Water Quality Report
ABC WATERSHED ORGANIZATION
MONTH XX 20XX
OUR ORGANIZATION
OUR WATERSHED
Information about your watershed organization can go here. Include some history, any key programs, etc.
Information about your watershed can go here. What makes it unique? How many monitoring sites do you have? What is your main concern within your watershed? Make sure to replace this map with your own!
ABC Watershed Organization · Location XXX, Province · (902) 555-XXXX · www.website.com
THE WATER QUALITY INDEX
Using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment water quality guidelines, the Water Quality Index (WQI) combines multiple parameters into a single value that summarizes water quality at a site. It is calculated based on:
For an accurate WQI, a site is required to have 4 samples per year with at least 4 variables measured.
WHAT DO WE MEASURE?
ABC Watershed Organization · Location XXX, Province · (902) 555-XXXX · www.website.com
WHAT DO WE MEASURE?
Water Temperature | Water needs to be cold enough for some species (like salmon and trout) to survive |
Dissolved Oxygen | Ecosystems need a minimum amount of oxygen in the water to support healthy aquatic life |
Conductivity | This is the water’s ability to transmit electricity- changes are due to dissolved solids, and may impair the survival of some species |
pH | This measures how acidic/basic the water is- neutral levels are best for fish. Changes to the natural pH might impact the nutrients or toxins in the water |
Dissolved Solids | Dissolved solids can be anything from organic material, to minerals, to pollutants. Too many dissolved solids harm aquatic life and may indicate contaminated runoff. |
Nutrients | While some nutrients are healthy, too many nutrients (like phosphorus and nitrogen) can cause algae and harm ecosystems. Nutrients often come from manure and fertilizer in runoff. |
Anything else? | List them here with a description! |
Provide a written report on some sites here: why some receive a good score, and why others may receive a bad score. Which variables are bringing the WQI down? Talk about what could be done in those areas as a response to this knowledge.
OUR WATER QUALITY INDEX SCORES
Example figure- replace this with your own!
95-100
80-94
65-79
45-64
0-44
Absence of threat
Almost pristine
Minor degree of threat
Usually desirable levels
Occasional threat
Sometimes desirable
Frequent threat
Often not desirable
Almost constant threat
Usually not desirable
WQI SUMMARY
Replace this watershed with your own, then copy and paste the different coloured circles over your monitoring sites.
The WQI was calculated using: pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, fecal coliform, total suspended solids, ammonia, temperature, EDIT THIS LIST BASED ON YOUR WATERSHED
ABC Watershed Organization · Location XXX, Province · (902) 555-XXXX · www.website.com
FURTHER ANALYSIS
Show trends of different locations/problem variables or variables that are improving! Choose parameters that help put together the whole big-picture story. Comment on what’s happening using text!
These are just a few examples of different plots you can add. Make sure each plot has text explaining what is going on as well as the implications of this data!
Use shapes to highlight areas of concern
ABC Watershed Organization · Location XXX, Province · (902) 555-XXXX · www.website.com
OTHER PROJECT TITLE
ANOTHER PROJECT TITLE
Use this optional page to report on any other projects or factors influencing water quality. This may include (but is not limited to) restoration projects, aquatic connectivity, fish and benthic sampling, forest/wetland cover and land use, etc.
Make sure to include any maps, graphs, or pictures that will help illustrate your projects!
If you do not need this page, right click on this page in the left “Pages” bar to the left and click Delete.
HEALTH REPORT
You can use this optional space to outline which beaches/rivers are safe for swimming (or when to refrain from swimming), where you should be cautious to let your dog drink from, where is ok to fish, etc.
ABC Watershed Organization · Location XXX, Province · (902) 555-XXXX · www.website.com
Information about how to get involved with your watershed organization! Volunteering, running a monitoring program, jobs, etc. ��If you don’t have much info to put here, fill this space with pictures from the field season!
Include info on how citizens of the watershed can make a positive impact on water health! Suggestions include cattle fencing, waste management, planting native plants, limited chemical use, etc.
ABC Watershed Organization · Location XXX, Province · (902) 555-XXXX · www.website.com
Acknowledgements
Use this space to list any grants, individuals/volunteers, or other organizations (like Atlantic Water Network!) who helped make this work possible! Add logos if you want.
GET INVOLVED IN YOUR WATERSHED!