From Our Executive Director

As people in Canada find themselves in an era of ever-increasing geopolitical uncertainty, Living Lakes Canada continues to strengthen community capacity and watershed resilience through hands-on, results-driven programming. Our team works to support communities in their efforts to protect their freshwater sources by integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Western science into water stewardship.

In 2024, our on-the-ground water science and stewardship programs extended into new regions and watersheds. We deepened relationships via our supporting roles in First Nations-directed water stewardship, empowered youth in water monitoring and climate adaptation through the Centre of Water Excellence for Youth; and replicated key components of our Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Framework model through a newly launched Alberta Groundwater Program. The National Lake Blitz, a citizen science lake monitoring program, which helps connect individuals to their local lakes, engaged more volunteers across Canada than in previous years. Through initiatives like the Columbia Basin Water Data Hub and the Watershed Restoration Program, we strengthened local capacity for freshwater management and provided valuable data for decision makers. Our programs such as Groundwater Monitoring in both BC and Alberta, and the various Foreshore Integrated Management Planning projects, help to enhance water literacy in our communities. An engaged and informed water-literate constituency will increase opportunities for local watershed health and adaptation.

As we move forward, our innovative programming will reflect available funding to prioritize water security, foster community resilience, and inform adaptive watershed management, ensuring that freshwater ecosystems and the communities that rely on them are protected for future generations.

Kat Hartwig
Executive Director

Centre of Water Excellence for Youth

Living Lakes empowered youth in water stewardship and climate adaptation through diverse educational programs in 2024 under the umbrella of our Centre of Water Excellence for Youth. These initiatives focused on building the next generation of environmental leaders by providing them with hands-on learning experiences in lake monitoring, water data analysis, and groundwater science, and highlighting career opportunities within the water sector.

The Future Is Now. In May, students from two neighbouring school districts participated in The Future is Now fair with renowned science journalist and CBC Radio Host Bob McDonald hosted in Kimberley, BC. Living Lakes engaged 600 10- to 18-year-olds in discussions about water data, climate adaptation, and entry-level water monitoring opportunities.

Watershed Matters Education Program. In partnership with Wildsight, we piloted a program for 72 Grade 10 students across three classrooms. Students analyzed real-world water data, role-played as competing water users, and explored future water management challenges. Its success secured funding for a 15-classroom rollout in 2025 with the Wildsight Education Team.

Lake Monitoring Workshop. In July, Living Lakes hosted a two-day lake monitoring workshop for Wildsight’s East and West Kootenay Youth Climate Corps. Eleven youth participants learned monitoring techniques and freshwater ecosystem knowledge. The workshop also included career mentorship, guiding the participants on opportunities in the water sector and encouraging future involvement in water-based careers.

College Student Skills Development. We delivered hands-on training sessions for 98 post-secondary students at Selkirk College and College of the Rockies, focusing on stream, lake and groundwater monitoring, with an additional student participating in our Summer Mapping Program. These opportunities provided students with practical skills in water monitoring and environmental stewardship.

“I really enjoyed Living Lakes Canada’s water monitoring training. It was fascinating to learn about the many factors and parameters involved and how they come together to provide a complete picture of lake health.”

Emma Watson, Youth Climate Corps Team Member

Alberta Groundwater Program

The Alberta Groundwater Program took significant steps in 2024 to advance groundwater monitoring and water security in Southern Alberta. This year served as a test phase for a two-year pilot program in the Oldman Watershed, laying the foundation for expanded community engagement and observation well installations in 2025. Partners include the Oldman Watershed Council, the Piikani Nation Lands Department, and Calgary-based BGC Engineering.

Technical Advisory Committee. A technical advisory committee was established to guide the program’s scientific and strategic direction. This committee brings together experts from government, academia, and community organizations to ensure a comprehensive approach to groundwater monitoring.

Aquifer Vulnerability & Data Gap Assessment. Work began on an Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment and Data Gap Analysis to identify groundwater risks and priority areas for monitoring. These assessments will guide monitoring site selection and inform groundwater management.

Mapping with Towed-Transient Electromagnetics (tTEM). BGC Engineering conducted a successful high-resolution groundwater survey on Piikani Nation Lands using the tTEM geoscanning technology. The Piikani Nation Lands Department were provided with detailed subsurface resistivity data to identify optimal aquifer locations and enable targeted well drilling.

Project Launch Webinar. The program’s first community engagement workshop was co-hosted with the Oldman Watershed Council, featuring speakers from Alberta’s Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas and the University of Calgary. The webinar introduced the program to the public, built awareness of groundwater issues, and garnered media attention.

“The Southern Alberta groundwater monitoring project is a game changer for Indigenous and rural communities most impacted by drought. I am grateful that Living Lakes Canada is sharing their expertise and experience within our watershed to increase climate resilience.”

