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As concern grows around the health and security of freshwater in Canada, citizen scientists are stepping up to care for lakes across the country.
The 5th annual National Lake Blitz is now open for registration, and community members of all backgrounds are invited to take part in this effort to monitor lake health, with no experience necessary.
The blitz is committed to strengthening water literacy and empowering local action from coast to coast. With just a camera or smartphone, participants can contribute valuable lake and biodiversity observations to help better understand these vital freshwater ecosystems.
The importance of community-driven data collection is underscored by the newly released 2025 Watershed Report from Water Rangers and AquaAction. The report, which integrates data from the National Lake Blitz, highlights a major gap in freshwater monitoring: 76 per cent of Canada’s sub-watersheds lack sufficient data to assess their health.
Expanding accessible citizen science programs like the lake blitz plays an important role in helping to fill this gap.
To make participation easier, the blitz is inviting volunteers new to the program to use the free iNaturalist app to record wildlife and invasive species observations at their own pace.
“We’re building on the success of last year when 278 participants from nine provinces and two territories recorded over 24,800 observations,” says Kaite Martin, blitz program lead.
“This year’s updates make it easier than ever to get involved, and participants can monitor lakes at their own pace — whether weekly, monthly, or whenever they visit.”
To register for the program, visit LakeBlitz.LivingLakesCanada.ca
