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.
Blog Posts (Natural Shorelines) by Watersheds Canada
This collection of blogs covers various topics related to shoreline conservation, including algae, vegetated riprap, septic systems, ticks, pollinators, and creating a resilient shoreline. The series highlights the importance of native plants, natural shorelines, and wildlife habitat in supporting local ecosystems and human enjoyment of freshwater areas.
Blog Posts (Stormwater Management) by Watersheds Canada
This collection of blogs covers various topics related to stormwater management. The authors provide tips and advice on how to create a resilient shoreline, support winter wildlife, and protect lakes from pollution and invasive species.
Brown, green or silver in your tea affects your pee webinar with Sandra Klemet-Nguessan
This is a handout from our webinar, "Brown, Green, or Silver in Your Tea: A Fish and Mayfly Tale". The handout discusses the process of 'brownification' in streams and lakes, caused by dissolved organic matter. It also explores the impact of nutrients in aquatic ecosystems, particularly from animal excretion. Additionally, it touches on the effects of nanosilver particles on freshwater ecosystems and provides resources for further learning, including articles and videos from various institutions.
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!
Canadas freshwater future. Your legacy.
Doug and Janet care about Canada's lakes and rivers. Their relationship with water inspired support for lake protection programs through Watersheds Canada. Doug and Janet shared legacy interests with Watersheds Canada’s team because they saw a need to support the freshwater protection work of our small, action-based charity. Doug’s idea for legacy giving was encouraged by his wife, Janet, as well as their financial advisor. The formal legacy plan, detailing how and where donation dollars would be earmarked, was developed with care and compassion by the Watersheds Canada team. This is the Doug Smith story.
Can Natural Buffers Help Mitigate Road Salt Pollution?
When it comes to road salts, there is no one-size-fits-all solution: the problem needs to be addressed from multiple angles. Watersheds Canada advocates for natural shorelines for erosion mitigation and habitat quality purposes, but could natural shorelines be an important tool in fighting road salt pollution? Find out in this blog post!
Cities In Bloom
Urban areas don't need to be concrete jungles: amidst the structures of human civilization are endless opportunities for nature to thrive, from pollinator gardens to mini forests. These spots of urban flora provide so many benefits to both us and the environment. Read about them in this blog post about urban flora!
Cold-Water Creek Enhancement video
This document outlines planning and implementation guidelines for cold-water creek enhancement projects. It provides information on evaluating success, planning, obtaining necessary permits, choosing a project site, and implementing the project. The toolkit also includes resources and acknowledgments for the project.
Coming together to protect the health of Ontarios St. Lawrence River
A three-year, collaborative project between Watersheds Canada, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Raisin Region Conservation Authority, River Institute, and Great River Network restored shoreline health in the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern from 2021 to 2024. This project supported important shoreline restoration in the St. Lawrence River AOC. This videos introduces some of these partners and how they became involved with this project.