Community
It takes a watershed
DataStream works across sectors and jurisdictions to transform collaborative water stewardship in Canada.
Who we work with
We work with monitoring initiatives that want to share their water data openly
Where we work
DataStream is active in five regions from coast to coast. Our data hubs are delivered in collaboration with regional monitoring networks.
All regions
Our regional data hubs bring water quality data together across sectors and jurisdictions — in standardized, accessible formats that make it easier to discover and use.
DataStream at a glance 45M
Observations
293
Groups
55K
Sites
Pacific
Pacific DataStream launched in 2024. It brings together water quality datasets collected by monitoring groups throughout British Columbia and the Yukon.
Hub stats 22M
Observations
27
Groups
8.8K
Sites
Mackenzie
DataStream first launched in the Mackenzie Basin in 2016 in collaboration with the Government of the Northwest Territories, Mackenzie DataStream’s Founding Partner.
Hub stats 1.6M
Observations
69
Groups
2.7K
Sites
Regional partner 
Visit hub Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg DataStream launched in 2019 in collaboration with the Lake Winnipeg Foundation. It brings together water quality datasets collected by monitoring groups throughout the Lake Winnipeg watershed.
Hub stats 4.8M
Observations
45
Groups
4K
Sites
Regional partner 
Visit hub Great Lakes & Saint Lawrence
Great Lakes DataStream launched in 2022. It brings together water quality datasets collected by monitoring groups throughout the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Basin.
Hub stats 9.2M
Observations
73
Groups
27K
Sites
Atlantic
Atlantic DataStream launched in 2018 in collaboration with Atlantic Water Network. It brings together water quality datasets collected by monitoring groups throughout the Atlantic Provinces.
Hub stats 7.5M
Observations
111
Groups
10K
Sites
Regional partner 
Visit hub Community-based monitoring
If we’re going to keep pace with climate change and other threats, we need to do things differently
Community-based monitoring (CBM) mobilizes energy, engagement and knowledge from the ground up to protect the freshwater ecosystems on which we all depend. These programs are generating much-needed information on watershed health. And, when brought together, this data can generate powerful new insights across distances and timescales that are beyond the scope of any single monitoring initiative.
Community Stories
Supporting monitoring where it’s needed most in Atlantic Canada
For nearly two decades, Atlantic Water Network has been helping 100+ water-monitoring organizations across Atlantic Canada track the health of their watersheds.
Using data to fight Lake Winnipeg’s phosphorus problem
Lake Winnipeg’s watershed spans nearly a million square kilometres across four Canadian provinces and four U.S. states. Each spring, when the snow melts across that vast territory, it carries a tsunami of phosphorus into the lake. And that’s a big problem.
Garden River First Nation takes water monitoring into their own hands
Located just east of Sault Ste. Marie, Garden River First Nation sits along the St. Marys River — the major artery connecting Lake Superior to Lake Huron. Here, inland lakes, rivers and streams teem with chinook salmon, northern pike, walleye and more.
Convening
DataStream brings diverse groups together to support collaborative and inclusive approaches to water issues.
FEATURED EVENT
National roundtable: Elevating community-based water monitoring in Canada
Ottawa, November 2018
Learn more Read outcomes 
FEATURED EVENT
Forum de la science participative sur l'eau and Quebec DataStream kickoff
Quebec City, November 2022
Learn more 
FEATURED EVENT
Data needs in the Great Lakes workshop
Virtual, December 2020
Learn more Read summary report