The Government of Canada remains committed to advancing the federal freshwater agenda. Hence, in Budget 2023, the Government proposed to provide a major investment in freshwater, including:
This funding decision is the culmination of extensive activities over several years, including in 2021- 2022.
Following public and stakeholder engagement in 2020 and early 2021 on the creation of a Canada Water Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada published a "What We Heard" report in June 2021. The report provided a synthesis of the advice and recommendations shared during the public engagement process. Among other themes, it revealed broad public support for the creation of the agency. Recognizing the significance of fresh water to Indigenous peoples and the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation, the Government continued to engage First Nations, Inuit and Métis directly on the development of the Canada Water Agency through 2021-2022.
Additionally, Budget 2022 provided important foundational funding for the freshwater agenda. This included:
More information on activities resulting from Budget 2023 will be reflected in the Canada Water Act Annual Report for 2022-2023.
ECCC is the federal agency responsible for collecting, interpreting and providing critical standardized water quantity and water quality information that Canadians and their institutions need to make informed water management decisions to protect and provide stewardship of fresh water in Canada.
ECCC, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments and others, conducts 3 types of monitoring in fresh water across Canada to obtain information on water quantity, freshwater quality, and biological condition. In a few cases, Indigenous peoples, institutions or volunteers assist with monitoring.
The National Hydrological Service (NHS) division within ECCC is the main operator of the National Hydrometric Program (NHP). This program provides for the collection, interpretation, and dissemination of surface water quantity data and information that is vital to meet both water management and environmental needs across the country.
Hydrometric agreements
ECCC’s hydrometric program is carried out under formal agreements with 9 provinces, Yukon and Northwest Territories, and with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada for Nunavut. These agreements have been administered cooperatively since 1975 and, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan, have been renewed since 2008. In addition, ECCC is a co-signee of the annual Memorandum of Agreement on Water with the province of Prince Edward Island. The intent of the Agreement is to coordinate the efforts of the provincial and federal governments to monitor the health of aquatic ecosystems, including water quantity, on PEI to ensure that the sustainability of the province’s water resources is maintained for environmental, social and economic benefit.
Agreements for specific water programs require participating governments to specify the amount of funding each will pay and the information and expertise they will provide, in agreed ratios. For ongoing activities, such as the hydrometric monitoring agreements with each provincial and territorial government, cost-sharing is in accordance with each party’s need for the data.
During 2021-2022, there were no significant changes to the size of the national hydrometric monitoring network, but a number of small adjustments were made. The national hydrometric monitoring network consisted of 2872 hydrometric monitoring stations (see Table 1 and Figure 1). During this period, ECCC operated 2274 of these hydrometric stations. Of the ECCC-operated stations, 1087 were fully or partially federally funded. The remaining stations were operated by ECCC on behalf of provincial and territorial governments or a third-party interest, and cost-sharing was based on specific needs and requirements (see Table 1). In Quebec, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change operated 227 stations, some funded in whole or in part by the Government of Canada. The provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan also operate a significant portion of the stations in their jurisdictions.
Figure 1: National Hydrometric Monitoring Network
Figure 1 is a map of Canada indicating the location of 2872 hydrometric monitoring stations.
ECCC-operated (by cost arrangement)
Non-ECCC-operated (various cost arrangements)
Total by province or territory
Alberta
492
British Columbia
454
Manitoba
398
New Brunswick
68
Newfoundland & Labrador
109
Nova Scotia
31
Northwest Territories
104
Nunavut
25
Ontario
577
Prince Edward Island
10
Quebec
243
Saskatchewan
286
Yukon
75
Total
438
649
1012
175
598
2872 d
a Hydrometric monitoring stations located within the boundaries of each province, no matter which office operates them.
b Stations that are partially funded by the federal government, provincial/territorial governments, and third parties. The cost-share ratio varies by station.
c Nine of these stations are groundwater stations.
d The actual total change in the network for 2021-2022 is +9 stations. An error in the total for 2020-2021 missed 37 stations from Alberta’s count.
Note: The network also includes a small number of designated International Gauging Stations located in the United States that are not included here as they support International Joint Commission activities not covered under the CWA.
In 2021-2022, NHS was able to complete work on 46 cableways throughout the country despite the impacts of COVID-19 on the delivery of the national work plan. In July 2018, NHS identified 360 cableways that needed to be addressed through the hydrometric renewal investment. Since then, the NHS has completed work at 64% of cableways, with a total of 229 cableways that have either been repaired, repurposed or replaced with alternative technologies.
A cableway is a structure that allows technicians to conduct a streamflow measurement above a river cross section. The cable car houses the technician and their measuring equipment. The technician pulls themselves across the river cross section stopping to take streamflow measurements at defined intervals based on the width of the river.
In 2021-2022, COVID-19, forest fires, and exceptional flooding in British Columbia impacted the scheduled work on cableways and created delays for the entire infrastructure workplan, including decommissioning and stilling wells projects. Approximately 28% of the 188 infrastructure projects planned for 2021-2022 had to be postponed to subsequent years. In total, 136 infrastructure projects were completed, including work on cableways.
In 2021-2022, the hydrometric real-time data dissemination system was updated to facilitate the delivery of more data types, including:
The uploading process was automated to retrieve approved annual daily extremes and annual instantaneous extremes from the data production system and upload them into the National Archive database. This new process enabled extreme and peak data uploading whenever they are ready, and greatly improved the efficiency of data publishing. The offline historical databases of the National Archive were released 4 times: April 2020, July 2020, October 2020, and January 2021.
After-hour support was provided during the 2021 spring freshet to ensure real-time hydrometric data were available 24/7 during high water periods.
Freshwater quality monitoring has been a core ECCC program since the Department’s inception in the early 1970s. The Department’s monitoring and surveillance activities are critical for assessing and reporting on water quality status and trends, in addition to fulfilling federal domestic and international commitments and legislative obligations. Data are also used to support the water quality indicator developed under the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators program (CESI) (Section 3).
Water quality monitoring efforts continued to be impacted during 2021-2022 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, with field activities limited to varying degrees across Canada. Again, continuity in monitoring was facilitated, in part, through leveraging of partnerships with provinces and territories.
Much of the Freshwater Quality Monitoring Program’s activities are carried out through federal-provincial/territorial agreements, ensuring cost-effective and non-duplicative program delivery. ECCC has water quality monitoring agreements with British Columbia, Yukon, Manitoba, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The objectives of the federal-provincial/territorial water quality monitoring agreements are to:
The Long-Term Freshwater Quality Monitoring Network consists of 180 federal, federal-provincial and federal-territorial sampling sites across Canada (see Figure 2). The map also displays 32 sites that are monitored in Canada-US Transboundary Waters, as well as the location of sites monitored at various times under the Federal Great Lakes Program. Water quality samples are routinely collected at these sites for physical and chemical water quality parameters such as temperature, pH, alkalinity, turbidity, major ions, nutrients and metals. Pesticides, bacteria and additional parameters of concern are also monitored where site-specific water quality issues exist. The National Long-Term Water Quality Monitoring Data are published online. ECCC’s Freshwater Quality Monitoring Program is aligned with Canada’s major watersheds (Pacific, Arctic/Athabasca, Hudson Bay and Atlantic watersheds)(see Figure 2). This program promotes robust water resource management across Canada.
Figure 2: Long-term water quality monitoring sites
Figure 2 is a map of Canada indicating the location of long-term water quality monitoring sites. The long-term freshwater quality monitoring network consists of federal, federal-provincial and federal-territorial sampling sites across Canada. They are situated in the following ocean drainage areas: Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Hudson Bay and Pacific Ocean.
ECCC’s Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Division (WQMSD) conducts monitoring and surveillance activities based on the level of risk to water quality in a watershed. The risk is assessed based on the stress determined by the nature, probability, frequency, and severity. Through a risk-based adaptive management framework (RBAMF), ECCC optimizes its activities so as to reach results that are more targeted and better adapted to the needs of users and those of the Canadian population. To improve reporting outcomes the RBAMF:
Existing long-term monitoring sites have been classified under a series of national scale networks, namely Large Rivers, Large Lakes Priority, Transboundary Rivers, Reference, and High Stress, where each network includes a set of specific national monitoring objectives. Each network was developed to improve comparability of monitoring data.
In 2021-2022, ECCC initiated a five-year review of the RBAMF elements as they apply to each drainage basin, in order to ensure continuous improvement of its freshwater monitoring approach.
For more information, please consult the ECCC Freshwater Quality Monitoring website.
The Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) is a component of the Freshwater Quality Monitoring Program that assesses the biological condition of freshwater ecosystems in Canada using standardized data collection and analysis methods.
CABIN collects benthic macroinvertebrates at a site location and uses their counts as an indicator of the health of that water body. Benthic macroinvertebrates are aquatic, bottom-dwelling animals without backbones, that are generally visible to the naked eye. They include worms, crustaceans, molluscs and the larval stages of many insects. Macroinvertebrate communities:
ECCC’s National CABIN Team provides online data management, assessment tools and models, field and laboratory analysis protocols, certification and training, and ecological research and development. Network partners share their observations within the national database. Data from over 10 000 locations across the country are represented in the CABIN database, since the early development of nationally-standardized biological monitoring programs in the 1990s.
CABIN partners include federal, provincial and territorial government departments, industry, academia, Indigenous communities, and non governmental organizations such as community watershed groups.
In 2021-2022, data were collected at 420 sites in various sub-basins across the country, primarily by non-federal government organizations (see Figure 3).
Figure 3: CABIN monitoring sites
Figure 3 is a map of Canada that shows the location of the CABIN monitoring sites across the country. In 2021, data were collected at 420 sites in several sub-basins across the country by Environment and Climate Change Canada and its collaborators.
Summaries of the monitoring conducted in the various regions across Canada are discussed below on a region by region basis (with Yukon overlapping both the Pacific Coast and Northern Canada regions), as follows:
Water quantity monitoring
Seasonal snowpacks in British Columbia (BC), which developed over the winter of 2020-2021, were slightly above normal. Spring weather conditions were generally dry leading to an earlier onset of spring freshet. A heat dome in late June and early July led to abnormally dry and hot conditions, resulting in the melting of remaining high elevation snowpacks and exacerbating the summer low flow conditions throughout the southern portion of the Province. The hot and dry conditions led to a significant forest fire season and many hydrometric gauges observed record low conditions that persisted until the fall. In November, a Category 5 atmospheric river made landfall in the southwestern portion of the Province bringing heavy sustained rainfall and flooding and causing significant damage to highway, road, and rail infrastructure and inundated the communities of Abbotsford, Princeton, and Merritt.
