South Nation Conservation has several monitoring programs in place to:

• identify issues, project future conditions,
• focus natural resource management actions where they are needed most, and
• track progress over time.

Monitoring watershed conditions helps to inform local watershed plans and programs.

We collect data across the watershed using a combination of Provincial Programs and Partnerships:

• Surface water quality through the Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Network
• Groundwater quantity and quality through the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network
• Biological and morphological stream condition using the Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol and the Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network

Data is collected and reported to help communicate baseline information on watershed health; to answer questions such as: "Which streams are healthy? Which are unhealthy? How is their health changing from stream reach to stream reach and from year to year?"  This type of information is vital to SNC—it identifies watershed health issues and helps to identify stresses that are impacting the aquatic environment. This information can then be used to shape our other programs.