Nutrients in the St. Lawrence River – Status of total phosphorus and total nitrogen levels and total phosphorus level trends in the St. Lawrence River, Canada

The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators CESI program provides data and information to track Canada's performance on key environmental sustainability issues. The Phosphorus and Nitrogen Levels in the St. Lawrence River indicator reports on the status of total phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations along the St. Lawrence River for the 2010 to 2012 period. The indicator rates nitrogen and phosphorus status based on whether total phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations exceed Quebec's total phosphorus water quality guideline for the protection of aquatic life, and its total nitrogen water quality guideline for the protection of aquatic life. When phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations exceed their respective water quality guidelines, this exceedance indicates that phosphorus and nitrogen pose a greater risk to the health of the St. Lawrence River aquatic ecosystem. Information is provided to Canadians in a number of formats including: static and interactive maps, charts and graphs, HTML and CSV data tables and downloadable reports. See supplementary documentation for data sources and details on how those data were collected and how the indicator was calculated.

Supplemental Information

Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators - Home page:

https://www.canada.ca/environmental-indicators

Data and Resources

Additional Info

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Last Updated April 17, 2026, 19:17 (UTC)
Created April 17, 2026, 19:17 (UTC)
contact_email open-ouvert@tbs-sct.gc.ca
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open_canada_collection primary
open_canada_date_published 2014-08-22 00:00:00
open_canada_keywords {"fr": ["indicateurs environnementaux", "indicateur environnemental", "eau", "qualité de l'eau", "fleuve Saint-Laurent", "écosystèmes régionaux", "phosphore", "azote", "stations de surveillance", "lignes directrices pour la qualité de l'eau", "agricoles", "eaux usées"], "en": ["environmental indicators", "water", "water quality", "St. Lawrence River", "regional ecosystems", "phosphorus", "nitrogen", "monitoring stations", "water quality guidelines", "wastewater", "agriculture"]}
open_canada_subject ["nature_and_environment", "society_and_culture"]
sensitivity_level unrestricted
title_fr Rechercher X Éléments nutritifs dans le fleuve Saint-Laurent – État des concentrations de phosphore total et d'azote total et tendances des concentrations de phosphore total dans le fleuve Saint-Laurent, Canada
update_frequency as_needed