Helicopter view point of flooding impacts to the Sumas area, east of Abbotsford. November 26, 2021. Taken from B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Photostream (Highway 1 - Sumas | A helicopter view at flooding impacts to… | Flickr)
Image of Tank Hill Underpass along the Fraser River. Taken from B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Photostream (Highway 1 - Tank Hill Underpass | A major rain event has imp… | Flickr)
The water quantity monitoring network in BC (454 stations) was adjusted as follows:
Water quality monitoring
Water quality monitoring was conducted in the Pacific watershed (which includes parts of British Columbia and Yukon) under the Canada-British Columbia Water Quality Monitoring Agreement and under the Canada-Yukon Agreement on Water Quality and Ecosystem Monitoring .
In the area of Yukon that drains westward to the Pacific Ocean, 2 sites on the Alsek and Dezadeash Rivers were monitored by Parks Canada and ECCC in collaboration. The other water quality monitoring sites in Yukon, which drain to the Bering Sea and were previously assigned as part of the Pacific drainage basin, are included in the report section on Northern Canada.
In BC, ECCC conducted joint monitoring with the provincial Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy at 46 active sites in total, which include 2 automated stations (described in more detail below). Twenty-one of these sites are co-located with ECCC gauging stations. Also amongst these 46 sites, ECCC, in cooperation with Parks Canada, operated 6 long-term monitoring sites: the Glacier, Yoho, Mount Revelstoke and Kootenay National Parks in British Columbia and Kluane National Park in Yukon. These relatively pristine sites provide important reference information for comparison with sites influenced by human activities. Many of these sites are also located in key areas for assessing climate change.
The annual water monitoring activities were negotiated and documented in the Canada British Columbia Water Quality Monitoring Agreement Business Plan and in the Canada-Yukon Operational Plan ( 2021-2022 ).
Water quality data collected under the Canada-BC Water Quality Monitoring Agreement is also available through a joint ECCC-BC website hosted by British Columbia (Canada-B.C. Water Quality Monitoring Program - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)). This website aims to present water quality information including data trend results through a single ArcGIS Footnote 1 online tool.
CABIN monitoring
In BC, CABIN monitoring is jointly conducted under the Canada-British Columbia Water Quality Monitoring Agreement . Under the Agreement, ECCC and the provincial Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy continued to collaborate on data collection for reference model maintenance as well as development and site assessment.
In 2021-2022, ECCC conducted CABIN monitoring at 14 long-term water quality monitoring sites in the Pacific Coast watershed and 3 long-term sites that fall within the MacKenzie watershed (but that are included within the Canada-BC Water Quality Monitoring Agreement ). ECCC also worked collaboratively with BC to develop a proof-of-concept webpage to bring together water quality trends and bioassessment results at long-term water quality sites for the Agreement.
There are 7 reference models available to all CABIN users in the Pacific Coast watershed, which provide baselines for biological assessments in nearly all watersheds across BC. These reference models were developed collaboratively by federal and provincial agencies (i.e. ECCC, Parks Canada, British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy).
Eleven sites were sampled in 2021 to contribute to the maintenance and revision of reference models. Models are available for the Fraser River (updated 2021), Skagit River Basin, Okanagan Basin, Central/North Coast, Columbia Basin, Rocky Mountains National Parks, and Vancouver Island (updated 2021).
There is also 1 model available to CABIN users for the Peace Basin in northeastern BC. Four sites were sampled by ECCC in 2021 to contribute to the maintenance and revision of the Peace Basin model.
Water quantity monitoring
Northwest Territories
Northern rivers typically undergo a mechanical breakup of ice cover in the spring, which can lead to extreme breakup events and ice jamming. In 2021, significant flooding as a result of ice jamming on the Mackenzie River in the Dehcho region required the evacuation of communities in Fort Simpson, Fort Good Hope as well as communities along the Jean Marie River. ECCC facilities located in Fort Simpson suffered minor flood damage. Two hydrometric monitoring stations on the Mackenzie River were also destroyed by ice.
Mackenzie River at Fort Simpson (10GC001) hydrometric station during 2021 breakup – hydrometric station was subsequently destroyed by ice.
The flooding along the Mackenzie River was compounded by continued high water levels in Great Slave Lake, which have persisted since the fall of 2020. NHS staff based in Yellowknife responded to station outages, collected high water mark measurements, and discharge measurements. The data and information collected by NHS was used by the Government of Northwest Territories emergency response agency to issue flood advisories and evacuation notices.
Record high snowpack conditions were a significant contributor to extreme events in the Yukon, as the Southern Lakes district experienced the highest water levels on record. Localized flooding and evacuation notices were issued for communities surrounding the southern lakes, both upstream and downstream of Whitehorse. Canadian Armed Forces were deployed to assist in flood protection activities. Whitehorse also experienced localized flooding, and Yukon Energy undertook measures to protect their infrastructure as the Yukon River experienced record high flows. The community of Carmacks also experienced localized flooding, with some parts of the community being placed under evacuation notice during breakup. NHS staff based in the Yukon were active during high water events, ensuring data was available and representative of conditions.
Nunavut
NHS staff based in Yellowknife were also active in supporting the City of Iqaluit by operating a small network of gauges to support water diversion activities to replenish the city’s water supply reservoir. These activities are in accordance with a revenue agreement between ECCC and the City of Iqaluit.
The water quantity monitoring network in this region was adjusted as follows:
Water quality monitoring
Many of the High Arctic sites are considered relatively pristine and provide an important baseline and reference for comparison with respect to long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants to high-latitude areas, as well as for any potential future influences from human activities in the North. ECCC operates water quality sites on major rivers in the North, some associated with transboundary basins (e.g. Mackenzie River, Slave River, Liard River, Yukon River) and other significant northern watersheds (e.g. Coppermine River, Thelon River, Great Bear Lake/River).
ECCC monitored 48 sites within the Arctic watershed and across the North: 29 in the Northwest Territories, 4 in Nunavut, 15 in Yukon. Nineteen of these sites were operated under several agreements with Parks Canada. Thirty-two of these sites are co-located with ECCC’s gauge stations.
Water quality monitoring was conducted in the Yukon under the Canada-Yukon Agreement on Water Quality and Ecosystem Monitoring . Eleven river sites were monitored in collaboration with Environment Yukon, including 1 automated site. Sampling operations under the Canada-Yukon Agreement were suspended in May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CABIN monitoring
In 2021-2022, ECCC was unable to collect data for the assessment of biological conditions at long-term sites in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. There are 4 northern reference models available to all CABIN users in the Mackenzie watershed to conduct biological assessments, which were developed collaboratively by federal and territorial agencies (i.e. ECCC, Parks Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and Government of Yukon). Models are available for CABIN samples collected in the Yukon River Basin, Northeastern British Columbia, Peace Basin, and also the South Nahanni Basin in the Northwest Territories, which is primarily used by Parks Canada.
Water quantity monitoring
Alberta
Low snowpack in the southern prairie regions resulted in a relatively uneventful spring freshet. Inputs from mountain runoff in late spring remained at or below average levels due to low precipitation levels. The prolonged absence of precipitation through summer months caused extreme low water conditions through Alberta’s southern prairies warranting additional surveillance from operations. In early fall, precipation alleviated some of the drought conditions, providing much needed water to dry and low flowing channels.
Central and northern regions experienced a mild to no freshet conditions during in areas where the snowpack melted/evaporated progressively throughout March. The High Level area (North of Manning to the Northwest Territories, including the town of High Level) experienced medium freshet conditions due to a greater snowpack. Low water conditions were observed during the rest of the operating season due to low precipitation levels. Some stations in the Ponoka, Edmonton SW and Athabasca areas were completely dry by August. Jasper and Hinton regions, experienced medium to high water conditions at the end of June/beginning of July following a heat wave that resulted in glacier melting.
Cameras and ice-breakup tracking equipment were deployed during late winter and early spring fieldwork in Northern regions around Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan. The area saw a gradual and peaceful transition from ice into the open water season. Open water during the 2021 season did not bring any significant high water events or flooding. Water levels remained lower than previous years, likely due to reduced frequency and quantity of precipitation events.
NHS has been assisting Parks Canada with their hydrometric monitoring project to support implementation of the Wood Buffalo National Park World Heritage Site: Action Plan (Environmental Flows and Hydrology (EFH) theme, and Monitoring and Science theme). In August 2021, with the assistance of the Community-Based Monitoring (CBM) program, NHS installed the first Parks Canada hydrometric monitoring station on Big Egg Lake. This station will provide baseline monitoring data to inform the EFH water control stuctures project.
The water quantity monitoring network in Alberta (492 stations) was adjusted as follows:
Saskatchewan
Most of south and central Saskatchewan experienced a well below normal snowmelt runoff in 2021. The exception was the Cypress Hills area and the Swift Current Creek Basin where, due to a quick melt, a near normal runoff response was observed.
Northern portions of the province saw near normal to above normal runoff responses. Areas in both the Churchill River Basin and the Lake Athabasca Basin recorded peak flows that were above normal as the high precipitation accumulations observed in 2020 continued to impact water levels and flows.
Due to minimal runoff in the spring of 2021, followed by what was generally a hot dry summer, most agricultural areas of the province experienced drier than normal moisture conditions. Exceptional drought conditions were present in central and southwest Saskatchewan. Below normal rainfall was also received across the north throughout 2021, however due to the wet conditions in 2020, water levels remained high throughout the first half of the year, but tapered off back to near normal going into freeze-up Footnote 2 .
The water quantity monitoring network in Saskatchewan (286 stations) was adjusted as follows:
Manitoba
Manitoba experienced a generally normal to below normal spring runoff. Most river basins in Manitoba received below normal precipitation between May and October, with the exception of some areas in southwestern Manitoba.
This led to drought conditions in southern Manitoba that registered as severe to exceptional drought intensity on the Canadian Drought Monitor. Flows on most rivers were normal to below normal, with the exception of northern Manitoba basins which had normal to above normal flows due to wet conditions in 2020 Footnote 3 .
