The Living Lakes Canada's National Lake Blitz Project is an annual volunteer program to encourage the widespread monitoring of lakes across Canada using simple tools so participants can understand firsthand how climate and other impacts affect lake health and biodiversity. The program also aims to promote water literacy and provide people with the resources to be active stewards at their local lakes.
Habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and climate impacts like rising water temperatures threaten lakes in Canada. Rising water temperatures are an important sign of climate impacts on lake health. Warmer temperatures lead to increases in bacteria, invasive species, and loss of habitat for fish and other wildlife. This affects not only water quality and quantity but also recreation, cultural activities, and local economies.
Lake Blitz participants help create a ‘snapshot’ of lake health in Canada by collecting temperature readings and photo observations at their local lake 2 times per month from May to September each year.
Volunteers don’t need a science or technical background to participate. After signing up, each volunteer receives a standardized monitoring kit and free online training on monitoring their chosen lake, from data collection to data entry.
Volunteers are instructed to take temperature readings on the lake's surface using an alcohol-based thermometer. Photo observations are taken using camera phones or digital cameras and capture the lake, shoreline, watercolour, wildlife, invasive species, or any pollution. Photos help create a snapshot of a lake’s biodiversity and capture any visible threats.
This dataset captures all of the temperature and observational data gathered in 2022 from the following provinces and territories: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon.
This data and photo observations can be found on the Lake Blitz Observation Map at lakeblitz.livinglakescanada.ca.
