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. Funding support thanks to Peterborough K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation, and S.M. Blair Family Foundation.
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, part 2 of a series on the dynamic coastlines of the Laurentian Great Lakes, we will discuss the mechanisms by which erosion can occur on these coastlines, look into why hardened shoreline structures are an inadequate and potentially ecologically harmful option for managing such issues, and provide an introduction into the best options to implement instead.
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 since they are prone to failure and can disturb important natural processes and native species. In this blog post, the third and final part in a series on the Laurentian Great Lakes, we will detail a few strategies for shoreline naturalization on the coastal bluffs and beaches of the dynamic Great Lakes.
The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander and Our Shared Shoreline Responsibility
This blog post, a celebration of World Wildlife Day, shines a spotlight on a small but incredibly valuable species: the Eastern Red-Backed Salamander. Read on to find out how this amazing amphibian can teach us much about the value of shoreline habitats and the crucial role that we can play in conserving these unique ecosystems.
The Future of Our Shores Report
The document is a survey conducted by the Daniel & Susan Gottlieb Foundation to understand the attitudes and practices of stakeholders regarding shoreland stewardship. The survey aims to identify the barriers and challenges faced by stakeholders in implementing shoreland stewardship practices. The results of the survey provide insights into the level of awareness, knowledge, and engagement of stakeholders in shoreland stewardship. The survey also highlights the importance of education, knowledge, and understanding of shoreland stewardship practices among stakeholders. The document provides a comprehensive overview of the survey results, including the responses of various stakeholders, such as property owners, contractors, and government officials.
The Ghost of Phosphorus Past webinar with Lamisa Malik
This is a handout from our webinar, "The Ghost of Phosphorus Past: How decades of phosphorus use is shaping today’s water quality in North America". Eutrophication has been a complex problem in Lake Erie since the 1960s. Algal blooms in Lake Erie have increased significantly despite conservation efforts. Legacy phosphorus is stored in the soil and may take several decades to travel before increasing stream-phosphorus concentration. Different strategies may be required to mitigate the problem in the US and Canadian watersheds of the Lake Erie basin.
The Haunting Truth of Ghost Gear and Shoreline Garbage
“Ghost gear” describes any fishing gear that has been abandoned, lost or discarded in oceans, lakes, and rivers, including lead tackle, fishing lines, nets, traps, and rope. Left behind, these items can have devastating large-scale effects on aquatic ecosystems through habitat disturbance and direct harm to the welfare and conservation of wildlife via entanglement and ingestion. Read this blog post to learn more about this issue and how anglers can work together to reduce the prevalence of it.
The Importance of Collaboration for Charities & Non-Profits
Watersheds Canada relies on collaboration for all of our work. We have found that through strategic partnerships that are mutually beneficial, we can accomplish many additional outcomes that would not otherwise be possible. This blog post explores the concept of collaboration in the environmental field in great detail, and provides key considerations that should be in place for a collaboration to be successful.
The Importance of Dark-Sky Reserves for Wildlife and Ecosystems
Light pollution is excessive or misdirected artificial light. It is stealing our starry nights, posing substantial threats to wildlife and our own well-being, and wasting energy and money. This has spurred a global push for ‘Dark-Sky Reserves’ — sanctuaries free from light pollution. Read this blog post to find out why these areas are so crucial for both nature and people!
The Importance of Wetland Plants for Dragonflies and Damselflies handout by Watersheds Canada and River Institute
Odonata, including dragonflies and damselflies, are ancient insects with a biphasic lifecycle. They spend part of their life in the water as aquatic nymphs and part of their life in the terrestrial environment as adults. Dragonflies and damselflies make good bioindicators due to their widespread presence in freshwater habitats and their ability to live in various environmental conditions. The importance of wetland plants for Odonata is highlighted, as they provide shelter, opportunities for thermoregulation, and a vertical substrate for emergence from their nymphal life stage into their adult life stage.