[{"id":"30d3518f-10f3-4810-84b8-8541724bdf43","created_at":"2025-07-09T19:23:24.154Z","updated_at":"2026-07-08T18:29:36.823Z","owner_id":"551847ae-ae74-4355-8f4f-49b8ca66bb79","name":"Mellor Gang","program_name":null,"description":"We are a family of paddlers recruiting other water rangers from around Ontario and beyond.\r\n\r\nOur HQ is situated in Carleton Place, Ontario. Lots of testing on Mississippi river and Georgian Bay, among others.","short_description":"We are a family of paddlers recruiting other water rangers from around Ontario and beyond.","slug":"mellor-gang","primary_country":null,"state":null,"nearest_town_city":null,"street_address":"Carleton, ON\r\nCanada","contact_details":"cttlmellor@gmail.com","email":"cttlmellor@gmail.com","phone":"","website":""},{"id":"5d44fe0c-0705-4645-9d30-efcd6c38757a","created_at":"2025-08-22T14:45:41.321Z","updated_at":"2026-07-13T19:25:16.519Z","owner_id":"aafb10d1-d353-4ddc-a8c9-23ee0b3ac856","name":"Salt Spring Island Water Preservation Society (SSI WPS)","program_name":null,"description":"Working under the auspices of the SSIWPS the SSIFWC project objectives are:\r\n- raise community awareness of Salt Spring Island’s surface\r\nfreshwater diversity\r\n- gather data for Salt Spring Island freshwater resource quantification and quality work\r\n- develop (watershed) community preservation/management\r\nactivities as appropriate\r\n\r\nThe SSIFWC project supports the\r\n“engage in and to otherwise promote the scientific study of and research into water resources” aspect of the WPS.  ","short_description":"The SSIFWC project supports the “engage in and to otherwise promote the scientific study of and research into water resources” aspect of the WPS.  ","slug":"salt-spring-island-water-preservation-society-ssi-wps","primary_country":null,"state":null,"nearest_town_city":null,"street_address":"PO Box 555\r\nGanges, Salt Spring Island, BC \r\nCanada\r\nV8K 2W3","contact_details":"jamssiwater@gmail.com","email":"ssiwps@gmail.com","phone":"","website":"http://www.ssiwaterpreservationsociety.cahttp://www.ssiwaterpreservationsociety.ca/freshwater-catalogue.html"},{"id":"5c583162-d98b-40b6-b124-0cecdf285c65","created_at":"2025-09-04T19:09:45.157Z","updated_at":"2026-07-08T19:08:29.120Z","owner_id":"81f29032-8ce6-459b-a7ff-ddce39566029","name":"The WaterWealth Project","program_name":null,"description":"Upper Fraser Valley, primarily Chilliwack. Some geographic overlap with the Vedder River portion of the Chilliwack River Valley Group.","short_description":"Upper Fraser Valley, primarily Chilliwack.","slug":"the-waterwealth-project","primary_country":"Canada","state":"BC","nearest_town_city":"Chilliwack","street_address":"Chilliwack, BC\r\nCanada","contact_details":"\r\nProgram Director Ian Stephen\r\nPhone:\t604-791-0226\r\nEmail:\tian@waterwealthproject.com","email":"ian@waterwealthproject.com","phone":"604-791-0226","website":"www.waterwealthproject.com"},{"id":"6a79c9b5-44d8-4ce5-99d9-e9de5f48ee90","created_at":"2025-09-04T19:14:26.014Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T19:03:20.520Z","owner_id":"2dc64d05-d0e9-454a-9faa-1e25e476e49e","name":"Robertson Lake","program_name":null,"description":"Data for complementary data to MVCA collected with the Water Rangers Testkit by volunteers.","short_description":"","slug":"robertson-lake","primary_country":"Canada","state":"Ontario","nearest_town_city":"Lavant","street_address":"","contact_details":"","email":"","phone":"","website":""},{"id":"274be659-b56e-415f-a999-bdbf02eec1aa","created_at":"2025-09-02T19:54:14.889Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T19:38:10.855Z","owner_id":"5bc24874-3537-48e9-b2a7-ac2f81da1020","name":"Upper Rideau Lake Association","program_name":null,"description":"The Upper Rideau Lake Association (URLA)is a non-profit volunteer organization of seasonal and permanent residents, holiday lake users, and residents of the village of Westport, interested in promoting and protecting the natural environment of the Upper Rideau.","short_description":"We are involved in Water quality, Environmental Programs, Fisheries Studies, Monitoring of aquatic vegetation and exotic weed growth, Projects to address nutrient abatement and Research programs that ","slug":"upper-rideau-lake-association","primary_country":"Canada","state":"ON","nearest_town_city":"Perth","street_address":null,"contact_details":"David Counter","email":"dcounter1@me.com","phone":"613 200-8676","website":"https://upperrideaulakeassoc.wordpress.com/"},{"id":"8507d9da-5987-43b1-ac8a-81e52050f289","created_at":"2025-07-09T19:56:22.207Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T16:55:47.161Z","owner_id":"c306386a-8d65-45c0-8e24-fa8b61e7daeb","name":"Muskrat Watershed Council","program_name":null,"description":"Our mission is to use science-based knowledge to engage with people and communities on efforts to identify and reduce nutrient loading from all sources on the Muskrat Watershed. Also, our goal is to improve water quality on the Watershed.","short_description":"Our mission is to use science-based knowledge to engage with people and communities on efforts to identify and reduce nutrient loading from all sources on the Muskrat Watershed.","slug":"muskrat-watershed-council","primary_country":null,"state":null,"nearest_town_city":null,"street_address":"P.O. Box 317 44 Main Street \r\nCobden, ON\r\nCanada\r\nK0J 1K0 ","contact_details":"","email":"info@muskratwatershedcouncil.com","phone":"","website":"https://www.muskratwatershedcouncil.com/"},{"id":"351a4a60-5a01-48de-9a59-14c162059064","created_at":"2025-08-29T21:20:18.844Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T18:56:20.617Z","owner_id":"713cf35f-6519-4b0c-a82e-6139b8281f55","name":"Protect Our Waters","program_name":null,"description":"2 amazing people trying to keep our water clean and safe. Our passion is water.","short_description":"2 amazing people trying to keep our water clean and safe. Our passion is water.","slug":"protect-our-waters","primary_country":null,"state":null,"nearest_town_city":null,"street_address":"Ottawa, Ontario","contact_details":"Cale Jackson or Jennifer Valentine \r\n","email":"jennvalen@hotmail.com","phone":"","website":""},{"id":"2ac882f8-2c88-4854-be72-a1cee643173e","created_at":"2025-09-04T19:22:00.361Z","updated_at":"2026-06-09T19:08:02.392Z","owner_id":"e9dd0d41-8672-4bb6-832e-69bb67217493","name":"Vattenvetarna, Malmö Museer","program_name":null,"description":"Vattenvetarna is a Project at the Malmö Museums. We want to inspire kids and teenagers to get out in the field and explore water everywhere! We work with both schools and the public, and our focus lies on ages 7-16. But to join this group on WaterRangers, everyone is welcome to be a Citizen scientist!","short_description":"Vattenvetarna is a Project at Malmö Museums. We want to inspire kids and teenagers to get out in the field and explore water everywhere! ","slug":"vattenvetarna-malmo-museer","primary_country":"Sweden","state":"M","nearest_town_city":"Malmö","street_address":null,"contact_details":"+46723681718\r\nfelicia.osterlund@malmo.se","email":"felicia.osterlund@malmo.se","phone":"+46723681718","website":"https://malmo.se/vattenvetarklubben"},{"id":"fc583048-1264-47ef-900a-7c5dbc86b7cd","created_at":"2025-09-02T20:15:58.377Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T19:01:47.071Z","owner_id":"69731733-0872-41ca-8254-6f5c9ddd7bbe","name":"Bonnechere River Watershed","program_name":null,"description":"Lake Clear Watch endeavors to protect, conserve and enhance the water quality and biodiversity of the lake and its catchment area. Lake stewards have been monitoring the lake for total phosphorus and clarity since the early 1980s in the provincial Lake Partners program. Lake Clear Watch is part of the Bonnechere River Watershed Project (BRWP) Watch program which in turn is part of Ottawa Riverkeeper's Riverwatch group.","short_description":"Lake Clear Watch endeavors to protect, conserve and enhance the water quality and biodiversity of the lake and its catchment area.","slug":"bonnechere-river-watershed","primary_country":"","state":"","nearest_town_city":"","street_address":"Raglan St S, Renfrew, OntarioCanadaK7V 4G7","contact_details":"john.almstedt@sympatico.ca\r\ninfo@bonnechereriver.ca","email":"info@bonnechereriver.ca","phone":"","website":"https://www.bonnechereriver.ca/"},{"id":"587bfddb-f0eb-4bbd-8ef3-628988268d24","created_at":"2025-07-09T15:15:25.314Z","updated_at":"2026-06-09T18:54:07.729Z","owner_id":"5cbf785f-2b87-43d8-810b-ee5089deabdf","name":"KAN Water Rangers","program_name":null,"description":"Knowlesville Art & Nature (KAN) Centre is a not-for-profit rural learning centre based in South Knowlesville, Carleton County, New Brunswick. The mission of the centre is to provide a space where the community can gather, learn, dream and explore creative projects that enrich the social fabric and environmental stewardship of the area.