Watershed Monitoring

A watershed is an area of land drained by a common stream, river or lake. In a watershed, the landscape may be made up of a variety of natural and man-made features, such as wetlands, forests, agricultural and settlement areas. Since the character of the landscape can greatly influence the character of our water, we have programs established to monitor both land (terrestrial) and water (aquatic) environments.

Monitoring forms an essential part of watershed management. It helps us understand the landscape and identify opportunities for development that respect important environmental features. Monitoring is the link between science and planning policy. Information gathered from monitoring allows for long-term strategies and balanced planning.

Go to the following pages for more information:

• Flood Forecasting
• Ontario Low Water Response
• Natural Heritage
• Groundwater Monitoring
• Surface Water Monitoring
• Watershed Report Card

 

Your opinion counts! The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are currently undertaking a project to learn about the plants and animals people use in their water gardens.