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Copy of Lakes & Rivers

cwf-fcf.org > English > What We Do > Lakes & Rivers
  • What We Do
  • Lakes & Rivers
  • American Eels
  • Bioblitz
  • Fish Passage
  • Hinterland Who's Who
  • iNaturalist Canada
  • Love Your Lake
  • Plastics in Our Waters
  • River Barriers
  • Rivers to Oceans Week
  • Salmon
  • Turtles

Background

With over two million lakes and rivers and 20 per cent of the world’s freshwater, Canada has an incredible abundance of aquatic natural resources. Canadians share a deep historical connection to freshwater; we rely on it for transportation, for resources, for employment, for food and for recreation – swimming, boating, fishing or simply admiring the scenery of a natural lake or wild river.

Unfortunately, many of Canada’s freshwaters are no longer the pristine ecosystems they once were. At CWF, we are working to encourage a better balance between the needs of our society and of the ecosystems that sustain us.

lake mountain

Interesting Facts

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200
Canada has 200 species of freshwater fish; one third are considered at-risk.
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$8 billion
Recreational fishing contributes $8 billion annually to the Canadian economy.
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40,000
CWF’s Love Your Lake program has assessed 40,000 shoreline properties.

Freshwater Turtles

From ground surveys to highway hotspots to releasing rescued turtles, the Canadian Wildlife Federation works with regional partners, community groups, lake associations and individuals to reduce risks to Canada's freshwater turtles.

Learn More
turtles
mountain lake

Love Your Lake

Love Your Lake &mdash a joint program between the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Watersheds Canada — invites lake associations and organizations to volunteer their lake as participants in the program. If accepted, every property on the lake will be assessed using a standardized assessment protocol, and landowners will get a personalized property report with details on the state of their shoreline and recommended actions for improving lake health for people and wildlife.

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American Eel

The Canadian Wildlife Federation is using research and advocacy to learn more about American Eel behaviour, to develop mitigation options for the species, and to increase support for protecting and recovering the species.

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eels
salmon

Salmon

The Canadian Wildlife Federation is using research and advocacy to learn more about Chinook Salmon behaviour, to identify important habitats for the species, and to increase support for protecting and recovering the species.

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River Barriers

Some of our treasured aquatic wildlife are being stopped dead in their tracks en route their migratory path. Dams, culverts, levees and road crossings have been creating barriers for wildlife species for decades. We at the Canadian Wildlife Federation think that’s a problem for Canada’s critters and we know these barriers need to be addressed.

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river and barriers
fish passage

Fish Passage

CWF’s goal is to reconnect freshwater ecosystems by remediating barriers such as rail and road crossings, weirs, levees and dams. CWF is working to improve connectivity within Canada’s waterways using two major strategies.

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Aquatic Habitat Canada

Aquatic Habitat Canada is a national network focused on helping governments, local communities, Indigenous organizations, industry stakeholders and conservation organizations to more effectively protect and restore healthy and resilient aquatic ecosystems.

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hinterland who's who's logo

Hinterland Who’s Who

It all started in 1963 with black-and-white vignettes about the loon, the moose, the gannet and the beaver. For more than 50 years, Hinterland Who’s Who has been proudly bringing Canada’s iconic wildlife directly into Canadians’ homes.

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Bioblitz

With the help of Canadians like you, we hope to catalogue as much of Canada as possible so that we can make informed decisions about our land use, environmental policies and wildlife.

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inaturalist app

iNaturalist

If enough people record their observations in iNaturalist Canada, we can make a difference for Canada’s wildlife. We can build a living record of life in Canada that scientists and environmental managers can use to monitor changes in biodiversity, and that anyone can use to learn more about Canada’s amazing natural history.

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Plastics in Our Waters

Plastic has become such an ordinary material used in our country that it’s becoming harder and harder to avoid the substance. And yet, this material is piling up in our landfills and sometimes ends up in our rivers and oceans where it can cause major damage to the habitat and wildlife that live there.

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plastic in water
wild about sports

WILD About Sports

WILD About Sports encourages Canadians to get outside and enjoy Canada’s waterways, coastline and oceans by providing the training, resources and opportunities for them to get involved and take action.

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Rivers to Oceans Week

Rivers to Oceans Week, celebrated from June 8 to 14, recognizes this connectedness and reminds us that taking care of our water is a shared responsibility. Rivers to Oceans Week reminds us that safeguarding the health of all water — local springs, creeks, streams, lakes, rivers, wetlands and even groundwater — flowing through our watersheds also improves the quality of Canada’s oceans.

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rivers to ocean

Sign Up for Timely Articles and Tips

The Canadian Wildlife Federation's free monthly e-newsletter Wildlife Update features current issues facing Canada's wildlife, DIY and Q&As, quizzes and more. Sign up to join over 80,000 readers in this wildlife conservation community. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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Next Steps

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#DoMoreForWildlife


Take Action >
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Reduce Your Plastic Quiz


Take Quiz >
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Rivers to Oceans Week


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Related Resources

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Blogs

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Videos

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Games

Restore a Ribbon of Life

Help promote biodiversity along Canada’s shorelines by providing a buffer zone of lush greenery for our aquatic friends.
 

Read More

Rivers, Lakes, and Streams

Think of rivers, lakes, and streams, as the blood vessels of the Earth. They carry nutrients from one part of the planet to another; in doing this they wash out toxins and return life-giving oxygen into the system.

Read More

Dock on the Lake

Download this wallpaper.

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Duckling on Lily Pads

Download this wallpaper.

Read More

Keep the Waterfowl Comeback on Track

North America's waterfowl population is making a remarkable recovery. After decades of decline due to drought and the loss of endless hectares of wetlands and grasslands under the farmer's plow, ducks are...

Read More

Invasive Aquatic Animals Encyclopedia

They are among the biggest threats to wildlife habitat, biodiversity and the web of life. Learn more about invasive species in Canada in our comprehensive encyclopedia.

Read More

Take the Water Quiz!

What are you Doing to Save Canada’s Water? Take the Quiz to Find Out!

Read More
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Donate Today

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CWF

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What We Do

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Explore

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Resources

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Partner Websites

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