by Paige Jessup, Climate Resilience Intern

Our precious freshwater resources are coming under an increasing amount of pressure. Increasing urbanization and agriculture are encroaching on freshwater habitats. With a growing global human population, there is an increased demand for energy and resources meaning more pollution and obstructed water flows. Warming global temperatures are also causing changes in freshwater habitats. 

Freshwater ecosystems are critical to the future of our economies, our communities and our quality of life. We need to match this growing awareness with data to safeguard the future of wildlife and habitat, as well as communities that depend on freshwater ecosystems. This World Water Day, March 22nd, we are excited to share the following 5 webinars that cover a wide range of topics on freshwater management, from creating freshwater fish habitat to community climate data tracking. 

You can find many other webinars besides these five on our Freshwater Stewardship Community page. The webinars cover a widespread of topics and are free to watch and share at any time.

 

Webinar #1: “What Makes A River ‘Healthy’? Engaging science, art, and storytelling to explore the health of the Upper St. Lawrence River” with Dr. Leigh McGaughey

In this webinar, Dr. Leigh McGaughey of The River Institute answers the complex question “what makes a river healthy” by taking you through the process behind The Great River Rapport. This is a community-driven science initiative that works to provide answers to questions related to the ecological health of the Upper St. Lawrence River, Ontario. 

This Rapport uses 35 indicator species to assess the health of the St. Lawrence River. Dr. McGaughey takes you through the 10-step process that makes up this initiative, starting with defining the boundaries of the region to get a clear picture of what you are looking at. The next step of this project dedicated a year and a half into asking community members what mattered to them, what concerns them about the state of the river, and the biggest challenges that it faces. Expert scientists were brought in to come up with indicator species that were relevant to the ecosystem and make sure there was enough available data to work with for these species. As an example, yellow perch was chosen as one of the indicator species because of its cultural and ecological significance in the region, and because it is a well documented species. Learn about the additional steps and how this benefited the local community by watching this webinar!

 

Webinar #2: “Creating Community: Lessons Learned through the BC Small Water Systems Community Network” with Claire Ross

In this webinar, Claire Ross of the BC Water & Waste Association introduces the BC Small Water Systems Community Network and the lessons learned from this project in order to create better community spaces for everyone. The BC Small Water Systems Community Network was created by BC Water & Waste Association to support owners, operators, and volunteers of small drinking water systems by connecting them with each other, the diverse and interconnected community that supports them, and their resources. 

Claire gives a walkthrough of the Small Water Systems Network platform, how it works, and what to consider when designing your own platform or community hub. She also goes over some of the lessons learned that can be used when creating your own community building project, such as: working together with supporters, other organizations, and nonprofits; actively engaging with participants; using education as a tool for your platform; and creating a space for discussion. 

 

Webinar #3: “White Lake: Ours to Preserve” with Conrad Grégoire and David Overholt

In this webinar, Conrad Grégoire and David Overholt of the White Lake Property Owners Association and the White Lake Preservation Project, use White Lake, Ontario as a case study to show the impact zebra mussels can have on a lake community, particularly with respect to phosphorous levels, water clarity, and algae blooms. They share reports on community-level efforts to build public trust, with the aim of motivating individuals to get involved and help preserve their lake. This webinar is geared towards all lakes, and especially off-shield lakes as the speakers explain different education outreach and stewardship techniques you can use for your lake community. 

White Lake’s water quality is affected by multiple stressors, such as lake overuse, climate change, and invasive species. As a result of ongoing research efforts, it was concluded that what was needed to improve the health of the lake was to reduce the rate of nutrient flow into the lake and reduce the excess nutrient input level. To do this, White Lake is taking advantage of programs aimed at restoring and protecting shorelines, like Watersheds’s Canada’s program, The Natural Edge. As well as informing and educating residents, cottagers, and lake users about the state of White Lake, the groups are also taking active steps to preserve and improve water quality.  

 

Webinar #4: “Salting our Freshwater Ecosystems: Understanding consequences of road salt use in Canadian watersheds” with Lauren Lawson

In this webinar, Lauren Lawson of the University of Toronto talks about the year-round impacts of road salt on Canada’s watersheds and actions you can take to keep freshwater fresh.

Road salt has been used around Canadian waterways since the 1930s, with Canada using 5-7 million tons annually. Road salts are used to increase road safety and decrease the liability of someone being injured on the ice. This method of de-icing is preferred because of its low cost and because it melts away when it is diluted, keeping it out of sight and out of mind. It is only recently that we have started to notice the impacts road salts have on our infrastructure and properties, such as corrosion to roads, damage to footwear and floors, and contamination of our drinking water. This webinar covers practical salt use tips for homeowners and waterfront residents, alternatives, using the right amount of salt, and holding businesses accountable for oversalting. 

 

Webinar #5: “Creating Healthy, Natural Habitats for Freshwater Fish: How community groups can help local lake trout, walleye, brook trout, bass, pike, and perch” with Melissa Dakers

In this webinar, Melissa Dakers of Watersheds Canada provides an understanding of the biological needs of common freshwater fish species in Ontario and the threats they are currently facing. She also provides some examples of past projects and some free tools so you can take action for native fish populations in your community. 

Ontario is home to over 155 species of freshwater fish, including some of the more common families like the perch, sunfish, pike, and trout. Some of the common threats to these freshwater fish include invasive species, pollution, overfishing, loss of habitat, and climate change. There are things that you as an individual or as a community can do to help improve the local fish populations, such as curving your pathways so pollutants do not run straight into water, leaving any trees or woody-debris that falls into the water, and planting native vegetation to prevent erosion and to filter runoff. This vegetation also provides food and shade to fish and wildlife. 

The Fish Habitat Enhancement Toolkit provides community groups with step-by-step instructions and a tutorial video on how to successfully deliver a fish habitat enhancement project. Some of the different fish habitat restoration projects that Watersheds Canada has been involved in include: cold-water creek enhancements, in-water brush piles, walleye spawning bed enhancements, and trout spawning bed enhancements. Some steps to completing a successful fish habitat project are: gathering fisheries information, consulting stakeholders for hands-on help, determining your objective, choosing your project site, planning your project, obtaining permits, funding your project, and communicating your project to the community and partners. 

 

Free Education Resources:

• ”What Makes a River ‘Healthy’? Engaging science, art, and storytelling to explore the health of the Upper St. Lawrence River” webinar handout
• ”Creating Community: Lessons Learned through the BC Small Water Systems Community Network” webinar handout
• “White Lake: Ours to Preserve” webinar handout
• “Salting our Freshwater Ecosystems: Understanding consequences of road salt use in Canadian watersheds” webinar handout
• ”Creating Healthy, Natural Habitats for Freshwater Fish: How community groups can help local lake trout, walleye, brook trout, bass, pike, and perch” webinar handout