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.
Life in the Weeds: Exploring the rarely seen world of aquatic plants webinar by Dr. Jo Latimore
This is a handout from our webinar, "Life in the "Weeds": Exploring the rarely seen world of aquatic plants". The document discusses the importance of protecting native aquatic plants, which benefit lakes by absorbing wave energy, protecting water quality, and providing habitat. It encourages readers to join the Freshwater Stewardship Community and use the Lake Protection Workbook to assess their property. The document also highlights the different types of aquatic vegetation, including emergent, floating, and submergent plants. By properly managing invasive species and algae competition, readers can help maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems.
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.
Light pollution: A Hidden Threat to Biodiversity, our Night Sky, and our Health
Light pollution is not something we think about often, however it can have deep impacts both on us and on our native wildlife. This blog post investigates this threat for biodiversity, shedding light on such terms as skyglow, glare, and light clutter. It also provides information on the impacts it can cause, and how we as citizens can help reduce the prevalence of these issues.
Long Lake Walleye Enhancement Project – Melissa Dakers, Watersheds Canada & Terry Eccles, Long Lake Property Owners Association Presentation
The Long Lake Walleye Enhancement Project was a collaborative effort between Watersheds Canada and the Long Lake Property Owner’s Association. The project aimed to enhance two walleye spawning beds. Despite initial challenges, the team persevered and successfully enhanced the beds. The project demonstrates the impact of community-driven initiatives.
Love Your Lake 2013-2021 values survey report
Love Your Lake is a program that assesses the health of a lake's shoreline and encourages shoreline property owners to take voluntary stewardship actions. The program has reached 53,252 properties on 229 lakes since its inception in 2013. A values survey is used to identify what is important to property owners about their lake, and the results show that the most frequently identified issue facing Canadian lakes is Water Quality. The most frequently identified actions shoreline property owners believe would benefit their lake and lake community include Create or enforce stricter rules for new development, Undertake a lake management plan, and Provide education materials to property owners. The top concerns expressed about water quality were Algae/aquatic vegetation, Bacteria, and Chemical contamination and pollution.
Love Your Lake Blog Posts
The article discusses the decline of Common Loons in Canada, citing data from the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey. It highlights the impacts of several perceived threats to loon productivity, including shoreline development and boats, early spring temperatures, eagles and cormorants, acid rain, mercury, and climate change. The article suggests that a combination of these factors is affecting loon productivity and proposes ways to reverse the trend, such as creating or enhancing shoreline buffers, leaving overhanging vegetation, and being careful boaters.
Love Your Lake Testimonial - John McAllister
A healthy lake starts with healthy shorelines. That starts with, you and we’re here to help. Let us evaluate your shoreline or perform your own self-assessment. Either way, you’ll get helpful tips for improving the quality of your shoreline and your lake.
Love Your Lake Testimonial - Watersheds Canada
Join Al Best, President of Carson, Trout, Lepine and Greenan Lakes Association, as he talks about his experience with the Love Your Lake shoreline assessment program.
Love Your Lake – Microgrant impact report
The Love Your Lake microgrant program connects shoreline property owners with information to make smart land management choices. The program has assessed 44,274 properties on 187 lakes since its inception in 2013. The microgrant recipients implemented various projects, including shoreline restoration, native plant giveaways, and contests to promote shoreline health and biodiversity. The projects demonstrated the importance of naturalization and the benefits of community involvement in lake health.