The water quantity monitoring network in Manitoba (398 stations) was adjusted as follows:
Water quality monitoring
Lower Athabasca, Peace and Slave River Watersheds
ECCC collected approximately 114 samples from 14 stations in the Lower Athabasca, Peace and Slave River watersheds in Alberta. All but 3 of these stations are monitored in partnership with Alberta Environment and Parks (Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for the Oil Sands). The monitoring work done under this plan was designed to track the cumulative effects of oil sands development in air, water, wildlife, and biodiversity to help inform government and industry decision-making processes. While the area of this water quality activity falls primarily within the Prairie region, it should be noted that the Lower Athabasca, Peace River and Slave River watersheds all lie within the larger MacKenzie River watershed, which drains to the Arctic Ocean.
Hudson Bay watershed
As part of the National Long-Term Freshwater Quality Monitoring Network and in support of the Prairie Provinces Water Board Master Agreement on Apportionment, ECCC monitors 12 sites along the main rivers crossing between the Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba provincial boundaries. This past year only 7 out of 12 samples were collected for rivers in this network due to COVID work restrictions. Data from this monitoring are used to support annual reporting on water quality objectives for nutrient, metal, major ion, and pesticide parameters established by Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and to support the Lake Winnipeg Basin Program.
ECCC worked with Manitoba Sustainable Development under the Science Subsidiary Arrangement made pursuant to the Canada-Manitoba Memorandum of Understanding Respecting Lake Winnipeg and the Lake Winnipeg Basin . Key transboundary monitoring sites are located on the Red River, Pembina River, Winnipeg River, and Souris River. The Red River and Souris River, in particular, have encountered many water quality issues over time (nutrients, metals, pesticides, salinity). Water quality and water quantity issues on these rivers are addressed formally through the International Red River Board and International Souris River Board under the International Joint Commission (IJC).
All of the transboundary rivers in the watershed are usually monitored 8-12 times per year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring activity was reduced to 4-8 times depending on the river.
Finally, under a Memorandum of Understanding with Parks Canada, limited sampling was conducted at sites in Banff, Jasper, and Waterton National Parks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These sites provided water quality information to Parks Canada and were used as reference sites as part of ECCC’s Long-Term Water Quality Monitoring Program.
CABIN monitoring
Lower Athabasca, Peace and Slave River Watersheds
In the Athabasca, Peace and Slave River watersheds, 61 CABIN samples were collected under the Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for the Oil Sands.
Hudson Bay watershed
CABIN is conducted by Parks Canada at other long-term physical-chemical monitoring sites. There is a reference model available to all CABIN users to conduct biological assessments in the Rocky Mountain Parks watersheds developed by Parks Canada which overlaps the British Columbia-Alberta border.
Water quantity monitoring
There were no significant high or low water events in 2021-2022 for both southern and northern Ontario. Moderate water levels during the spring freshet alleviated the pressures normally associated with this period, and freshet response was focused on data collection for defining stage-discharge relationships.
In 2021-2022, challenges remained with regard to balancing network management needs with varying local public health and federal government restrictions and directives due to COVID. However, there was minimal disturbance to program delivery.
One area of focus in 2021-2022 was the planning that took place to integrate Quebec federal stations and the Montreal office hydrometric operations into Ontario. Planning began for the re-organization and transfer of responsibility of 16 Quebec federal hydrometric stations to the Ontario district, to take effect April 2022. Two new field technologists were hired for the Montreal office.
As a result of this change, the Hydrometric Agreement for Quebec will fall under Ontario as the Federal coordinator. A new operations manager position was also created (which brings the total for this district to 3), to manage the current and increased workload in a more sustainable manner. This will also help as the district rebuilds its work force, with 9 new Hydrometric Technician apprenticeship or Professional Training Program (HT-APTP) recruits onboarded in 2021-2022, 7 in Ontario and 2 in Quebec.
The water quantity monitoring network in Ontario (577 stations) was adjusted as follows:
Water quality monitoring
In Ontario, federal-provincial and Canada-United States water quality monitoring is supported through the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) between Canada and the United States. Monitoring results generated by ECCC contribute to indicators assessing the status of the Great Lakes ecosystem for toxic chemicals in water, sediments and fish, as well as indicators on the status of nutrients, water quality and algae.
Monitoring activities in Ontario pertain to the Great Lakes and Lake of the Woods. In 2021-2022, ECCC resumed water quality monitoring, although these activities continued to be impacted during the waves of the pandemic. In the Great Lakes, limited in-lake surveillance activities were completed in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and sampling of between-lake connecting channels and major tributaries was reinitiated. For Lake of the Woods water quality monitoring was initiated at the outflow of the lake (entering into the Winnipeg River) and both a summer lake-wide and a winter lake-wide water quality survey was conducted.
CABIN monitoring
CABIN monitoring in Ontario region occurred at 48 sites in both stream and open water habitats. Sampling by Department of National Defense was done at Canadian Forces Training Area Burwash, 4th Canadian Division Support Base Petawawa, and Land Force Central Area Meaford. Sampling to support Areas of Concern (AOC) assessments took place in Spanish Harbour, while sites which make up the Great Lakes Reference Study were also sampled in Georgian Bay and the North Channel of the Upper Great Lakes.
Water quantity monitoring
There are 16 stations in Quebec operated by the NHP (see Ontario region for details) and the remaining 227 are operated by Environnement et Lutte contre les changements climatiques Québec. NHS cost shared the stations operated by the province. Streamflow amount and water level for 2021-2022 were generally near normal for the stations operated by NHS in Quebec.
The water quantity monitoring network in Quebec (243 stations) was adjusted as follows:
Water quality monitoring
In 2021-2022, no samples were collected at federal sites in the St. Lawrence River Basin due to the COVID-19 pandemic and sanitary restrictions. However, the program benefited from that pause for a review and update initiative that will inform future monitoring activities.
The Province of Quebec’s activities were also impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 39 sites in the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries were still monitored according to the Canada-Quebec Water Quality Monitoring Agreement (2017-2022), but fieldwork stopped during the months of April and May. It gradually resumed and was back to normal in June. The stations were sampled monthly for physical parameters, nutrients, chlorophyll and fecal coliforms. During the summer months, metals were measured monthly at 9 of those stations.
CABIN monitoring
In the St. Lawrence River Priority Ecosystem, 6 wetland macroinvertebrates samples were collected in Lake St-Pierre using the CABIN protocol. For 3 of these sites, an extra sample (replicate) was collected for DNA analysis within the Sequencing the Rivers for Environmental Assessment and Monitoring (STREAM) project.
Water quantity monitoring
Water levels and flows were mostly typical in Atlantic Canada for 2021, with the exception of a fall precipitation event that affected parts of Nova Scotia and Western Newfoundland. It was an uneventful spring with respect to peak water levels within the Atlantic hydrometric network. For the most part, ice-out and peaks at several stations occurred around 2 weeks earlier than usual. The summer period saw low water levels with typical minimums slightly below normal levels for the year.
A rain event in late November 2021 was the exception for the year, affecting parts of Nova Scotia and Western Newfoundland. Amounts ranging between 230 mm to 300 mm of rain fell in 24 hours resulting in near historic levels and flows in the Central, North Shore and Cape Breton Island areas of Nova Scotia and Southwestern Newfoundland (Codroy Valley). Some peak flow records were exceeded. For example, provisional data indicates the flows at Highland River at Trans-Canada Highway (01ZA002), NL were 395 cms on November 24, 2021; more than double the previous historic record (E 175 cms Nov.28, 2013). NHS hydrometric monitoring infrastructure remained operational throughout the event.
The only flood stage exceedances observed in New Brunswick in 2021 were for 2 rivers in the lower Saint John River basin in the spring of 2021. Nashwaak River at Durham Bridge briefly exceeded flood stage (21m) on April 2 (peak 21.045m). Saint John River at Gagetown exceeded flood stage (4.0m) from April 2 to April 5 (peak 4.288m April 2, 2021). Although operating with reduced staff levels and travel restrictions, NHS Atlantic was able to visit their network stations to ensure data integrity and obtain an acceptable number of discharge measurements for rating evaluations.
At the beginning of 2021, there were many stations in the Atlantic network flagged as “COVID-19 affected” on the Water Office real-time data website, due to the inability of field staff to visit these stations as a result of pandemic travel restrictions. The COVID-19 flag indicated real-time data for a given station was not available. As travel restrictions eased slightly and field work gradually resumed, almost all COVID flagged sites were returned to green (real-time data available within the last 6 hours) by May 2021.
The water quantity monitoring network in Atlantic region (218 stations) was adjusted as follows:
Water quality monitoring
In 2021-2022, 3 federal-provincial and 8 provincial sites were monitored under the Canada-Prince Edward Island Memorandum of Agreement , including 1 real time (automated) site on the Wilmot River. The sites are distributed across the province, with data available on the Government of Prince Edward Island’s website.
In 2021-2022, ECCC managed 13 federal sites (including 2 automated sites) in Nova Scotia in support of the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicator pertaining to water quality. Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change provided support on data collection. The sites are located across the province and cover major watersheds within the Maritime Major Drainage Area, including those flowing into the Bay of Fundy. Samples were collected in all 4 seasons although the schedule was shifted to accommodate travel restrictions due to COVID-19. In addition, pesticide surveillance was conducted at 17 high risk sites within the province in November 2021.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, 24 federal-provincial and 56 provincial sites across the major drainage areas were sampled 4 to 6 times in 2021-2022. Data and station information from the sites are available on the Newfoundland and Labrador Water Resources website.
Under the Canada-New Brunswick Water Quality Agreement during 2021-2022, 10 federal-provincial sites were monitored on international and inter-provincial transboundary rivers or their tributaries in the Saint John River (Wolastoq) and Restigouche River watersheds. Three additional real-time automated sites in the Saint John River (Wolastoq) watershed were also maintained by ECCC at the borders of the transboundary Big Presque Isle Stream, Aroostook River and Meduxnekeag River. Maintenance of those real-time stations was limited due to COVID-19, so some data gaps exist for 2021-2022.
The International St. Croix River Watershed Board, under the IJC, plays an important role in managing water levels, water quality, and fisheries between Maine and New Brunswick. The Board works collaboratively with stakeholders within the watershed by preventing and resolving disputes. ECCC monitored water levels at 7 stations in the watershed and real time (automated) water quality at 2 stations, and provided input to the Board's 2021 annual report to the IJC.
