Monitoring our waterways

The May long weekend marks the unofficial beginning of cottage season in Manitoba. As lake-lovers prepare to head out to the lake, the Lake Winnipeg Foundation (LWF), The Gordon Foundation and RBC Foundation are embarking on a new partnership to drive evidence-based water stewardship across the Lake Winnipeg watershed.

This collaborative, three-year project has been made possible with a $600,000 gift from RBC Foundation.

Leveraging LWF’s localized knowledge and community connections, and The Gordon Foundation’s technical expertise and innovation, the project aims to generate credible water...

Update: Congratulations to the Cycling for Solutions 2018 riders for completing their journey - and a heartfelt thank you to the many supporters who donated to support citizen science! So far, the cyclists have raised over $13,600! If you'd like to add your support, the donation link will remain live until Monday, Sept. 17, 2018.

A group of amateur cyclists is once again attempting an ambitious, three-day, 500 km self-supported road trip from Winnipeg, Man. to IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) research facility in northwest Ontario.

Dubbed Cycling for Solutions, the ride began in...

March 22 is World Water Day and we're celebrating with the release of new water-quality data generated by the Lake Winnipeg Community-Based Monitoring Network (LWCBMN).

LWCBMN is a growing network of citizens, scientists and conservation professionals. Since 2016, LWCBM volunteers and staff have been collecting water samples across southern Manitoba using scientifically vetted protocols. Samples are then analyzed in a lab to measure phosphorus concentration and determine the amount of phosphorus being exported off our landscapes.

Excess phosphorus is the primary cause of potentially harmful...

Lake Minnewanka, in Banff National Park. Its Nakoda name means "water of the spirits." Photo: Kirsten Earl McCorrister

LWF has been hard at work coordinating a new community-based monitoring (CBM) program here in Manitoba, having recently completed a CBM pilot project to test for phosphorus in the tributaries that feed into Lake Winnipeg. We are not alone in our efforts to understand and improve the health of our waters. Across Canada, water groups are collaborating with citizens and governments to understand the threats to clean water and work for solutions. LWF has had the opportunity to...

Gathering on the banks of the Assiniboine River with Lake Winnipeg Foundation (LWF) staff, science advisors and partners on a sunny morning in September, Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox participated in a new citizen science project supported by Manitoba’s government.

LWF’s community-based monitoring (CBM) network is currently focused on monitoring phosphorus levels in water samples. Excess phosphorus is a primary cause of harmful algae blooms which have been increasing in size and frequency on Lake Winnipeg’s waters.

CBM provides valuable information that can be used to enrich long...