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 Lake Winnipeg indicator reports on the status of total phosphorus and total nitrogen levels in Lake Winnipeg and its 3 largest tributaries: the Red, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg rivers. The indicator assumes that water in the region would never be above phosphorus and nitrogen water quality criteria or objectives in the absence of human development. It provides information about how human activity contributes to phosphorus and nitrogen levels in lakes and rivers. The phosphorus and nitrogen status in Lake Winnipeg is established by comparing phosphorus and nitrogen levels to water quality objectives. Failure to meet a water quality objective suggests a greater risk to the health of the lake ecosystem. In rivers, phosphorus and nitrogen status is determined by the frequency with which a water quality objective is exceeded. The more often the criteria or objective is exceeded, the greater the risk to the health of the river ecosystems. 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 the supplementary documentation for the data sources and details on how the data were collected and how the indicator was calculated.
Supplemental Information
Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators - Home page:
https://www.canada.ca/environmental-indicators