice road to the spawning bed. Once the rock was unloaded, it was time for volunteers to spread out the rock in a thin layer using rakes and shovels. With the spring ice melt, the rocks will fall into place overtop the spawning bed and ensure the lake trout have areas to lay their eggs that will receive enough oxygenation. The spawning bed will be monitored in future years to document the spawning activities that take place.
Light Pollution Introductory Slide Deck
Light pollution is unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive artificial light that can affect wildlife behavior, human health, and environmental quality. It can disrupt the natural behaviors and processes of aquatic life, interfere with nocturnal wildlife, and impact human health by disrupting circadian rhythms. Light pollution can also contribute to climate change by wasting energy. To prevent light pollution, simple changes can be made, such as installing light shields, choosing lower-wattage bulbs, and turning off unnecessary lights.