Shannon Frank, Executive Director, Oldman Watershed Council

Yukon Lakes Monitoring Initiative

Building on the previous year’s efforts, the Yukon Lakes Monitoring Initiative continued to strengthen local capacity for lake stewardship, foster relationships, and advance knowledge-sharing. A ‘Sharing Back’ Report was created to summarize insights from the 2023 Celebrating The Lakes gathering, capturing community visions and outlining actions for the future. Through hands-on training, storytelling, and collaboration, the initiative continues to work towards bridging Indigenous Knowledge and Western science, equipping communities with the tools to monitor and protect their lakes.

‘Sharing Back’ Report. This comprehensive report captures key discussions from the Celebrating The Lakes gathering held in Whitehorse in December 2023, including community visions for the initiative’s future. It highlights local priorities, proposed actions, and collaborative strategies to enhance lake stewardship across the Yukon territory.

Lake Monitoring Workshop. In partnership with Yukon Parks and the Government of Yukon Water Resources Branch, Living Lakes delivered a two-day training in July with 11 participants in Whitehorse. First Nations Guardians, government staff, and Yukon Parks employees gained hands-on experience with water quality monitoring equipment and lake sampling protocols at Fox Lake.

Educational Video Series. Three animated videos, created in partnership with Esther Bordet of Yukon Graphic Recording, highlight key discussions from the Celebrating The Lakes gathering. Topics include climate anxiety among youth, the importance of lake monitoring, and the integration of Indigenous Knowledge with Western science in water stewardship.

Strengthened Partnerships. Throughout 2024, relationship-building efforts expanded collaboration with territorial and municipal governments, First Nations and transboundary Indigenous governments, academia, industry, and NGOs, reinforcing a united approach to freshwater protection. 

“We worked closely with Living Lakes to plan and deliver the Yukon Lake Monitoring Workshop last summer. The workshop was outstanding – I saw highly engaged participants actively learning throughout the event. Thank you, Living Lakes Canada.”

Scott Cameron, Park Planner with Yukon Parks, Government of Yukon

Columbia Basin Water Hub

The Columbia Basin Water Hub made significant strides in expanding access to water data, enhancing usability, and strengthening collaboration. In 2024, the Water Hub surpassed 400 datasets and 900 resources, providing decision makers and researchers with access to greater critical water information. A new graphing tool improved data visualization, making water trends easier to interpret. The Water Hub team’s participation in national discussions reinforced the importance of community-based water monitoring in federal planning, while partnerships with other organizations led to direct applications of Water Hub data in external platforms.

Expanded Water Data Repository. The Water Hub surpassed 400 datasets and 900 available resources housing over seven million data points, providing communities, researchers, and policymakers with access to robust water data for climate resilience planning, and adaptive watershed management and decision-making.

Graphing Tool Launch. A new interactive graphing tool was introduced, enabling users to visualize trends and analyze water data more effectively, enhancing engagement and usability of the platform.

National Engagement & Knowledge Sharing. The Water Hub team participated in the Canada Water Agency’s National Freshwater Data Strategy Workshop in Burlington, ON in September, reinforcing the importance of community-driven water monitoring in freshwater management. In October, a Living Lakes presentation at the Open Data Summit, hosted by the Canadian Open Data Society in Edmonton, AB, highlighted the positive impact of regional-scale databases. 

Data Integration with External Platforms. Water Hub data was incorporated into external applications such as the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s temperature data previewer and the Elk River Alliance’s Data Analysis tool, demonstrating the value of open-access water information for broader environmental initiatives.

“Our partnership with the Columbia Basin Water Hub showcases the value of connecting diverse data repositories to support watershed management and governance. By collaborating with regional databases like the Water Hub, we’re able to equip community water monitors and researchers with standardized, interoperable freshwater data, and empower science-based decision-making.”

Claire Herbert, Data Manager, Canadian Watershed Information Network with the University of Manitoba

Columbia Basin Groundwater Monitoring Program

The Columbia Basin Groundwater Monitoring Program took significant strides in enhancing data accessibility in 2024. Publicly available data from 32 Volunteer Observation Wells (VOWs), many with long-term records, supported critical studies and strengthened aquifer protection and management efforts. Additionally, the program bolstered community water literacy by hosting college labs and working with local volunteers, water supply system operators and well owners at well sites across the Columbia Basin region.

Expanded Community Engagement. The program successfully engaged well owners, water supply operators, First Nations, and students in groundwater monitoring efforts. Volunteers participated in 40% of site visits, which take place for each VOW three times a year to maintain equipment, and verify and download the data.

