Chelsea Lobson

The Lake Winnipeg Foundation coordinates the Lake Winnipeg Community-Based Monitoring Network, which mobilizes citizens to collect water samples. Since 2016, this network has been identifying phosphorus hotspots across Manitoba – phosphorus being the nutrient responsible for the potentially toxic blue-green algae blooms that have become an all-too-frequent sight on Lake Winnipeg and other local waterbodies.

Citizen-generated phosphorus data are valuable when it comes to improving the health of our waters. We’re collecting information that can enrich existing water-quality data and support evidence-based policy making so that we’re targeting action in areas where we’ll have the greatest return on our investment.

DataStream is a really helpful tool for us. Having a secure, accessible and user-friendly platform means we can easily share what we’re learning though our on-the-ground efforts with governments and conservation organizations making water-management decisions, and with citizens interested in understanding the connection between phosphorus loading and the health of our shared waters.