CABIN monitoring
In the Atlantic Provinces, 115 stream and river sites were monitored by ECCC and CABIN-certified partners in 2021. Out of this total, 16 sites were monitored by ECCC, 63 by other federal departments or Parks Canada, 10 by provincial governments (Newfoundland and Labrador; Prince Edward Island) and 26 by non-governmental organizations. This work supported federal-provincial water quality monitoring agreements with New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The monitoring allowed partners to conduct assessments in transboundary watersheds (Saint Croix) and federal lands (national parks and, Indigenous communities).
The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program provides data and information to track Canada's performance on key environmental sustainability issues including climate change and air quality, water quality and availability, and protecting nature. Note that because of the time required to collect and analyze the data, and draft the indicators, the data used in the indicators are always 2-3 years behind the publication date.
No water quantity indicators were published within the reporting period. Water quantity in Canadian rivers indicator is published every 2 years. The last publication was in 2019-2020. The 2021-2022 publication was delayed to April 2022 and, therefore, the indicator does not appear in this report. Delays were caused, in part, by issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The water quality indicator provides an overall measure of the ability of river water to support plants and animals. The indicator is calculated using the water quality index endorsed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to summarize the status of surface freshwater quality in Canada. This indicator reflects the extent to which water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life are being met at selected river monitoring sites throughout Canada. Water quality at a monitoring station is considered excellent when substances in a river are very rarely measured above their guidelines. Conversely, water quality is rated poor when measurements are usually above their guidelines.
The publication of the Water quality in Canadian rivers indicator for 2020-2021 was delayed to 2021-2022 and, therefore, it appears in this report. Updated water quality data were published on the Open Data platform in July 2021 as part of other water-related indicator updates. Delays were caused, in part, by issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The water quality in Canadian rivers indicator released in July 2021 is based on data collected from 2002 to 2019 at 191 water monitoring stations across Canada Footnote 4 , and reflects the diversity of watersheds in the country. The data were assembled from 16 federal, provincial, territorial, and joint water quality monitoring programs. The National Water quality indicator was calculated using a core national network of 173 river sites, selected to be representative of surface freshwater quality across southern Canada where human pressure is most intense (Figure 4a).
For the 2017 to 2019 period, water quality in rivers in Canada was rated fair to excellent at 82% of the monitored sites. More specifically, water quality measured at these river sites across southern Canada was rated as excellent for 10 sites (6%), good for 60 sites (35%), fair for 72 sites (42%), marginal at 27 sites (16%), and poor at 4 sites (2%) (Figure 4a). Water quality tends to be worse where there is agriculture, mining, forestry, high population density or a combination of these (mixed pressures) (Figure 4b).
Figures 4a, 4b: Water quality in Canadian rivers, national and by land use category, 2017 to 2019 period
Figures 4a and 4b show the water quality in Canadian rivers nationally and by land use category from 2017 to 2019.
Trends in water quality
Overall, water quality has not changed at a majority of sites across southern Canada between 2002 and 2019. Out of the 173 sites, there was improvement in water quality at 16% of sites, deterioration at 21%, and no change in water quality at 63% of the sites (Figure 5).
Figure 5: Trends in water quality, Canada, 2002 to 2019
Figure 5 shows trends in water quality in Canada between 2002 and 2019.
The Shellfish Water Classification Program (SWCP) is run by ECCC as part of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP). The CSSP is a federal program administered jointly pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, ECCC, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).
The CSSP protects the public from contaminated shellfish by controlling the harvest of bivalve molluscan shellfish within Canada. The SWCP provides support by making recommendations for the classification of shellfish harvest areas based on sanitary surveys. The purpose of the sanitary surveys is to find and evaluate all sources of sanitary pollution that could affect shellfish harvest waters. These surveys have 2 main components:
The results of the surveys are the basis for recommending and verifying the classification of an area in terms of suitability for shellfish harvest. The classification categories are:
The mutual concerns of Canada and the United States to protect the public from the consumption of contaminated bivalve molluscs led to the signing of the Canada-United States Bilateral Agreement on Shellfish Sanitation on April 30, 1948, to deal with sanitary practices in the shellfish industries of both countries. This agreement remains in effect to maintain open trade with the United States and is a cornerstone in allowing exports to other foreign countries. As a result, Canada is subject to periodic audits by other countries, including the United States.
In 2021-2022, the SWCP field operations were able to resume their activities following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and 440 shellfish growing areas were monitored in Canada (see Figure 6 and Table 2).
Figure 6: Monitored shellfish growing areas
Figure 6 is a map showing the monitored shellfish growing areas that occurred in Canada during 2021-2022.
Marine water sampling was undertaken through a combination of delivery methods in different portions of each province, including internal ECCC resources, outsourcing to private-sector contractors, federal-provincial water monitoring agreements under the CWA, and voluntary agreements with First Nations and stakeholders. Analyses for fecal coliform were performed in ISO 17025 accredited laboratories. Across Canada, 23 664 marine water samples were collected at 5772 stations in the Atlantic region, Quebec and BC (see Table 2).
Shellfish growing areas
Marine water samples
Atlantic
Quebec
British Columbia
TOTAL
440
5772
23 664
In addition to marine water quality determinations, sanitary shoreline investigations of point and non-point pollution sources were performed within 264 shellfish growing areas (Atlantic - 50, BC - 121, Quebec - 93). As part of the waste water treatment plant assessments, 4 wastewater systems (Atlantic - 1, BC - 1, Quebec - 2) were evaluated or re-evaluated. In addition, 2642 (Atlantic 487, BC 1955, Quebec 200) environmental emergency events were reviewed and significant incidents were assessed to determine the need for emergency harvest area closures.
For more information, consult the CSSP.
Inter-jurisdictional water boards have been established to focus on specific water issues that have implications for more than 1 province or territory. Domestic inter-jurisdictional boards include the Mackenzie River Basin Board (MRBB), the Prairie Provinces Water Board (PPWB), the Lake of the Woods Control Board (LWCB) and the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board (ORRPB). The 2021-2022 activities of each are described in this section.
There are also many international transboundary and inter-jurisdictional water boards in which Canada participates, most of which are led by the International Joint Commission (IJC). While the work of the IJC is not pursuant to the CWA, ECCC reports on progress under the Environment and Climate Change Canada-International Joint Commission Memorandum of Understanding .
Of note, in early 2021, the IJC appointed the first-ever Indigenous members to the International Red River Board, elevated the Board to full-board status which resulted in a name change to International Red River Watershed Board.
Agreement: Master Agreement on Apportionment (MAA) signed October 30, 1969
Signatory Governments: Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
Board: Prairie Provinces Water Board (PPWB)
The purpose of the MAA is to apportion water between the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and to protect surface water quality and transboundary aquifers. It also provides for cooperation among governments with respect to transboundary water management and for the establishment of the PPWB and its responsibility to administer the Agreement.
The overarching deliverable for the PPWB is to report on the achievement of the terms of the MAA. The MAA provides for an equitable sharing of available waters for all eastward flowing streams, including lakes that cross provincial boundaries. The Schedules to the Agreement describe the role of the PPWB and stipulate the amount and quality of water that shall pass from Alberta to Saskatchewan and from Saskatchewan to Manitoba.
In support of the MAA, ECCC monitors stream flows, water quality and meteorological conditions on eastward flowing streams on the provincial borders (see Figure 7). The PPWB computes apportionable flows based on the natural flow of a river, as if that river had never been affected by human activity. Excursions (i.e. deviations) to the MAA water quality objectives are calculated annually.
Figure 7: PPWB water quantity and quality monitoring stations and basins for 2021-2022
Figure 7 is a map of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba that shows the Prairie Provinces Water Board water quantity and quality monitoring stations and basins for 2021-2022. PPWB water quantity and/or quality monitoring is performed in the following areas: 1. Cold River; 2. Beaver River; 3. North Saskatchewan River; 4. Battle River; 5. Red Deer River A/S; 6. South Saskatchewan River; 7. Battle Creek; 8. Middle Creek; 9. Lodge Creek; 10. Churchill River; 11. Saskatchewan Rvier; 12. Carrot River; 13. Red Deer River S/M; 14. Assiniboine River; 15. Qu'Appelle River; 16. Pipestone Creek.
Activities and accomplishments of the PPWB and its 4 standing technical committees on hydrology, water quality, groundwater, and flow forecasting in 2021-2022 include the following:
Authority: defined by concurrent Canada-Ontario-Manitoba legislation (Lake of the Woods Control Board Act; 1921, 1922, 1958)
Cooperating Governments: Canada, Ontario, Manitoba
Board: Lake of the Woods Control Board (LWCB)
International Agreement: Canada-U.S. treaty ( Convention and Protocol for Regulating the Level of the Lake of the Woods, 1925 )
International Board: International Lake of the Woods Control Board (ILWCB)
The LWCB does not fall under the CWA since it pre-dates the Act, but it is included in this report to provide a more complete picture of federal-provincial water management in Canada. The LWCB is responsible for the regulation of the water levels of Lake of the Woods and Lac Seul, as well as the flows in the Winnipeg and English Rivers downstream of these lakes to their junction, for the benefit of all users and interests. Information about the LWCB can be found on their website.
The level of Lake of the Woods is normally regulated solely by the LWCB. However, its decisions are subject to the approval of the ILWCB whenever the level of the lake rises above or falls below certain levels specified in the Lake of the Woods Convention and Protocol. Information about the ILWCB can be found on the IJC website.
The board has not met in person since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regulation meetings to establish the seasonal operating strategy were held remotely in June and October 2021, and March 2022 with invitations to First Nations specific interest groups and resource agencies. Typical annual outreach activities, such as visits to areas of the basin and public open houses, also continued to be on hold due to the pandemic.
The drought conditions that developed in 2020 continued to worsen in the winter, spring and summer of 2021, making this one of the longest persisting and most severe droughts in the last century. Water levels across the Winnipeg River watershed in Ontario and Minnesota were very low during the open water season as a result. A relatively wet fall and substantial snow in the winter of 2021-2022 greatly improved the situation, with drought being largely resolved in some areas of the watershed ahead of the spring melt.
