Living Lakes Canada

What changes have occurred in Yukon lakes over the past 30 years? This was the question tackled by PhD student, Marie Alibert, with Université Laval in 2024. To find answers, Marie traveled to 23 Yukon lakes spread out over 500 kilometres to collect water samples and measurements. These included key parameters such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. Sediment cores were also collected to study the microscopic algae, or diatoms, that settle at the bottom of lakes. This information helps track how lake conditions have changed over time. The comparative analysis revealed several important findings, including that climate change is increasing lake productivity (the rate at which plants and algae grow), and ecosystems typically found further south are now shifting northward. 📢 Presentation: Yukon Lakes and Climate Change: A Comparative Analysis of 30 years of Change 🎤 Presenters: Marie Alibert, PhD Student, Université Laval 💡 This series explores some of the key takeaways from speaker presentations on lake monitoring efforts during the Yukon Lakes Virtual Roundtable. Read the full blog: https://ow.ly/rKUW50Vs1J0 #Yukon #YukonTerritory #LakeMonitoring #WaterMonitoring

“Water is not only important for physical health, it’s important to our spiritual and emotional well-being… what we do to the land, we do to ourselves,” shared Colleen James of Carcross/Tagish First Nation in the Yukon Territory. Since 2011, Carcross/Tagish First Nation has identified key monitoring areas, gathered Traditional Knowledge, and developed monitoring protocols. The data collected feeds into the Indigenous Observation Network, a program focused on understanding past and current climate-driven changes in the Yukon River Basin. Over 45 years of measurements at a midpoint in the river show a 3°C temperature increase, with findings confirming that climate change is driving surface water geochemistry. Getting Carcross/Tagish First Nation youth involved in the monitoring is an important part of the project. It aims to “help them connect with the land, build relationships with water and have an understanding of what water quality means from a Western science lens,” said Amaya Cherian-Hall. 📢 Presentation: Haa Héen Ḵusteeyí (“Our water ways”): Community-Based Monitoring of Changes in Water in Carcross/Tagish First Nation’s Traditional Territory 🎤 Presenters: Amaya Cherian-Hall and Colleen James, Carcross/Tagish First Nation 💡 This series explores some of the key takeaways from speaker presentations on lake monitoring efforts during the Yukon Lakes Virtual Roundtable. Read the full blog: https://ow.ly/AWqL50Vs1gu #Yukon #YukonTerritory #LakeMonitoring #WaterMonitoring

💧Don’t forget to sign up today!💧 You are invited to a bilingual national webinar with simultaneous translation on April 8 entitled “Ecologically Significant Areas (ESAs): A new freshwater and nearshore conservation tool.” Background: The federal Fisheries Act (Section 34) enables the establishment of Ecologically Significant Areas (ESAs) – a regulatory tool intended to provide long-term protection of fish and fish habitat that is sensitive, highly productive, rare or unique. While ESAs have been in the Fisheries Act since 2012, further details were added in 2019 (Section 35.2) and a framework was developed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada in 2023. ESAs have yet to be used but they have the potential to protect critical fish habitat and fill an important gap in protecting aquatic ecosystems. Presenters will include: 🔹Nikki Skuce, Director, Northern Confluence Initiative 🔹Susanna Fuller, Vice-President Conservation & Projects, Oceans North 🔹Joseph Wasylycia-Leis, Senior Freshwater Conservation Campaigner, Oceans North 🔹Scott Beaver, President, St. Mary’s River Association UPDATE: Note that Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is unable to present due to the current federal election. However, DFO staff have kindly addressed some of the pre-webinar questions we received in advance, and their comments will be shared with webinar participants. They also raised policy questions for your review during the breakout sessions and will be able to respond in writing post-election to any questions left unanswered during the webinar. 💧Join us to learn more about this conservation tool and hear about potential opportunities to receive support for protecting a nearshore or freshwater system in your region!💧 ➤➤REGISTER NOW: https://lnkd.in/eHZUBp5R

💧 Become a citizen scientist & help care for lakes! Join the 2025 National Lake Blitz and be part of a growing community of lake stewards! It’s as easy as 1-2-3: 1. Register as a Lake Blitz participant today 2. Submit wildlife and invasive species observations using the free iNaturalist app 3. Help monitor lake health 🦆🌱 Everyone is welcome—no prior experience needed! 👉 Sign up before the monitoring season begins on May 1st and make your lakeside observations count: https://ow.ly/BZOC50VsjMP #NationalLakeBlitz #LakeBlitz #LakeBlitz2025 #LakeMonitoring #WaterStewardship #CitizenScience #iNaturalist

