Lake Partner Program
Filed Under: Water | Local Projects
A volunteer-based, water-quality monitoring program that focuses on the health of Ontario's inland lakes. Volunteers collect phosphorus samples and record water-clarity information, which the ministry then analyzes and transfers to a database. The samples and information enable ministry staff to detect early changes in lakes' nutrient concentrations and water quality.
Our Mission
The goal of the Lake Partner Program is to protect the quality of Ontario's inland lakes by involving volunteers in a water quality monitoring program.
The Lake Partner Program
The Lake Partner Program is a province wide, volunteer-based, water quality monitoring program. Volunteers collect total phosphorus samples and make monthly water clarity observations on their lakes. This information will allow the early detection of changes in the nutrient status and/or the water clarity of the lake due to the impacts of shoreline development, climate change and other stresses. The ministry continues to monitor more than 600 of the province's inland lakes through this program.
Program Value
The Lake Partner Program is a key component of Ontario's work to protect and restore source-water quality.
The program helps identify emerging issues, supports the development of initiatives to improve water quality and tracks the progress of initiatives that have been implemented.
It also helps experts forecast water-quality changes in individual lakes that may be caused by changes in climate or the lake's watershed.
And, with the help of its volunteers, the program fosters lake stewardship activities for inland lakes across Ontario.