Agreement: Agreement Respecting Ottawa River Basin Regulation (1983)
Signatory Governments: Canada, Quebec, and Ontario
Board: Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board (the Planning Board)
The planning board was constituted to ensure the integrated management of the flows from the 13 principal reservoirs of the Ottawa River basin in order to minimize the impacts of floods and droughts along the Ottawa River and in the Montreal region, while maintaining beneficial water uses within the watershed. Under the 1983 Agreement, the governments also established 2 other entities that report to the Planning Board: the Ottawa River Regulating Committee and the Ottawa River Regulation Secretariat. They are housed by ECCC. Integrated management of the principal reservoirs is done throughout the year.
On the Ottawa River, 2021 was characterized by an early freshet, below average snowmelt volume and precipitation in spring, and below-average precipitation through parts of summer, causing low flow conditions in June and early September. At the end of February, the snow water content was close to average in most of the basin; however, weather conditions in March were favourable to cause a significant portion of the snow to directly evaporate or infiltrate the ground rather than run off into the river system. In late March, warmer weather combined with rainfall on the southern and central parts of the watershed caused the freshet to begin, and water levels to rise, on the Ottawa River. With warm temperatures, a reduced snow cover and below-average precipitation in early April, flows and levels on the main stem of the Ottawa River quickly peaked. The peak was approximately 10% lower than the average spring peak flow. Only 2 weeks after the freshet had started, flows and levels were back to pre-freshet conditions on the Ottawa River. Flows declined gradually with below-average precipitation and low flow conditions prevailed on the river through much of June.
Like other years, dam operators undertook flood reduction measures in preparation for the spring runoff. Typically, this involves emptying the principal reservoirs during the winter period with reservoirs being at their lowest levels before the spring snowmelt begins. This available storage volume is then used as the spring melt progresses, to reduce downstream flows.
Throughout the 2021 spring freshet, the Committee, which is made up of representatives from the major dam operators in the Ottawa River Basin, met regularly, using an online meeting tool to perform collaborative management of the system, wherein the observed and forecast hydrological conditions were analyzed, and a regulation strategy to use the available reservoir storage volume to reduce flood risk was developed.
Apart from ensuring the collaborative management of the system, the Planning Board also ensures that the hydrological forecasts are made available to government agencies involved in issuing flood-related messages and the deployment of emergency measures. As such, the Committee worked closely with provincial agencies and the Secretariat participated in conference calls with responsible authorities.
Also, flows of the Ottawa River can have a considerable effect on the flows of the St. Lawrence River in the vicinity of the Montreal Archipelago. This is why the provision of hydrological forecasts on the Ottawa River is important to the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Regulation Office, which is responsible for carrying out the day-to-day regulation activities for the International Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence River Board.
The Planning Board uses its website as the main tool for issuing hydrological forecasts to the public. In spring 2021, it started publishing bimonthly basin maps of the amount of water held in the snow cover compared to normal. In addition, the committee published 4 bulletins to keep the public informed about basin conditions. The committee issued 1 news release on March 25 to announce the start of the freshet. News releases and bulletins are still available on the planning board website (see ORRPB Archives).
Agreement: Environment and Climate Change Canada-International Joint Commission Memorandum of Understanding (consistent with the Government of Canada’s commitments under the Department of Environment Act and the Boundary Waters Treaty)
Signatory Agencies: ECCC and the IJC
Boards: All transboundary Boards and Committees under the jurisdiction of the IJC
Figure 8: Map illustrating areas covered by International Joint Commission (IJC) Boards and Committees
Figure 8 shows a map showing areas covered by International Joint Commissions Boards and Committees.
ECCC, primarily through NHS, contributes to the management of international transboundary water by carrying out the orders of the IJC under the Boundary Waters Treaty as per the Department of Environment Act. In 2021-2022, ECCC continued to provide engineering and technical support to the many IJC water boards and committees across the international border, including from west to east: the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control; International Columbia River Board of Control; International Kootenay Lake Board of Control; Accredited Officers for St. Mary-Milk; International Souris River Board; International Red River Watershed Board; International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board; International Lake Superior Board of Control; International Niagara River Board of Control; International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board; Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee; and the International St. Croix River Watershed Board. In accordance with the ECCC-IJC MOU, ECCC also provides scientific expertise to support the IJC’s Great Lakes Water Quality Board and the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board as per responsibilities under the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
The MOU also obligates ECCC to provide engineering and technical support for special IJC studies. In 2021-2022, ECCC supported the completion of 2 five-year IJC reference studies for the Lake Champlain-Richelieu River (LCRR) and the Souris River. This included the finalization and documentation of the: development, testing and implementation of hydrologic scenario modelling; simulation testing of alternative flood mitigation strategies; iterative review and selection of performance indicators to assess outcomes, and; development of socio-economic and environmental assessment tools for providing decision support for evaluating flood mitigation measures. The final study results on flood mitigation options for both reference studies were submitted to the IJC who will then provide their recommendations to governments.
In 2021-2022, ECCC contributed to the work planning and initiation of an IJC Reference Study for the International St. Mary and Milk Rivers, launched in November 2021, to explore options to improve access to apportioned waters by each country, in recognition of climate change and challenges to apportionment since the original 1921 Order was issued. The effort includes a desire to achieve long-term resilience in accessing the shared waters of the St. Mary and Milk Rivers.
ECCC provides support to Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management (GLAM) Committee which supports the Boards by providing the on-going review and evaluation of the regulation plans. ECCC staff also support the International Lake Superior Board of Control and the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board through water management activities such as: monitoring water levels and flows; performing weekly or monthly regulation computations; providing monthly assessments of hydrological conditions, forecasts and weekly or monthly briefings; supporting ice management; and conducting public information and communication. Water flowing out of Lake Superior is overseen by the International Lake Superior Board of Control in accordance with a regulation plan (Plan 2012) through a series of structures on the St. Marys River. Water flowing out of Lake Ontario is managed through the Moses-Saunders Dam on the St. Lawrence River in accordance with Plan 2014 to meet the Order of Approval. Plan 2014 is a regulation plan that defines the management of water outflow for Lake Ontario, influencing water levels on the lake and portions of the St. Lawrence River.
As a result, of extremely high water in 2017 and 2019, which caused damage and disruption throughout the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River system, the IJC requested a special study for an expedited review of Plan 2014. The expedited review of Plan 2014 is being performed by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee. ECCC significantly contributed to the completion of Phase 1 of the expedited review in November 2021 by:
Efforts also focused on the initiation of Phase 2 that will provide a broad examination of Plan 2014’s performance under a full range of high and low water levels conditions including the variability brought on by the changing climate.
The Niagara Board of Control does not regulate outflows, but does oversee the operations of the Grass Island Pool Control works on the Niagara River and the winter installation of the ice boom to prevent ice jams in the river. The Board also oversees the operation of the International Niagara Control Works by the Power Entities of both countries (Ontario Power Generation and New York Power Authority) to ensure that the requirements of the 1950 Niagara River Treaty are upheld and provides public communication.
The International Rainy Lake of the Woods Watershed Board monitors compliance with the Rule Curves for Namakan and Rainy lakes. ECCC supports the Board in montoiring water levels and flows and compliance with the rule curve and with water quality parameters in the Rainy River against 1965 criteria.
The Red River Watershed Board monitors water quantity and quality in the watershed. ECCC helped support hydraulic modelling of the lower Pembina River as well as with public outreach and engagement.
ECCC supports the Souris River Board by providing representation on the Committeee of Hydrology and Flow Forecasting Liaison Committee in support of apportionment calculations. NHS operates 41 hydrometric stations, 2 meteorological stations and 1 water quality station and computes and reports on apportionment 3 times per year. Similarily, ECCC operates more than 60 hydrometric stations to fulfill the responsibilities in overseeing the implementation of apportionment on the St. Mary and Milk Rivers according to the IJC’s Order of Approval in the Basin.
In the Pacific drainage basin, there are 3 IJC Boards. ECCC provides technical and engineering support to the International Osoyoos Board by monitoring and managing water levels on Osoyoos Lake which are regulated by the Zosel dam. The International Coumbia River Board of Control compiles and analyzes the effect of the operation of the Grand Coulee dam and reservoir upon water levels and streamflows on both sides of the border and the International Kootenay Lake Board of Control undertakes measurement of flow and determines compliance with the terms of the 1938 Order of Approval related to the Corra Linn Dam.
Agreement: Mackenzie River Basin Transboundary Waters Master Agreement, signed in July 1997 (Master Agreement).
Signatory Governments: Canada, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, and Yukon
Board: Mackenzie River Basin Board (MRBB)
The Master Agreement states that the waters of the Mackenzie River Basin should be managed to preserve the ecological integrity of the aquatic ecosystem and to facilitate reasonable, equitable, and sustainable use of this resource for present and future generations. It contains provisions for 7 bilateral agreements between adjacent jurisdictions in the basin. As of March 31, 2021 bilateral agreements had been completed between:
The MRBB represents all parties to the Master Agreement and administers the provisions of the Master Agreement. The MRBB has 13 members. Three members, 1 each from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Parks Canada Agency, represent the Government of Canada. Each of the 5 provincial and territorial jurisdictions in the basin appoint 1 Indigenous member and 1 government member.
The MRBB currently has 2 active committees and 1 task team that support work on duties and priorities: the State of the Aquatic Ecosystem and the Traditional Knowledge and Strengthening Partnerships Steering Committees, and the Water Quality Task Team.
Activities and accomplishments of the MRBB and the comittees and task team that supported MRBB work in 2021-2022 include the following:
A summary of ECCC monitoring operations in the Mackenzie River Basin from provincial and territorial jurisdictions follows:
Figure 9: NHS hydrometric monitoring stations within the Mackenzie River Basin
Figure 9 is a map showing the locations of active NHS hydrometric stations within the Mackenzie River Basin.
This section describes a number of key cooperation-based ecosystem approaches through which ECCC works to ensure that Canadians have access to clean, safe and healthy water, and that the country’s water resources are used wisely, both economically and ecologically. While not all of these initiatives are formalized under the Act, they do contribute to the objectives of the Act through improving the management of water resources in Canada.
