The LSWC’s Tributary Monitoring Program collects water quality data at 15 sites on 10 streams across the Lesser Slave Watershed 10 times between April and October of each year. The program was established in 2017 with support rom the Forest sector to fill significant water quality data gaps.
The goals of the program are to:

• Collect baseline data that will show trends over time and inform land and resource managers,
• Establish site-specific water quality objectives when sufficient data becomes available (at least five years),
• Evaluate water quality condition in comparison to relevant federal and provincial guidelines, and existing historic data.

Monitoring locations were selected at upper and lower reach locations that are safe and accessible for staff and have historic data associated with them.

From 2017 to 2021 sampling efforts were focused on tributaries on the west side of the watershed.
In 2022, the program was reviewed and some original sites were discontinued, and new sites on the east side of the watershed were added, effectively expanding our efforts to cover the entire watershed.

What are we monitoring?