The Living Lakes Canada's National Lake Blitz Project was born out of the continuing need to help people across the country understand climate change impacts on the health of our lake ecosystems. 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.
Rising water temperatures are an important sign of climate change impacts on lake health. Warmer temperatures lead to increases in bacteria, invasive species, toxic algal blooms, and loss of habitat for fish and other wildlife. This not only affects water quality and quantity, but recreation, cultural activities, and local economies as well.
Photos help create a snapshot of a lake’s biodiversity and capture any visible threats like invasive species or pollution.
Volunteers are instructed to take temperature readings by submerging the thermometer at least 4 inches in 1 meter deep water. Photo observations are taken using camera phones or digital cameras and capture the lake, shoreline, water colour, wildlife and any invasive species.
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.
