Environmental Inventory and Monitoring

Collecting Inventories and Environmental Data

We collect environmental data to:

Protect and Manage Water Quality and Quantity

The data are used to determine the overall health of the watershed’s natural systems and identify trends of concern.

Understand the Biodiversity in Our Watershed

The data are used to reinforce an understanding of local biodiversity richness and inform protection actions.

Evaluate Performance of Actions

The data are used to determine if we meet project goals, and to inform future restoration projects.

Our monitoring and inventory initiatives are a collaboration between CVC and our member municipalities, particularly the Region of Peel.

Real-time Environmental Monitoring

We operate a network of 57 real-time environmental monitoring stations throughout the Credit River Watershed. Stations send information in real-time on current environmental conditions. This allows us to better understand, predict and warn about flooding, threats to water quality and low water levels. We share data with our municipal partners to support flood forecasting and decision making.

What We Monitor

We monitor a number of key environmental variables, including:

  • Water level
  • Precipitation
  • Wind gusts
  • Humidity and relative humidex
  • Barometric pressure
  • Air temperature
  • Water temperature
  • Dissolved oxygen
  • pH
  • Conductivity and chloride
  • Turbidity
Where We Monitor

Our real-time environmental monitoring stations are located throughout the Credit River Watershed.

Review Our Monitoring Network Map

Key Reports and Information

View our summary tables to see the most recent data.

Precipitation Table     Climate Table

Streamflow Table     Water Quality

Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program

The Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program (IWMP) is a long-term monitoring program that reports on the health of ecosystems in the Credit River Watershed.

Long-term monitoring allows us to understand how healthy our watershed is, and whether conditions in our ecosystems are improving, deteriorating or stable. This information informs water and land management decisions. This helps us and our partners develop longer-term strategies to protect and enhance the watershed’s natural resources. We follow rigorous protocols established by federal and provincial agencies based on the best available science.

What We Monitor

We monitor living and non-living attributes in:

  • Groundwater
    • Groundwater levels
    • Groundwater chemistry
  • Streams
    • Water quantity
    • Surface water temperature
    • Water chemistry
    • Stream stability
    • Fish
    • Aquatic invertebrates
  • Forests
    • Soil conditions
    • Tree health and dead wood
    • Plants
    • Birds
  • Wetlands
    • Tree health and dead wood
    • Plants
    • Frogs and toads

We also monitor drivers that shape ecosystems:

  • Climate
  • Landscape

Data are collected at regular intervals to provide current snapshots of conditions and trends over time.

Where We Monitor

Our monitoring stations are located throughout the Credit River Watershed.

Review Our Monitoring Sites

Key Reports and Information

We publish reports and studies and factsheets about our Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program.

Read our most recent report, Summary of Conditions and Trends in the Credit River Watershed. This report is a summary of the status and trends in ecosystems across the Credit River Watershed. Using data from as early as 1938, CVC’s Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program completed a rigorous analysis of forest, wetland, stream and groundwater ecosystems as well as climate and landscape across the watershed.

Explore stories from our data through interactive StoryMaps.

Natural Heritage Inventory

We identify significant natural heritage features and functions in the Credit River Watershed. We collect data on what species and plant communities are present, and how they are distributed.

Our efforts to protect and restore watershed ecosystems rely on inventory data. These data inform:

  • Strategies
  • Land management
  • Modelling
  • Natural Heritage System development
What We Inventory

We inventory natural areas, from lush old forests and swamps to open meadows, marshes and shallow aquatic areas. We inventory and map:

  • Vegetation communities
  • Plant species
  • Breeding bird species
  • Breeding frog species
  • Bat species
Where We Inventory

Our work is done all over the watershed. We inventory in new places every year. We work on both public and private properties, where we have permission from the landowners.

Explore the Natural Areas Inventories Map on Peel Region’s website.

Infrastructure Performance and Risk Assessment Program

We work to understand the long-term performance and life-cycle management of low impact development and stormwater technologies. We monitor stormwater designs and configurations in various land use types and climate conditions.

This program supports municipal partners to ensure compliance with requirements. We share knowledge and expertise by collaborating with the Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program (STEP). We coordinate our research activities and facilitate knowledge transfer and training.

What We Monitor

We monitor a number of key items, including:

  • Flow and water balance
  • Complex water quality
  • Infiltration, soil and groundwater
  • Site conditions (through inspections and surveys)

Through this program, we provide support for life-cycle and asset management to our partners.

Where We Inventory

We assess inventory at sites throughout the watershed.

Explore resources on the STEP website.

Key Reports and Information

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