\r\nThe KAN School is committed to fostering a nature-based, holistic, and connected learning environment.\r\nWe have deep respect our natural environment and love enjoying our water ways. We are excited to be a part of monitoring and protecting the water bodies in our beautiful area","short_description":"A group of students, parents, teachers, and community residents concerned about the health of our waterways.","slug":"kan-water-rangers","primary_country":"Canada","state":"NB","nearest_town_city":"Knowlesville","street_address":"","contact_details":"Jenna Ross or Tegan Wong-Daugherty","email":"admin@knowlesvillenature.ca","phone":"506-375-6400","website":"www.knowlesvillenature.ca"},{"id":"c2cbfb05-5368-4bc5-960c-4c27881e3d1b","created_at":"2025-07-16T20:44:56.373Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T19:36:29.244Z","owner_id":"052a0619-7e25-4a41-998c-8455bd77cf67","name":"City of Ottawa","program_name":null,"description":"Water Quality in Ottawa’s Rivers and Streams is monitored by the City of Ottawa’s Water Environment Protection Program (WEPP) to provide up-to-date information on the condition of Ottawa’s surface water resources. Data was accessed through Ottawa City’s Open Source Data platform.","short_description":"Water Quality in Ottawa’s Rivers and Streams is monitored by the City of Ottawa’s Water Environment Protection Program to provide up-to-date information on the condition of Ottawa’s surface water.","slug":"city-of-ottawa","primary_country":null,"state":null,"nearest_town_city":null,"street_address":"Ottawa, Ontario","contact_details":"WEPP@ottawa.ca","email":"WEPP@ottawa.ca","phone":"","website":"https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/environment-conservation-and-climate/protecting-ottawas-waterways#section-5e94d42c-1909-4446-82cd-da33938899ab"},{"id":"e64e5e94-53e8-485e-aa64-e5c622d5a44c","created_at":"2025-08-21T20:16:44.066Z","updated_at":"2026-06-09T18:57:48.696Z","owner_id":"a4af839d-a40e-40ba-8de9-3198ed409f59","name":"A.R.M.I","program_name":null,"description":"Nous sommes un regroupement de riverains, localisés aux abords de la Rivière Magog entre les barrages Rock Forest et Drummond, ayant à coeur la préservation de cette belle rivière qui coule jusqu'au centre de la ville de Sherbrooke.","short_description":"Nous sommes un regroupement de riverains, localisés aux abords de la Rivière Magog entre les barrages Rock Forest et Drummond, ayant à coeur la préservation de cette belle rivière. ","slug":"a-r-m-i","primary_country":"Canada","state":"QC","nearest_town_city":"sherbrooke","street_address":"Sherbrooke, QC","contact_details":"Courriel: Magog.river@gmail.com\r\nFaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Association.Riviere.Magog/?fref=ts","email":"magog.river@gmail.com","phone":"","website":"http://associationrivieremagog.org/"},{"id":"a2e4dca7-7752-4915-af47-dd878b625b6d","created_at":"2025-09-04T19:19:32.334Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T18:34:01.473Z","owner_id":"22adad71-926e-4357-842e-a1abdd628816","name":"PFEA/Tijuana Waterkeeper","program_name":null,"description":"Tijuana Waterkeeper is hosted by Proyecto Fronterizo de Educación Ambiental, A.C. (PFEA), a leading local environmental advocacy organization established in 1991 in Tijuana, Baja California, México and dedicated to promoting conservation and sustainability. PFEA/Tijuana Waterkeeper focuses on influencing environmental policy-making and engaging local communities in activities that contribute to safeguarding coastal and riparian ecosystems in the Tijuana River watershed.","short_description":"Tijuana Waterkeeper is hosted by Proyecto Fronterizo de Educación Ambiental, A.C. (PFEA), a leading local environmental advocacy organization established in 1991.","slug":"pfea-tijuana-waterkeeper","primary_country":"Mexico","state":"BCN","nearest_town_city":"Tijuana","street_address":"Volcán # 632, Secc. Monumental, Playas de Tijuana, \r\nTijuana, Baha California\r\nMexico","contact_details":"","email":"info@pfea.org","phone":"","website":"https://pfea.org/"},{"id":"90221bea-389b-4c30-a939-6cbfcd4f23a8","created_at":"2025-08-06T19:51:41.409Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T19:32:39.452Z","owner_id":"eb076b90-d5e1-42f2-be10-afd800a0b576","name":"Fraser Riverkeeper","program_name":null,"description":"The Vancouver Water Monitoring Program, formerly known as the False Creek Water Monitoring Program, is a year-round, citizen-science initiative. Launched in the summer of 2018, the project focuses on testing and making public the recreational water quality data in the heart of Vancouver. The primary purpose of the program is the protection of public health from contaminated water with the goal of providing the public with current, reliable water quality data.\r\n\r\nEach week, a team of staff and volunteers records observations about water quality and collects water samples at multiple locations in and around False Creek. ","short_description":"The Vancouver Water Monitoring Program, formerly known as the False Creek Water Monitoring Program, is a year-round, citizen-science initiative. Launched in the summer of 2018. ","slug":"fraser-riverkeeper","primary_country":"Canada","state":"BC","nearest_town_city":"Vancouver","street_address":"1111 W Hastings St, 600\r\nVancouver, BC \r\nV6E 2J3","contact_details":"info@fraserriverkeeper.ca\r\n\r\n(416) 861-1237","email":"isabel@swimdrinkfish.ca","phone":"(416) 861-1237","website":"https://www.fraserriverkeeper.ca/watermonitoring"},{"id":"e0ffa259-9f12-44f5-b43e-6f2e46d482a6","created_at":"2025-09-02T20:44:57.164Z","updated_at":"2026-07-08T19:30:53.465Z","owner_id":"20cf53db-dabe-40ac-90f8-7d6eaedf7bc5","name":"Couchiching Conservancy","program_name":null,"description":"The Couchiching Conservancy is a Charitable Non-Profit  Land Trust supported by individuals like you – people who want to ensure that special natural places are safeguarded for the future.\r\n\r\nOur mandate is to protect the special natural features of the Couchiching Region for present and future generations.\r\n\r\nStewarding 9,000 acres spread out over 24 properties is a big job, and we rely on trained teams of volunteers to help us monitor and maintain conservancy lands.  In 2015 we established a Water Quality Monitoring Progam that has been such a success it has served as the template for a much larger citizen science initiative.  To learn more, visit our website and click on \"Volunteer\".   \r\n\r\nCentral Ontario:  City of Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Severn, & Ramara Township, and the City of Kawartha Lakes.","short_description":"The Couchiching Conservancy is a Charitable Non-Profit  Land Trust supported by individuals like you – people who want to ensure that special natural places are safeguarded for the future.","slug":"couchiching-conservancy","primary_country":"Canada","state":"ON","nearest_town_city":"Orillia","street_address":"Box 704\r\nOrillia, ON \r\nL3V 6K7\r\n\r\n","contact_details":"Aiesha Aggarwal\r\naiesha@couchconservancy.ca\r\n","email":"aiesha@couchconservancy.ca","phone":"","website":"http://www.couchichingconserv.ca/"},{"id":"9ae92894-3b13-4235-a4d8-f6d95be2336c","created_at":"2025-07-09T19:48:48.301Z","updated_at":"2026-06-09T18:54:16.296Z","owner_id":"34142b99-74d4-4dd1-ad54-56a1aa335724","name":"Mountain Lake Community Association and Watershed Advisory Group","program_name":null,"description":"Mountain Lake Community Association and Watershed Advisory Group (MLCA & WAG) is the oldest and largest not for profit environmental organization in Warren County. Founded in 1967 and celebrating over 50 years, the group now sustains an annual membership of over 100 households.\r\n\r\nVision statement: Clean, safe water, a healthy watershed, and an educated citizenry\r\n\r\nMission Statement: To promote the conservation, preservation, and improvement of the Mountain Lake Watershed and to raise the awareness of all those who experience it so they share in the responsibility of helping sustain it.\r\n\r\n\r\nThe 3,600 acre Mountain Lake Watershed lies entirely in Liberty Township.  