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.
An opportunity on the shore… reflecting on my time with Watersheds Canada and Planning For our Shorelands
This personal reflection from a Watersheds Canada intern tells of his time with the organization, with emphasis on his experience with our Planning for our Shorelands program. Read on to find out how he help push forward change for our freshwater through engagement with municipal leaders, environmental organizations, and lake associations.
Buffer Zones to Prevent Harmful Algae Blooms
Harmful algae blooms pose a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems, human health, and wildlife, particularly in warm and nutrient-rich environments. Buffer zones, strips of vegetation around lakes and rivers, can play a crucial role in preventing these blooms by filtering out sediment, toxins, and nutrients, and providing habitat for wildlife. Learn more about them in this blog post!
Continuing Momentum from Ontario's Municipal Elections: One Year Later
There was a particular focus on climate change and freshwater health in Ontario's 2022 election. This blog post, written a year after the fact, looks back at the priorities voters saw going into municipal election time and provides important resources and programs that can be used to impact your elected officials' decisions around these issues. It also shares the results of a question posed to our supporter base in a webinar we hosted at the time: 'what waterfront issues are on your mind?'.
Cyanobacteria and Canada’s Great Lakes
Canada's Great Lakes are facing a growing issue with cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, which can produce toxic blooms that harm aquatic life and pose a risk to human health. These blooms are often caused by human activities such as agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge, and urban development, which can lead to eutrophication and deplete oxygen levels in the water. Learn about how we can address this issue in this blog post!
Cyanobacteria and Public Health
Cyanobacteria, commonly referred to as blue-green algae, pose a significant threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems due to their ability to produce toxic compounds. The toxins produced by cyanobacteria can cause a range of health issues, from skin irritation to neurological damage, and can be particularly hazardous for swimmers, pets, and livestock. Learn more about this risk to public health and what we can do to mitigate it in this blog post.
Guide to Preparing a Shoreline Naturalization Planting Plan
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Hidden Dangers: How Could your Septic System be Affecting Water Quality
This webpage discusses the potential impact of septic systems on water quality, highlighting the risks of untreated wastewater contaminating freshwater sources. Septic systems, commonly used in rural areas, can fail due to excessive water use, improper design, or lack of maintenance, leading to the release of pollutants such as bacteria, viruses, and excess nutrients into the environment. These pollutants can cause algae blooms, deplete oxygen levels, and harm aquatic life, ultimately affecting biodiversity in both freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Regular maintenance and responsible use of septic systems are crucial to preventing these environmental impacts and protecting Canada's freshwater resources.
History of Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) in Canadian Waters
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, have a long history in Canadian waters, dating back approximately 2.7 billion years. These ancient organisms played a crucial role in shaping Earth's ecosystem, but their ability to produce toxic cyanotoxins has led to a bad reputation. Cyanobacteria occur naturally in most water bodies, but large blooms can cause significant harm to aquatic life and human health. Read more in this blog post!
Let Us Prioritize Freshwater this Ontario Election Season!
This blog post was written prior to the 2022 Ontario provincial election. It emphasizes the importance of this particular election for freshwater health, inspiring voters to get informed and take to the polls to make their voices heard to influence freshwater health. It also provides the top 5 questions we think property owners should ask their municipal candidates to get a sense of how they value freshwater stewardship.