Data Integration by Government. In addition to data being housed on the Columbia Basin Water Hub, information about the program and wells being monitored was integrated into the provincial Groundwater Wells and Aquifer database (GWELLS), allowing for greater outreach and knowledge sharing. Hydrogeologists working for the Village of Canal Flats used our groundwater level data for a Groundwater at Risk of Containing Pathogens (GARP) Assessment allowing for better groundwater management.

Educational Opportunities for Students. Groundwater monitoring demonstrations were delivered to 97 students at Selkirk College and the College of the Rockies, providing hands-on learning and enhancing students’ understanding of groundwater monitoring equipment and its applications.

Industry and Stakeholder Engagement. Program findings were presented at the BC Groundwater Association Convention, informing professionals such as well drillers, consultants, and government representatives to support groundwater protection and management strategies.

“As consultants specialized in hydrogeology, we often work on projects for clients that support aquifer protection and management. Rarely do clients monitor continuous groundwater levels. The long-term data sets collected by others such as the data from the Columbia Basin Groundwater Monitoring Program are extremely valuable to assess groundwater level trends and seasonality, understand aquifer conditions and better inform aquifer protection and management strategies.”

Geneviève Pomerleau, Senior Hydrogeologist, AtkinsRéalis Group

 High Elevation Monitoring Program

Despite the challenges of a particularly difficult wildfire season, the High Elevation (HE) Monitoring Program continued its targeted work in 2024, advancing an understanding of climate impacts on alpine and subalpine lake ecosystems and the downstream effects. Ongoing monitoring of six high-elevation lakes and snow surveys captured the current state of these ecosystems, establishing a valuable baseline which can be compared with future conditions to track changes over time. By engaging with communities and partners, the program raised awareness about the value of high elevation data for watershed management and climate adaptation, underscoring the importance of ongoing data collection in vulnerable ecosystems.

Alpine Lake Data Collection. The HE team conducted three visits throughout the year to six alpine lakes across the Kootenay region — Fishermaiden, Shannon, Ben Hur, Sapphire, Talus North, and Talus South. Each visit involved a detailed lake depth profile, measuring water chemistry, turbidity, algae, temperature, and other key factors at one-metre intervals from the surface to the lake bottom.

Increased Program Visibility. The program built awareness through social media reels, posts and a virtual screening of Losing Blue — an award-winning film about climate change impacts on mountain lakes — in partnership with the National Film Board of Canada, which attracted a national audience.  

Community Engagement. Youth and local community members were engaged in a presentation about the HE monitoring program in collaboration with the Kokanee Creek Nature Centre, featuring fieldwork in Kokanee Creek and Kokanee Glacier Provincial Parks.

Collaborative Snowpack Data Collection. Snow surveys were carried out that informed the monthly Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletins issued by the Province of BC. Snowpack data collected by backcountry lodges across the region was added to the Columbia Basin Water Hub and made publicly available through the HE program.

“The High Elevation Monitoring Program at Living Lakes has been an asset to our operations. We look forward to learning more about our ever-changing climate. The staff and guests at Talus Lodge are intrigued by the work Living Lakes is undertaking. We are proud to support this research.”

Thomas Grandi, Owner, Talus Lodge

CABIN (Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network)

The Living Lakes CABIN (Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network) program continued to equip First Nations communities, youth, and environmental professionals with the skills needed for freshwater biomonitoring. By delivering hands-on training and strengthening internal expertise, the program supported long-term capacity building for aquatic stewardship in Western Canada. Youth were introduced to CABIN’s nationally standardized monitoring protocols and provided opportunities to develop technical field skills in preparation for careers in aquatic ecology and hydrology.

Training for First Nations. We partnered with CABIN-certified instructor Allison Lutz to provide specialized training to seven members of the Blueberry River First Nations in Fort St. John, BC, certifying them in CABIN. We also delivered a Watershed Workshop presentation, providing foundational knowledge in river and stream ecosystems.

Indigenous Youth Engagement. A collaboration with CABIN-certified instructor Sofie Forsström from the Oldman Watershed Council and the University of Calgary created the opportunity for eight Indigenous youth in Calgary, AB to receive training and earn their CABIN certification.

Support for Aquatic Restoration. In partnership with the Upper Nicola Band, we conducted CABIN surveys at nine test sites across their traditional territory to support deliverables for the DFO-funded Aquatic Habitat Restoration Fund, contributing essential data for watershed health assessments.

Post-Secondary Education. As part of a water monitoring micro-credential pilot program with the College of the Rockies, we delivered CABIN training to five student participants, equipping them with the skills to conduct standardized biomonitoring assessments.

“I enjoyed working again with Living Lakes to deliver CABIN training to the BRFN. It’s rewarding to see CABIN protocols being implemented by Indigenous communities as they monitor and care for watersheds.”

Allison Lutz, Hydrology Instructor for the School of Environment and Geomatics at Selkirk College