It includes Warren County’s largest (122 acres), natural, glacial lake, Mountain Lake.  The organization literally grew up around the lake with local property owners forming the backbone of the group.  Around 2000, as the watershed movement was beginning to take hold, By Laws were rewritten to reflect that greater perspective.  The MLCA was incorporated in 1967, received IRS non-profit status in 2004.  The group maintains affiliations with the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS), New Jersey Coalition of Lake Associations (NJ COLA), Paulinskill-Pequest Watershed Association and The Ridge and Valley Conservancy.","short_description":"The Mountain Lake Community Association and Watershed Advisory Group of Liberty Township, Warren County, New Jersey.","slug":"mountain-lake-community-association-and-watershed-advisory-group","primary_country":"United States","state":"NJ","nearest_town_city":"Belvidere","street_address":"Warren County, New Jersey\r\nUSA","contact_details":"","email":"mlca.wag@gmail.com","phone":"","website":"http://http://mlcawag.org/"},{"id":"20baf681-82d1-4859-9739-c960fef67bfd","created_at":"2025-09-02T20:02:16.973Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T18:58:11.208Z","owner_id":"f403f949-1eb3-4e84-ba4f-becc94af7885","name":"Raisin Region Conservation Authority","program_name":null,"description":"The RRCA was established on October 10, 1963 and included the Raisin River watershed and its tributaries. It was enlarged on February 29, 1968 to include Hoople Creek, Riviere Delisle and Riviere au Beaudet. The most recent enlargement occurred in 2003, with the addition of the headwaters of the Rigaud River within the Township of North Glengarry.\r\n\r\nThe impetus for establishing the RRCA was to address local land use conditions such as flooding, poor farm drainage, and the provision of water supplies from the St. Lawrence River. The core business of the RRCA is flood control, plan review, habitat management and enhancement, water quality monitoring and reporting and pollution prevention. \r\n\r\nActive in the following areas:\r\nNorth Glengarry\r\nSouth Glengarry \r\nNorth Stormont\r\nSouth Stormont\r\nCity of Cornwall","short_description":"The RRCA was established on October 10, 1963 and included the Raisin River watershed and its tributaries.","slug":"raisin-region-conservation-authority","primary_country":"Canada","state":"ON","nearest_town_city":"North Glengarry","street_address":"18045 County Road 2\r\nP.O. Box 429\r\nCornwall ON \r\nCanada\r\nK6H 5T2\r\n\r\n","contact_details":"613-938-3611\r\nsupport@rrca.on.ca\r\ninfo@rrca.on.ca\r\n","email":"info@rrca.on.ca","phone":"613-938-3611","website":"https://www.rrca.on.ca/"},{"id":"aa229959-da5f-47cd-ac07-5c62179a5d78","created_at":"2025-07-16T17:34:43.078Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T19:43:58.233Z","owner_id":"eaed6d27-bae3-4dc7-b469-cea16453f125","name":"Wemindji Youth","program_name":null,"description":"Water Wonders: Empowering connections between youth, water, culture, tradition and technology","short_description":"Water Wonders: Empowering connections between youth, water, culture, tradition and technology.","slug":"wemindji-youth","primary_country":"Canada","state":"QC","nearest_town_city":"Wemindji","street_address":"","contact_details":"","email":"","phone":"","website":""},{"id":"1514219b-96ae-4319-806c-772f6aed91f8","created_at":"2025-09-04T19:19:07.743Z","updated_at":"2026-07-09T19:45:55.606Z","owner_id":"4523b067-1f47-40f7-9327-cfbdb8b12c8f","name":"White Lake","program_name":null,"description":"THE WHITE LAKE PRESERVATION PROJECT: our goal is, in concert with as many property owners and interested individuals as possible,  to collect information on the condition of the lake, to identify areas of vulnerability and to implement stewardship programs, land use planning and policy approaches to protect and improve its condition.