Another region in Canada is launching a public and open-access hub for water data. Joining the Mackenzie region, Atlantic DataStream will be your one-stop shop for data on water quality in Atlantic Canada. With over 20 groups, including NGOs, federal, and municipal governments, and First Nations feeding into the hub, it will become the most comprehensive and accessible data-set on freshwater in the region, covering all 4 provinces with dozens of parameters and all centralized in one easy access online hub.
The project came to fruition a few years ago after the Community-Based Environmental Monitoring Network (CBEMN), out of Saint Mary’s University, partnered with WWF-Canada to host a water forum in the region. Carolyn Dubois of The Gordon Foundation presented on the MacKenzie DataStream project they had just launched, and the pieces of the puzzle all fell into place from there. The CBEMN had been compiling community-based monitoring data from across the region for years, and the DataStream platform gave them the opportunity to channel that data using online, accessible and new visualization tools.
Anyone who monitors water quality in the region can feed their data into the hub. The database will also provide space for groups to describe the methodology and approach used to collect the data, and allow for comparability across the region. Entire field seasons can be uploaded at once making it an easy step for organizations working on the ground to collect data. This week’s launch of Atlantic DataStream also marks the launch of the new Atlantic Water Network, consolidating the water programs of CBEMN and networking water monitoring groups throughout the region.
Stay tuned as the first field season for Atlantic DataStream comes to an end and the official launch of Atlantic DataStream takes place this Fall. Following this first season, look for the workshops for groups on inputting data, and data management and digitizing your groups water data. Information from Atlantic DataStream will also feed into updates to WWF-Canada’s watershed health reports, which are regularly updated via their interactive online tool.