- CA-ON-WAT-001
- Entidade coletiva
- 1908-
The Water Survey of Canada (WSC) is a scientific branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada, the federal government ministry responsible for the collection, interpretation, and dissemination of standardized water resource data and information in Canada. The Water Survey of Canada can trace its beginnings to 1908, when Canada initiated a formal approach to determine the extent of the nation's water resources. As an emerging nation, Canada recognized the need for comprehensive water resource information to define reliable supplies of good quality water, to determine hydro power potential, to assess irrigation potential, and to protect Canada's sovereignty over its water resources. All major water supply systems, hydro electrical generation facilities, and irrigation projects in Canada have been designed, built, and operated using the products and services of the Water Survey of Canada. The WSC maintains Canada's hydrometric data network, widely referred to as HYDAT. Previously, over 2,500 hydrometric gauges were maintained. Currently, fewer than 2000 stations provide active data. Earlier ad-hoc arrangements with the provinces were replaced in 1975 with comprehensive and national partnership agreements. Stations or gauges record lake and river water levels that are used to compute river flow data. Datasets developed by the WSC are used for water-resource management purposes in various policy programs by federal, provincial, and municipal governments. This information is also available free to the public by searching Archived Hydrometric Data. These datasets also contribute to ongoing efforts to measure local, regional, and national impacts from climate change. Much of the investigative work involving ecosystem processes, river reach surveys, and lake studies is done through integrated field teams. The Water Survey of Canada is based in the nation's capital, Ottawa, ON.