\r\n\r\nAssessing the health of White Lake is a complex issue which requires scientifically gathered data and expert interpretation of this data. However, nature has a clever way of summarizing all of this data and\r\nmaking it obvious to us when things are not going well. She does this by creating algal blooms when the nutrient content of the lake water becomes too high. Although the presence of algae in a lake is normal and beneficial to aquatic life, excess algae in the form of algal blooms can in some cases produce toxins harmful to us and can even cause serious illness if ingested. White Lake is now experiencing some of these toxic algal blooms, one of which was documented in 2014 and again in 2015. Algal blooms can also be detrimental to fish life and make the lake unattractive due to poor water colour, lack of\r\ntransparency, and the sight of strings of algae clinging to rocks and vegetation. Left untended, a lake could enter a phase of decay where dangerous algal blooms occur frequently and eventually lead to the\r\n'death' of the lake itself. Is there cause to worry about White Lake? White Lake is a shallow lake with an average depth of 10 ft (3.1 M) and a surface area of 22.7 square kilometres. The watershed feeding water into White Lake is only 211 square kilometres, which is a relatively small area of forest and farmland providing water to the lake. As it turns out, White Lake is flushed with new water each year by only 90% of its volume. Most lakes are flushed by several lake volumes per year. This means that over the course of a year, some lake water is not flushed out of White Lake resulting in the year over year accumulation of nutrients and other materials in the lake. Over its entire surface area, 90.7% of White Lake has been designated as littoral, which means that most of the lake is comprised of marshes or areas considered as shoreline subject to wave action and/or the dense growth of water plants. Consequently, White Lake is classified as a biologically productive lake which is one that produces large quantities of algae, phytoplankton, zooplankton, water plants and aquatic animals such as fish. This can be a good thing unless the lake becomes too productive; then it begins to fill up or, in technical terms, becomes eutrophic. Phosphorus (P) is an element essential to aquatic life, but in excess can cause serious negative consequences for a lake ecosystem. Phosphorus concentration levels in a healthy lake should range between 5 and about 15 parts per billion (ppb). Although P measurements have been taken in White Lake for many years, these measurements have not been done in a systematic manner and not at locations representing the entire lake surface. The White Lake Preservation Project (WLPP) has begun a Water Quality Monitoring Program consisting of systematic monthly sampling for P. Five separate locations spanning the entire lake are to be monitored during 2015. Other chemical parameters such as oxygen content, temperature, and chlorophyll a (a measure of algae concentrations), plus several other parameters will also be monitored. In 2014 one site, which was monitored throughout the spring to fall months, showed that P concentrations continuously rise during the summer and peak in the early fall with concentrations exceeding 20 ppb (this was a new finding). At this P concentration, the lake is considered to be becoming eutrophic. The WLPP monitoring program should shed light on any year to year trends in P levels as well as provide insights into the sources and eventual fate of P entering White\r\nLake. \r\n\r\nShortly after ice break-up in the spring, P levels measured in the lake are about 10 ppb. When taking into account the volume of White Lake (75 million cubic metres) and a concentration of 10 ppb of P, one can easily calculate that there are about 750 kg of P in White Lake waters at that time. By late summer, the total amount of P in the lake has increased by more than a factor of 2.\r\nPhosphorous is a common element and can find its way into the lake from many sources, both natural and as a result of human activity. Natural P sources include airborne dust and pollen, the dissolution of P-containing rocks, rainwater run-off, erosion, back loading from sediments, and the occasional breach of a large beaver dam. Humans can also contribute significant amounts of P to the lake. Domestic septic systems and most commercial sewage treatment plants do not remove P, which then leaves the treatment system and eventually migrates to the lake, especially if there are no trees or shrubs present between the septic system and the lake to absorb released P. The P in these septic systems comes from P-containing detergents and cleansers and from human waste. Other man-made sources include fertilizers, and pet and farm animal waste.