Long-term lake trends

Osoyoos Lake

The Long-Term Lake Trends program provides a strategic and co-ordinated approach to monitoring water quality in lakes across B.C.

Lakes are complex ecosystems that are sensitive to a wide range of stressors that operate at provincial, regional, and local scales. Lakes are sentinels of environmental change, and long-term monitoring of water quality trends in B.C. Lakes allows for inter-annual variation to be distinguished from directional change. Understanding these trends can provide insights into the causes of change, and support effective watershed management.

Program Goals

  • To determine current water quality status and long-term trends of the physical, chemical and biological properties of B.C. lakes.
  • To assess lake water quality data in relation to ecosystem change, including watershed stressors and climate change.
  • To evaluate lake water quality to Water Quality Guidelines and Objectives for key parameters, and determine lake trophic status.
  • To provide accessible, accurate and timely water quality data for B.C. lakes to inform decision makers within government, industry, research institutions, and the public.
  • To develop partnerships with stewardship groups and other programs such as B.C. Lake Stewardship Society, to provide a strategic and co-ordinated approach to provincial lake sampling.

Provincial Ambient Water Quality Monitoring

Physical, chemical, and biological information is obtained biannually from a wide variety of B.C. lakes to determine current water quality status and to understand long-term trends. Learn more.

Area Specific Water Quality Monitoring

Various long-term water quality trend monitoring activities. Learn more.