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.
Eastern Canada Minnows at Risk: The Leuciscidae Family
Watersheds Canada, in partnership with the River Institute and Quinte Conservation, is delivering a two-year (2025-2027) riparian habitat restoration, monitoring, and outreach project aimed at improving the conditions of riparian zones and associated aquatic ecosystems for the Pugnose Shiner, Bridle Shiner, Cutlip Minnow, and other species. With funding from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Habitat Stewardship Program for Aquatic Species at Risk, this project will implement riparian buffer zones along the shores of East Lake, Moira River, and the St. Lawrence River in benefit of these species at risk, addressing habitat degradation, sedimentation and nutrient loading threats.
Eastons Creek Brook Trout Enhancement Project - Watersheds Canada
Funding from Cabela’s Canada Outdoor Fund and the LUSH Charity Pot has made it possible for the planting and caging of 73 black willow and silver maple trees along Easton’s Creek, about 45 minutes northwest of Perth. This project addresses declining near-shore fish habitat quality by restoring in-water structures, spawning areas, and shoreline fish habitat. Waddle Creek is one of the few cold water brook trout creeks in the Mississippi Valley Watershed, flowing into Easton’s Creek and then into the Clyde River. By enhancing and restoring the habitat in this cold water creek, we will help restore and improve this brook trout population. The planting and caging on August 12-13, 2019 was a tremendous effort from: the Lanark County Stewardship Council, the Lanark & District Fish & Game Conservation Club, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, and Watersheds Canada.
Economic Value of Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure involves building with nature, incorporating green elements into our city landscape for ecological, economic, and social benefit. This powerful trend has gained increasing attention in recent years as a key strategy for achieving sustainable and climate change resilient environments. This blog post provides a thorough overview of green infrastructure, including the benefits it provides, the types of green infrastructure that can exist, case studies of different projects and their impacts, and much more.
Engaging Municipal Elected Officials to Protect our Freshwater webinar
Leading up to, and following the October 24th Ontario municipal election, Watersheds Canada will help bring rural waterfront communities together for an interactive webinar on what’s on every lakeshore property owners’ mind these days – how are we going to protect natural freshwater features in the wake of climate change and increased shoreline developments? Darlene Coyle, Watersheds Canada’s Environmental Policy and Planning Program Lead, will be speak about the actions municipalities need to take now to ensure that our lakes and rivers are clean and healthy for generations to come. Municipal councilors are elected with the authority to develop and evaluate policies and programs of the municipality. Therefore, it is important to utilize this upcoming election to identify candidates that are prepared to take immediate action to protect our freshwater in the long-term, past their four-year term. This is a chance for property owners to use their voice to make a positive impact on their community by voting this fall! Candidates, get ready to be assessed if freshwater protection is your local priority as we will offer the audience our top 5 questions to ask you before and after election day.
Enhancing and Restoring Critical Fish Habitat in Ontario webinar with Melissa Dakers
Watersheds Canada provides programs to enhance and protect the health of lakes and rivers. Many threats to freshwater fish require focus on maintaining, enhancing, and restoring physical habitats. The Fish Habitat Enhancement Toolkit offers easy-to-follow step-by-step procedures for planning and implementing a fish habitat project in Ontario. Each protocol provides detailed written guidelines and a video demonstrating each project type.
Erosion by Love Your Lake
Shoreline erosion can happen naturally or be caused by human disturbances. Human activities cause 10 times more erosion than natural processes. Removing shoreline vegetation and other human activities can cause erosion and affect water quality and wildlife habitat. To prevent erosion, protect the natural shoreline, reduce runoff, minimize boat wakes, take precautions during construction, and limit foot traffic.
Exploring How We Can All Protect Freshwater Health webinar
In this family-friendly webinar, Chloe and Monica from Watersheds Canada will explore different factors on land and in the water that can impact local freshwater health and the wildlife that live there. Walk away with steps you and your family can take to help protect the waterfront that you love.
Field Notes: Restoring Shorelines Using Native Plants
This short blog post provides details on the experience of one of our past interns with working for our The Natural Edge shoreline restoration program.
Finding Optimism this International Youth Day
Many youth these days struggle with ecoanxiety: that is, the worry of climate change and it's impacts on our society. This inspirational blog post is a reflection from one of our past interns on this topic. It provides a look into his experience with ecoanxiety, and how he strives to maintain his optimism and make changes in his own life towards sustainable living.