\r\n\r\nPhosphorus from all sources concentrates in the bottom sediments of lakes which can contain P levels many times higher than the water above. Release of sediment-bound P occurs when the oxygen content of water above the sediments is low and nearing zero as a result of oxygen consumption due to the decay of algae and vegetation and also when there is a low turnover from bottom to surface waters. Conditions such as these have been recently measured at the entrance to Pickerel Bay where P levels in the water have been recorded as high as 60 ppb, which is three times the acceptable level for freshwater lakes. The disturbance of lake sediments in shallow areas of the lake by boats, and shoreline erosion from the wakes of fast, large, and wake-boarding boats operating too close to the shoreline can also release sediment bound P into the lake water.\r\n\r\nThe Lakeshore Capacity Assessment Handbook (Govt. of Ontario) provides estimates for human contributions of P to lakes based on the number of cottages, permanent residences, resorts, etc. found\r\non lakes. White lake has over 400 cottages plus 7 resorts, campgrounds and trailer parks. Based on the estimates provided by the Handbook, we can calculate that more than 500 kg of P enters the lake from\r\nhuman contributions each year. Although this number is an estimate only and needs refinement, it does illustrate that by our actions we can make the difference between having a healthy lake or a eutrophic\r\none.\r\n\r\nWhite Lake is by its very nature a sensitive lake. Many government and biological assessment reports going back to the 1970s state that White Lake is eutrophic and needs to be cared for by those who use it\r\nand enjoy it. We cannot influence natures input of P to White Lake, but there is much we can do to limit ours and thus protect its natural beauty. Restoring the natural shoreline, eliminating the use of fertilizers and P containing products, requiring septic system inspections and upgrades, preventing shoreline erosion and controlling development along the shoreline can contribute to keeping the lake in good condition. Calculating the capacity of White Lake for supporting further development as well as writing a lake plan will provide a roadmap for further action by the WLPP and all concerned citizens. In addition, all four townships which border White Lake need to collaborate and harmonize bylaws on issues related to the lake and they also need to carefully scrutinize any development plans which could threaten White Lake, which after all belongs to all of us as well as to future generations. \r\n\r\nNote: All the data, interpretation and documentation presented in this report can be found on the WLPP website at www.WLPP.ca","short_description":"THE WHITE LAKE PRESERVATION PROJECT: our goal is, to collect information on the condition of the lake, to identify areas of vulnerability and to implement stewardship programs.","slug":"white-lake","primary_country":null,"state":null,"nearest_town_city":null,"street_address":"White Lake, ON\r\nCanada\r\nK0A 3L0","contact_details":"","email":"cjgregoire999@gmail.com","phone":"","website":"https://wlpoa.ca/"},{"id":"4dcdc82a-8d4a-4b02-84ea-d41cca4b4410","created_at":"2025-06-18T20:13:47.387Z","updated_at":"2026-06-09T18:53:45.377Z","owner_id":"3cf0bbab-0eea-497f-a6ce-bfc2624ea5eb","name":"Castlegar Columbia River Water Keepers","program_name":null,"description":"This is an open group of inspired individuals who would like to contribute to the water testing in the main tributaries to the Columbia River in the Castlegar area. Open to all interested people in the region. ","short_description":"This is an open group of inspired individuals who would like to contribute to the water testing in the main tributaries to the Columbia River in the Castlegar area.","slug":"castlegar-columbia-river-water-keepers","primary_country":"Canada","state":"BC","nearest_town_city":"CASTLEGAR","street_address":"","contact_details":"Celina Duarte 250-687-0095","email":"","phone":"","website":""}]