ECCC’s Ecosystem Initiatives are cooperative, place-based programs designed to deliver environmental results in targeted ecosystems. The objective of the Ecosystem Initiatives is to enhance or maintain ecosystem sustainability by addressing a range of local or regional environmental challenges through partnership-based work. Local activities are coordinated by ECCC and undertaken in collaboration with a range of local partners and stakeholders that may include other federal departments, provinces and territories, regional, municipal and local governments, Indigenous peoples, federal and state governments in the United States, businesses, non‑governmental and community organizations, and colleges and universities.
The Lake Winnipeg Basin Program (LWBP) (2017-2022) is the Government of Canada’s response to addressing water quality issues in Lake Winnipeg. The LWBP aims to engage citizens, scientists, and domestic and international partners in actions to restore the ecological health of Lake Winnipeg, reduce nutrient pollution and improve water quality. It achieves this through the following 3 program priorities: collaborative governance, Indigenous engagement and nutrient reduction.
Some key program highlights from 2021-2022 include the following:
Lake Winnipeg Basin Program Science Plan
The LWBP Science Plan builds upon previous science efforts that characterized the state of Lake Winnipeg. Research is aimed at improving knowledge of nutrient export to streams and understanding impacts of climate variability and invasive species on the lake. The science plan has 4 priority areas:
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a significant amount of planned field work could not proceed and disruptions to ECCC monitoring programs continued in 2021-2022. Scientific projects in 2021-2022 focused on the following:
The LWBP also supports the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium, which operates and maintains an in-lake science platform on Lake Winnipeg, and the Canadian Watershed Information Network (CanWIN), a web-based open access data and information network, hosted by the University of Manitoba.
In addition, in 2021, watershed-based modeling efforts in the Assiniboine and Red River Basins included:
Efforts to reduce phosphorus amounts reaching Lake Winnipeg
Over the past 5 years, the LWBP contributed $7.8 million to support targeted stakeholder-driven projects that demonstrate an effective means of reducing phosphorus loading, while also increasing public knowledge and engagement on water quality issues within the basin. This includes activities such as:
Projects funded by ECCC and completed between 2010 and 2022 have prevented 318 947 kilograms of phosphorus from reaching Lake Winnipeg.
Figure 10: Estimated cumulative reduction in the amount of phosphorus reaching Lake Winnipeg, Canada April 2011 to March 2022
Figure 10 shows the estimated cumulative reduction in the amount of phosphorus reaching Lake Winnipeg as a result of projects implemented through Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Lake Winnipeg basin programming, Canada, April 2011 to March 2022.
The Great Lakes Protection Initiative is ECCC’s primary regional program targeting federal water quality and aquatic ecosystem priorities in the Great Lakes. Through the Initiative, ECCC combines science and action to address the most significant threats to Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health. Its current priorities for action include working with others to protect the Great Lakes, restoring water quality and ecosystem health in Areas of Concern, preventing toxic and nuisance algae, improving the health of coastal wetlands, identifying at-risk nearshore waters, reducing releases of harmful chemicals, engaging Indigenous peoples in addressing Great Lakes issues, and engaging the public through citizen science.
Freshwater management of the Great Lakes is a responsibility shared by multiple levels of government. To coordinate efforts on water management, restoration and protection, ECCC works in close collaboration with other implicated federal departments, the governments of Ontario and the United States, local governments, Indigenous partners and many other organizations and individuals. This is accomplished through leading and coordinating implementation of the:
Key actions completed during the 2021-2022 reporting period include:
Restoring water quality and ecosystem health in Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Areas of Concern (AOCs) are specific locations, such as rivers, harbours and embayments, where water quality and ecosystem health have been severely degraded by human activity at the local level.
In 1987, Canada and the United States designated 43 AOCs, 17 of which are in Canada, including 5 in the connecting channels shared between Canada and the United States. Three Canadian Great Lakes AOCs designated in 1987 (Collingwood Harbour, Severn Sound, and Wheatley Harbour) have been restored through the implementation of individual Remedial Action Plans for each AOC. In addition, 2 other AOCs (Jackfish Bay and Spanish Harbour) have been designated as Areas of Concern in Recovery, meaning that clean up actions have been completed and the areas need more time for the environment to recover naturally.
In addition, all beneficial uses have been restored in the Nipigon Bay AOC and it will be removed from the list upon final approval of its completion report. Efforts continue to restore the remaining 11 Areas of Concern: Peninsula Harbour, Thunder Bay, Bay of Quinte, Port Hope Harbour, Toronto and Region, Hamilton Harbour, St Lawrence River, St. Clair River, St. Marys River, Niagara River and Detroit River.
| Lake | Area of Concern | Assessment year | Status as of March 31, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior | Thunder Bay | 1991, 2012 | Area of Concern |
| Superior | Nipigon Bay | 1991 | Area of Concern |
| Superior | Jackfish Bay | 1991 | Area of Concern in Recovery |
| Superior | Peninsula Harbour | 1991, 2012 | Area of Concern |
| St. Marys River | 1992 | Area of Concern | |
| Huron | Spanish Harbour | 1993 | Area of Concern in Recovery |
| Huron | Severn Sound | 1988 | Restored Area of Concern |
| Huron | Collingwood Harbour | 1989 | Restored Area of Concern |
| St. Clair River | 1991 | Area of Concern | |
| Detroit River | 1991, 1998 | Area of Concern | |
| Erie | Wheatley Harbour | 1998 | Restored Area of Concern |
| Niagara River | 1993 | Area of Concern | |
| Ontario | Hamilton Harbour | 1992 | Area of Concern |
| Ontario | Toronto and Region | 1989 | Area of Concern |
| Ontario | Port Hope Harbour | 2003 | Area of Concern |
| Ontario | Bay of Quinte | 1990 | Area of Concern |
| Ontario | St. Lawrence | 1992 | Area of Concern |
Note: Assessment reports were published between 1988 and 1993, in what were titled Stage 1 Remedial Action Plan reports), with the exception of Wheatley Harbour and Port Hope Harbour, which were produced in 1998 and 2003, respectively. Many of these included undefined status for certain beneficial uses, and they “required further assessment”. Upon further assessment over subsequence years, what had been undefined was clarified in Remedial Action Plan status update reports. In these cases, a second year is noted as assessment year.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (2021) Great Lakes Areas of Concern Office.
There are 14 beneficial use impairments (BUIs) that are assessed in each AOC. Environmental studies and monitoring determine whether beneficial uses in an AOC are impaired and require restoration. Remedial Action Plans to restore beneficial uses are developed and implemented in cooperation with the province of Ontario, with input from First Nations, Métis, municipal governments, watershed management agencies and other local public agencies, and the public. Canada removes a BUI designation when delisting criteria established in the Remedial Action Plan have been met.
Environmental quality in all of Canada's Great Lakes Areas of Concern has improved since the restoration program began. As of March 31, 2022, of the 157 BUIs initially identified for remedial actions or further study, 96 have been resolved and removed from the list. Efforts continue to restore and assess the remaining 61.
In 2021-2022, Canada, in cooperation with the province of Ontario and other partners, continued to restore beneficial uses in AOCs and removed the following 6 BUIs initially identified for remedial actions or further study:
Examples of activities in 2021-2022 which Canada, through ECCC or others, led or supported to restore water quality and ecosystem health in Canadian AOCs include:
Scientific research and monitoring
ECCC undertakes research, modelling and monitoring to support decision making in the Great Lakes. In 2021-2022, typical monitoring science activities in the Great Lakes and connecting channels were not completed due to restrictions in place to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada conducted many science activities however, including studies on sediment plankton, fish, wildlife, and habitat to assess the current status of BUIs within Canadian AOCs. These assessments help with the design of effective remedial actions and confirm when delisting criteria have been met and beneficial uses have been restored. Many of these monitoring and assessment efforts in 2021-2022 are included in the section on AOCs above.
Science-related work included ongoing water quality assessments in the Great Lakes, the review and update of binational Lakewide Action and Management Plans, and ongoing data collection and analysis to support binational State of the Great Lakes environmental indicators and reporting.
Research tools were developed to provide daily satellite imagery to map the extent of algal blooms and for assessing the spatial/temporal trends of these blooms in Lake Erie. Studies using remote sensing and in situ observations were conducted to further develop satellite chlorophyll-retrieval algorithms. Assessments of algal blooms in the Great Lakes using satellite remote sensing were reported through the EOLakeWatch portal.
In 2021-2022, with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing the suspension of monitoring activities related to the abundance of benthics algae and dreissenid mussels, the focus remained on analysis and interpretation of existing data collected to investigate the factors contributing to excessive algal growth in the nearshore areas of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Data and syntheses were used to improve and refine integrated watershed-lake models, and informed binational task teams assessing current nutrient targets developed to control the extent of hypoxia and the wash-up of algae on shorelines.
Research efforts advanced the development of new modelling capability for understanding the effect of catchment inputs on local water quality and benthic algae (Cladophora) and improving our understanding of major drivers of variation. Improved modelling efforts were continued to assist the development of east basin nutrient objectives. Integrated watershed-lake models were further refined for Lake Erie to improve understanding of the factors responsible for hypoxia and algae.
Reducing the amount of phosphorus from reaching Lake Erie
Lake Erie frequently experiences both toxic and nuisance algae due to excess phosphorus loading resulting from a combination of physical characteristics and surrounding land use. The situation is further complicated by a changing climate, hydrological patterns and invasive species, all of which are contributing to shifting ecological systems.
The Government of Canada, the province of Ontario, and other partners are working together to address harmful algal blooms and improve the health of the lake through the Canada-Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan (LEAP). This 5-year action plan was established in 2018 with a goal to reduce phosphorus loadings by 40% from a 2008 baseline; ensure effective policies, programs and legislation; improve knowledge; educate and build awareness; improve calculation of phosphorus loads from Canadian sources; and strengthen leadership and coordination.
Through the Great Lakes Protection Initiative, ECCC also provides funding for partner-led projects that increase participation in the application of phosphorus load reduction measures by promoting and demonstrating innovative approaches and best management practices. In 2021-2022, the initiative provided $100 000 over 1 year for a partner-led project to generate a quantitative map that shows how phosphorus flows through the Ontario economy, which will allow for improved management of phosphorus losses to the environment. The Initiative also continued to provide funding support for 5 partner-led phosphorus reduction projects announced in 2020-2021 that implement activities such as:
Projects supported through the Great Lakes Protection Initiative resulted in a 20-tonne edge-of-field reduction in total annual phosphorus from Canadian sources to Lake Erie in 2021-2022. In addition, ECCC undertook a cost-benefit analysis in order to better understand the net costs of on-the-ground actions necessary to achieve the LEAP phosphorus reductions and the associated benefits.
