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.

Categories

All Categories 448
Fish Habitat 9
Freshwater Stewardship Community 57
Freshwater, Plants, and People 19
Lake Links 12
Love Your Lake 46
Nature Discovery Programming 38
Ottawa Faith Community Capacity Building Program 33
Planning for our Shorelands 18
The Natural Edge 96
Uncategorized 107

Filter by Tag

448 Resources
65 Tags
The Benefits of Aquatic Vegetation for Wildlife and Freshwater Health

Despite being referred to as 'weeds', aquatic plants are actually incredibly important for freshwater ecosystem health. In fact, aquatic plant communities serve many of the same ecological functions that terrestrial plant communities do and are …

1 link Uncategorized
The Benefits of Vegetated Riprap

Riprap is a type of shoreline structure that uses piles of rocks to strengthen the shoreline against erosion. While it is far from the best option for mitigating erosion, removing riprap can be complex and …

1 link The Natural Edge
The Benthic Zone

The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water. It plays a vital role in the health of aquatic ecosystems. Benthic organisms are very important as they are …

1 file Uncategorized
The Brrrrd Club: Cold-weather birding in Muskoka, Haliburton, and Agonquin with Rebecca Krawcyzk

The leafless season is a great time to improve birding skills and learn more about the birds that can be attracted to feeders and found in the branches beyond. Presented through the filter of an …

1 link Freshwater Stewards…
The Consequences of Cyanobacteria on Freshwater Ecosystems

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are having a significant impact on freshwater ecosystems in Canada due to their rapid reproduction and production of toxic compounds. These organisms can cause a range of effects on …

1 link Planning for our Sh…
The Doug Smith story

Doug Smith was an avid freshwater enthusiast who became our organization's first ever legacy gift donor. Through the funds generously donated in his will, he has personally helped ensure that our habitat restoration, shoreline restoration, …

1 link Uncategorized
The Dynamic Coastlines of the Laurentian Great Lakes – Part 1

Reaching up to hundreds of kilometers wide and hundreds of meters deep, it is perhaps not surprising that the Laurentian Great Lakes share many geological similarities with saltwater oceans. They have high winds, large waves, …

1 link The Natural Edge
The Dynamic Coastlines of the Laurentian Great Lakes – Part 2

With water level fluctuations operating on daily, seasonal, and annual cycles, and with frequent disturbances from high winds, large waves, seiches, and storms, the Laurentian Great Lakes are truly dynamic freshwater systems. In this blog, …

1 link The Natural Edge
The Dynamic Coastlines of the Laurentian Great Lakes – Part 3

Erosion is a common problem on coastal bluffs and beaches on the Great Lakes’ coastlines. Despite the ubiquity of hardened shoreline structures in the region to manage these issues, such options are often not ideal …

1 link The Natural Edge