76% of subwatersheds across Canada lack sufficient data. This is a key finding in the 2025 Watershed Reports, newly published by Water Rangers and AquaAction.  Using data from multiple sources, including Living Lakes Canada’s Columbia Basin Water Hub, the report assigns a freshwater health score to each watershed. The data deficit revealed by this national-scale assessment of the state of freshwater in Canada underscores the importance of community-based water monitoring, open data, and multi-organization collaboration to bridge these gaps. Access the reports here: https://lnkd.in/guHq9Xrq

Agricultural producers and interested members of the public are invited to register for “Groundwater & Agriculture in the Columbia Basin”, a free webinar co-hosted by Living Lakes Canada and the Kootenay & Boundary Farm Advisors to provide participants with essential knowledge about groundwater, its relationship with agriculture, and the stressors affecting it. 🗓️ Wednesday, April 2nd ⏱️ 9-10:30 am PT / 10-11:30 am MT 🌐 Online via Zoom (please register) Topics to be covered include: ✔️ Groundwater monitoring program updates ✔️ The latest groundwater data ✔️ How to access data to make informed decisions ✔️ Groundwater licensing ✔️ Water rights that govern water use in agriculture ✔️ Which groundwater sources are most at risk and why Presenters include Braeden Toikka, Water Monitoring Coordinator with Living Lakes Canada, and Mike Wei, Hydrogeologist and Groundwater Policy Expert. REGISTER HERE: https://lnkd.in/g5K7Ux7S Living Lakes Canada gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Columbia Basin Trust and RBC Tech for Nature. #Agriculture #ColumbiaBasin #Groundwater #WaterSecurity #WaterMonitoring

While there’s concern around the health and security of Canada’s freshwater, we all have the power to take action and help protect it. World Water Day is a reminder that safeguarding freshwater must be a national priority. 💧 This starts at the community level, where impacts are most felt. Strengthening water literacy and empowering local action are key to securing a water future for all Canadians and Indigenous Peoples from coast to coast to coast. As Kat Hartwig, Executive Director of Living Lakes Canada, says, “Building resilience at the local level remains our first line of defense for water security.” If you’re in B.C., share your concerns and priorities with the province using the letter-writing tool provided by our partner Code Blue: https://ow.ly/lO4650Vmkc6 📸 Brett Michaud, 2024 Lake Biodiversity Photo Challenge #WorldWaterDay #DefendOurWater #WaterIsLife #WatershedSecurity #Glaciers2025 #OurWaterOurFuture

This week is National Groundwater Awareness Week, a reminder of how important groundwater is to our communities, from drinking water to healthy ecosystems. At last week’s groundwater community meeting in Pincher Creek, Alberta, participants asked big questions: 🔹 “Will aquifers ever empty?” 🔹 “What’s the relationship between regenerative agriculture and groundwater retention?” 🔹 “How will taking water out of the system for mining affect groundwater to the east?” It’s clear there’s a strong interest in understanding groundwater and how it impacts our lives. The insights gathered from these community meetings will help shape a new community-based groundwater monitoring initiative. If you’re in southern Alberta, join the conversation at our next online meeting on Thursday, March 13, from 12:00 to 1:30 PM MT to share your groundwater concerns and priorities. 👉 Register here: https://ow.ly/p16e50VgEOt #GWAW #Groundwater #WaterMonitoring #SouthernAlberta #OldmanWatershed

At Living Lakes Canada, we know women play a key role in shaping environmental policy and action. Advancing gender equity and empowering women are not just priorities, they’re foundational to our organization and essential to achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals for building a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous world. As a women-led organization, driven by our Executive Director & Founder, Kat Hartwig, and a team that’s 75% women, we’re proud to celebrate the impact of women in environmental science and stewardship. Happy International Women’s Day! #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction

Pensez à la dernière fois où vous avez visité un lac. Qu’avez-vous observé ? En tant que bénévole du National Lake Blitz, vous pouvez transformer ces observations en contributions significatives à la gestion des lacs ! 💙 📣 Les inscriptions pour le National Lake Blitz 2025 sont ouvertes ! Avec juste un appareil photo ou un smartphone et une passion pour les lacs, vous pouvez rejoindre un réseau croissant de bénévoles qui font une différence pour les lacs à travers le Canada. Cette année, de nouveaux bénévoles rejoindront le programme des Intendants de la biodiversité des lacs de niveau 1, en se concentrant sur les observations de la faune et des espèces envahissantes à l’aide de l’application gratuite, iNaturalist. 🦆🌿 Surveillez les lacs à votre rythme — que ce soit chaque semaine, chaque mois, ou dès que l’inspiration vous frappe. Pour en savoir plus et vous inscrire : https://ow.ly/OLxh50VaEU5 #NationalLakeBlitz #LakeBlitz #LakeBlitz2025 #SuiviDesLacs #GestionDeLeau #ScienceCivique #iNaturalist