The indicator Phosphorus loading to Lake Erie was updated in December 2021 with data up to 2020. Lake Erie phosphorus loads are publicly reported annually through various mechanisms.
Figure 11: Total estimated phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie, 2008 to 2020
Figure 11 shows estimated phosphorus loading to Lake Erie from 2008 to 2020.
Citizen Science
In 2021-2022, ECCC continued a contribution agreement with Swim Drink Fish Canada to engage Canadians in citizen science by conducting water quality monitoring of beaches and other recreational waters, enhancing citizens’ awareness of the significance of water, where water comes from, and how to use it sustainably. Swim Drink Fish Canada monitoring efforts continued on Lake Ontario in Kingston and Toronto, on Lake Huron with the Garden River First Nation, on Manitoulin Island hosted by Zhiibaahaasing First Nation, and on the eastern shores of Lake Erie in the Niagara Region. Volunteers helped coordinators collect water samples in places where people swim, boat, and hold ceremonial activities. Four-hundred-and-thirty community members participated in recreational water quality monitoring. Data collection tools were enhanced and the citizen science data collected was made available to the public through an Open Data Portal.
The St. Lawrence Action Plan is a platform for collaboration between the Canadian and Quebec governments intended to strengthen collective efforts for the integrated management of the St. Lawrence Basin, and to carry out joint actions to conserve and enhance its ecosystem. These efforts focus on 3 priorities:
The Canada-Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence (2011-2026) allows for implemention of the St. Lawrence Action Plan that covers a span of 15 years, with five-year planning cycles. This multi-year program, which has been renewed 5 times since it was first signed in 1988, has helped produce concrete results through cooperative efforts from the private sector, universities, research centres, Areas of Prime Concern committees (zones d’intervention prioritaire, known as ZIP committees), non-governmental organizations and riverside communities. The program focuses on all of the St. Lawrence River’s ecosystems and on the mouths of its main tributaries, from Lake Saint-François, straddling the border between Quebec and Ontario, to the eastern reaches of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The latest publications relating to the St. Lawrence Action Plan are:
In 2021-2022, work on projects identified in the CWA annual report for 2020-2021 continued, including:
In addition, new projects were launched with the most recent 2021-2026 programming cycle, for a total of 34 projects to be conducted under that five-year period. New projects target:
A network of governmental and non-governmental collaborators continued to conduct sampling campaigns required to obtain scientific data through the State of the St. Lawrence River Monitoring Program. However, in 2021-2022, some research activities were delayed due to the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting data collection regarding water contamination by toxins in the St. Lawrence, status of seabird populations, and water contamination by organic toxins at the mouths of the Richelieu and Yamaska rivers. Still, 2021-2022 allowed research activities to resume for the indicators that could not be monitored in 2019-2020.
Community involvement and awareness
Under the St. Lawrence Action Plan, ECCC and Quebec’s Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Fight against Climate Change (Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques du Québec) are implementing the Community Interaction Program (CIP), which provides funding to non-governmental organizations and Indigenous communities for projects that aim to conserve and enhance the ecosystem of the St. Lawrence.
In 2021-2022, ECCC distributed $435,932 in funding for 14 projects. These projects involved riverside communities, including municipalities, First Nations, and relevant provincial and federal departments. Specifically, the projects funded were intended to:
Moreover, the Areas of Prime Concern Program supports Stratégies Saint-Laurent and its 12 ZIP committees in their cohesive actions to engage and support local stakeholders working to improve the quality of the surrounding environment.
The Lake of the Woods ECCC Science Plan was executed from 2016-2020. The initiative aimed to engage citizens, scientists, and domestic and international partners, and resulted in the development of an ecosystem model to project the lake’s response to nutrient reductions, which was subsequently used to develop nutrient reduction scenarios. In 2021-2022 a review of the foundational science undertaken over the previous 4 years culminated in a multi-agency panel identifying further work to improve our understanding of the lake response to changes in nutrient inputs.
A significant amount of planned field work could not proceed during the open water season in 2021-2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, in the winter of 2021-2022, a major sampling and experimental effort was undertaken to improve our understanding of winter conditions in the lake, which will further inform future studies on the nutrient status and potential lake response. Additionally, data collected between 2016 and 2020 enabled increased effort on reporting during this time, culminating in 12 publications in the special issue on Lake of the Woods in the Journal of Great Lakes Research.
In 2021-2022, ECCC undertook a number of activities to quantify and predict local, regional, and national sensitivities of hydrological regimes and aquatic ecosystems to climate change, including:
National Hydrological Service’s Renewal Initiative and the Innovation Component
The NHS Renewal initiative was launched in the summer of 2018. This initiative involves an $89.7M investment in the NHS in 4 areas or components: forecasting water quantity, infrastructure, rebuilding capacity, and innovation. The broad objective of the innovation component is to enhance monitoring and hydrological services by evaluating and testing innovations in measurement technology and data quality management. This component has $15.5M and 21 full-time equivalent positions invested over 5 years (2018-2023).
In 2021-2022 (fourth year), the focus of the innovation component was on the following areas:
Hydrometric instrumentation, data collection and data production
At the operational level, the NHS continued investment in field technologies, including hydroacoustic equipment and advanced deployment platforms, such as bank-operated cableway systems and remote control boats, as manned cableways across the country are being decommissioned. Routine instrument quality assurance testing (both field and laboratory based) of hydroacoustic devices continued.
Work began in 2021-2022 to develop in-house tow tank capacity for routine validation testing of acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADVs), which is the device that accounts for more than 60% of all discharge measurements across Canada.
Investments also continued in the use of station cameras for monitoring site conditions, including the ice-affected period. The NHS now operates more than 90 transmitting cameras (including predominately satellite cameras and a handful of cell modem cameras), typically transmitting 1 or 2 images a day. There are also more than 200 lower-cost time-lapse cameras deployed (often seasonally), from which images are captured and then downloaded periodically at the time of a field visit. In 2021-2022, work was focused on how to support information management and dissemination plans for station images.
Through the hydrometric renewal innovation project work, the NHS is also testing the use of non-contact technology, such as surface velocity radars and cameras (using images from both drones and fixed station cameras), for improved water level and flow monitoring. In 2021-2022, 6 fixed camera-based image velocimetry and 7 surface velocity radar test sites were operating across Canada. Work at these sites were focused on data collection and validation as part of the overall assessment of these new technologies. In 2021-2022, 13 drone-based comparison measurements (a total of 27 to date) were also made, to assess the performance of drone-based discharge measurements.
Developing resiliency in data telemetry is critical. The national hydrometric monitoring network is transitioning land-based telecommunications systems to cellular or satellite services in coordination with territorial and provincial partners. Proposed installation of 2 Direct Readout Ground Stations (DRGS) for receiving Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) Data collection System (DCS) messages directly from GOES East and West satellites is continuing, contingent on long-term plans for the next generation of NOAA Geostationary satellites. The NHS is keeping abreast of emerging satellite telemetry technologies and coordinating risk analysis with other Canadian environmental monitoring agencies through an interagency telemetry working group.
The use of electronic Hydrometric Survey Notes (eHSN) to document and upload field visit information and data has become routine, and greatly improves the quality and standardization of how we document and record field visit activities. Over 13 850 individual field notes were uploaded in 2021, while the percentage of eHSN uploads increased from 26% of all field visits uploaded in 2017 to 59% in 2018 and 99.4% in 2021.
In 2021-2022, the results of a site characterization survey conducted the previous year were analyzed and significant progress was made. As of February 2022, the survey results are available for NHS internal use, but ECCC is exploring options to make it more accessible and availalble. This survey has yielded important information to optimize various aspects of the day-to-day operations of the network.
(SWOT) Mission Preparation
ECCC continued collaboration on the development of space-based monitoring technologies for hydrological monitoring in Canada with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the University of Sherbrooke, the University of California, Los Angeles and other organizations in the United States. Work focused on the Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) hydrology mission, scheduled for launch by NASA in 2022. The SWOT MOU between ECCC and CSA was extended to March 2024 to account for the delay in the anticipated SWOT satellite launch.
NHS has been working in collaboration with ECCC’s Water Science and Technology Directorate and the University of Saskatchewan, to complete development of a new facility, designed to develop and test new water sensors and drones for improved monitoring of Canadian water resources. However, SWOT team members made significant progress on several fronts including model development and hydrodynamic modelling runs at several test sites, the analysis of data collected for the North Saskatchewan River, and analysis of AirSWOT data collected in the Peace-Athabasca Delta among others.
Improving Our Understanding of Aquatic Communities
Researchers continued to advance work to better understand bacterial, algal, and macroinvertebrate diversity and their role in ecosystem health, using and adapting rapidly-developing ‘omics’ (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics) tools to enhance understanding of aquatic ecosystem processes and responses to stressors.
Quality assurance
Improvements to the quality of real-time data production have been established through the adoption of new Continuous Data Production (CDP) procedures. CDP procedures have been implemented nationally as of 2020. CDP procedures involve faster integration and processing of field observations, and the frequent monitoring of data quality and station performance. The goal of CDP is to produce better hydrometric data faster. In early 2022, initial metrics indicate that the majority of field observations are uploaded and processed by staff within 1 business day of the field visit. NHS’s CDP project was awarded the ECCC Citation of Excellence for Innovation and Guiding Change.
Updating policies and standard operating procedures for the NHS continued in 2021-2022. Investments focused on improving: national consistency, efficiency and data quality. Examples include improvements to the following standard operating procedures: performing data revisions, correcting water-level data, operating non-standard discharge monitoring stations. Additionally, there was substantial investment to develop and adopt tools to standardize the data approval workflow across the country. There was also a focus on the communication of our standards and procedures to data users, with the publication of our most requested procedures on Government of Canada Publications.
Hydrometric science and development
The NHS continued to collaborate among internal ECCC groups as well as with external government and academic partners to improve flow prediction capability under the auspices of its federal obligations related to transboundary water management. Operationalization of hydrodynamic and ecohydraulic models in rivers of federal significance also continued through collaborations with key academic partners. NHS continued efforts with academia, industry and provincial and territorial partners to facilitate the transfer of research models developed at the University of Saskatchewan to operational practitioners. NHS is working with these groups to ensure ECCC modelling tools are compatible within their operating environments for flow forecasting.
NHS also continued outreach and engagement efforts with operational practitioners from the provincial and territorial river forecasting centres. NHS also provided products and services in support of their flood forecasting and early warning activities, these are increasingly critical tools for managing water resources, reducing vulnerabilities and mitigating risks of flooding and drought across Canada. Recognizing the potential to collectively enhance these efforts through the sharing of information, experience and expertise, the NHS and its provincial and territorial partners established a ” Community of Practice on Operational Hydrological Prediction in Canada ” in the fall of 2021. By encouraging interactions, collective learning, inter-jurisdictional support and collaboration among its members, this community has the potential to result in tangible advances in hydrologic prediction capabilities and to produce positive outcomes for Canadians. The community is being co-chaired by provincial and territorial members to ensure it serves their operational prediction needs, while being supported by the NHS through the provision of secretariat services, which will also build relationships and strengthen collaboration between the river forecasting centres and ECCC.
ECCC also continued developing and enhancing its water quantity prediction capacity. The National Surface and River Prediction System, an integrated atmospheric, land surface and streamflow prediction system developed by research hydrologists from ECCC’s Meteorological Research Division (MRD) and Canadian Centre for Meteorological and Environmental Prediction (CCMEP) over the past several years, was successfully delivered to operations in the fall of 2021. An additional highlight was the recent completion and release of an updated version of the Regional Deterministic Reforecasting System (RDRS, v2.1), a reanalysis covering the period 1980-2018 for all of North America and providing a source of continuous historical data describing the main meteorological variables required for land surface and hydrology applications, such as near-surface air temperature and precipitation. These ongoing efforts at increasing capacity allow ECCC to respond to rising demands for timely, reliable hydrologic prediction information in Canada, and offer a variety of prediction products and services to enhance federal hydrometric and transboundary water management activities, as well as assist the provinces and territories, and thereby local governments, with their flood and/or drought forecasting.
These products also support NHS modelling activities for transboundary studies, and more recently have been investigated and applied in support of hydrometric operations. Through ongoing coordination between the NHS and MRD, the NHS’ support of a community-based version of the National Surface and River Prediction System (NSRPS) via the “Modélisation Environnementale communautaire - Surface Hydrology” (MESH) model allows ECCC to continue efforts at maintaining and providing updated versions of its operational land surface and flow modelling systems to academic partners, such as Université Laval and Université de Sherbrooke, for continued mutually-beneficial innovation.
Hydrometric Monitoring Needs Index
Continuing on previous years of analysis of monitoring needs and network capabilities, the hydrometric needs index was refined again in 2021-2022 to focus on 5 over-arching themes: (i) safe and resilient communities; (ii) natural resource economies; (iii) cryosphere; (iv) Indigenous obligations; and (v) monitoring for climate change. Open source geospatial data sets were combined along with network capacity metrics (including: ecozone density, catchment density, and information density) to qualify and rank monitoring gaps in each province and territory. Now that a gap analysis framework has been developed it can be refined and employed by NHS and by partners when required.
Outreach
NHS supports openness and interoperability of information and data access across various systems. Through the joint effort of NHS and MSC Geospatial Web Service team, the real-time hydrometric data is now available via the MSC GeoMet API, facilitating automatic downloading of real-time data in OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standard format via scripting (last 30 days data).
For several years, researchers and scientists at ECCC and many partner organizations have used atmospheric and weather data as input for day-to-day operational forecasting models, and hydrologic data collected under the hydrometric agreements as input for hydrologic models. These models demonstrate how regional hydrometeorological modelling can help improve water resources management.
Great Lakes
ECCC collaborates with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to operationalize various modelling systems for historical analysis of the water balance in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River system.
In 2021-2022, ECCC continued to improve methods for coupled hydrometeorological modelling and prediction systems under an expanded environmental prediction framework. These efforts enable an improved understanding of interactions between the atmosphere, land surface, basin stream network and the Great Lakes themselves, and support ongoing critical monitoring, multiple forecasting initiatives, and overall improved water management activities in the region. As an example of the uses of these systems, ECCC continues to support and collaborate with NOAA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a statistical model that determines the most likely values for the water balance components, and which continues to be run every month using input from ECCC U.S. numerical modelling systems. Research is continuing so that this technique will lead to improved coordinated values of the components of the Great Lakes net basin supply, increase our understanding of the hydrological functions and improve forecasting of Great Lakes water levels. Methods for using a combination of the ECCC Canadian Precipitation Analysis (CaPA) and various NOAA precipitation analyses to replace the currently coordinated precipitation product have been evaluated. The next step is to operationalize the merged product on both sides of the border.
ECCC continues to provide support in verification of flows through the Great Lakes connecting channels in collaboration with USACE and USGS. Binational field verification measurements in the St. Marys, St. Clair, Detroit, Niagara and St. Lawrence Rivers were limited due to restrictions on travel across the U.S. – Canada border in 2021-2022, however verification analysis of past measurements continued. ECCC efforts continued to ensure quality assurance and Canada-U.S. coordination of connecting channels hydrometric station measurements. Measurement accuracy of Great Lake connecting channel flows continue to support development of water balance prediction models and accounting for binational water use.
Under the Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data, a comprehensive plan to update the International Great Lakes Datum of 1985 (vertical datum) for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system was developed. An extensive binational field survey that was planned for 2020 was postponed until 2022 due to travel restrictions in place to respond to COVID-19. The update is now anticipated to be completed by 2027.
International rivers
In 2021-2022, ECCC played a lead role in the Lake Champlain-Richelieu River Study, with the completion of an integrated modelling tool (ISEE-Integrated Socio-Economic and Environmental system) that allows for a robust quantitative analysis of mitigation solutions for both sides of the US and Canada border. Numerous performance indicators (PI) were integrated in ISEE. These PIs, developed in collaboration with experts, are covering the environment, flood damage and population vulnerability. Several flood mitigation solutions were proposed and assessed with ISEE for quantification of their impact. These results were used directly and within cost-benefit analyses to help the study board in its decision.
ECCC continued to play a key role in the Souris River Study to examine potential improvements to the operation of several dams in Saskatchewan and North Dakota for both flood control and water supply purposes. The study created and analyzed alternative simulations for reservoir operations to optimize flood control and water supply while also considering the interests of other stakeholders and rights-holders in the basin (e.g., recreation, water quality, fish and wildlife, culture). In 2021-2022, work also continued on the climate change component of the study whereby the impacts of a changing climate was tested through global climate models, and trend and non-stationarity analysis. The study included a number of workshops and meetings with the public, regulatory agencies and First Nations. The study strengthened a process with the IJC to develop long-term relationships with First Nations with interests in the basin. The International Souris River Study Board submitted its final report to the International Joint Commission on September 21, 2021. The final report reviewed dam operating rules, improved the understanding of flooding in the basin, and recommended potential changes to the operating plan to reduce risks of flooding and other water uses in the Souris River basin.
Three-dimensional modelling of in situ contaminant distributions was completed for a St. Marys River sediment deposit, confirming a consistent improvement in sediment quality over time.
Arctic
ECCC led the Arctic Hydrological Cycle Observing System (HYCOS) initiative, which focused on assessing freshwater flux into the Arctic Ocean. In 2021-2022, the dynamic public web portal was finalized and officially launched allowing global users to display, filter and download streamflow and other data for all hydrometric stations in the Arctic-HYCOS network, according to extended metadata criteria. The first phase of the Arctic-HYCOS Project is complete. Planning for the second phase has commenced and a work plan will be developed in 2022-2023. Overall this work supports Arctic science across multiple domains as well as World Meteorological Organization initiatives.
Global
ECCC supported the restructuring of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 2021-2022. The NHS advised the Canadian WMO permanent representative at the WMO Executive council and the extraordinary congress in June and October 2021 respectively, to support new WMO hydrology initiatives including:
The new focus on water within the WMO governance structure aims to integrate water data into Earth System science and services to deliver on 8 long-term UN water ambitions. Canada supports this new focus through continued engagement with WMO on water initiatives at a global, regional (Region IV) and national level.
The Government of Canada’s Water website provides content on ECCC’s water-related activities and program areas as well as general information on a wide range of water-related topics and the full text of key water publications (such as the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River water levels ). In addition, the site provides links to laws and regulations.
ECCC’s Wateroffice website provides public access to real-time and archived hydrometric data collected in Canada.
ECCC’s Meteorological Services of Canada Datamart provides access to weather, climate and water data as static files using open file formats.
ECCC's Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program provides data and information to track Canada's performance on key environmental sustainability issues including climate change and air quality, water quality and availability, and protecting nature. The environmental indicators are based on objective and comprehensive information and convey environmental trends in a straightforward and transparent manner. CESI provides this data on 2 platforms:
Federal Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance data is available through various mechanisms:
To obtain further information or publications and to submit questions or comments concerning the Canada Water Act , please contact ECCC’s Inquiry Centre.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Public Inquiries Centre
7 th Floor, Fontaine Building
200 Sacré-Coeur Boulevard
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
Telephone: 819-938-3860
Toll Free: 1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
The following media relations contact is also available to provide information.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Media Relations
Toll-free within Canada: 1-888-908-8008
Outside Canada: 1-819-934-8008
Email: media@ec.gc.ca
A geographic information system service
Reference: Water Security Agency – 2021 Conditions at Freeze-up Report and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-Canadian Drought Monitor
Reference: Manitoba Infrastructure-Hydrologic Forecast Centre – 2021 Manitoba Basins Fall Conditions Report and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-Canadian Drought Monitor
Water quality is evaluated at an additional 134 monitoring sites across Canada. These additional sites are not included in the calculations because they do not meet the minimum data requirements detailed in the section below, or because including them would over represent the region.
RIM involves regular assessment of the risks to and vulnerabilities of transboundary aquifers, and use of the assessment to classify each transboundary aquifer. The classification assigned to each aquifer determines the nature of management actions.
A “braided approach” involves bringing together Indigenous knowledge and scientific information as multiple lines of evidence, without comparison or integration of one knowledge system into the other. The 2021 SOAER consists of a three-part braid, where the strands represent Indigenous knowledge, science, and the co-created story about the Mackenzie River Basin as told through the 2 knowledge systems.
