Instrumented Sites

Experimental Field Research Sites and Water Observatories

Location of GWFO instrumented field sites and the major river basins they are situated within across Canada.

GWFO's instrumented sites are a network of maintained water observation sites in lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands, drainage ways, and upland areas across Canada.  These are sites that collect continuous and/or intermittent in situ measurements of hydro-meteorological conditions, water quality/quantity, ecological/biological parameters, contaminants, or other water-related variables.  A number of the sites are long-term water observatories that have records going back 20, 30, or in some cases 50+ years, making them invaluable for the monitoring and detection of hydrological and water quality changes, and for developing in-depth understanding of the physical and biological responses to climate change and human pressures.  Other sites have been established more recently and included in the network, but contribute important and targeted observations in remote, data-sparse, or poorly monitored/poorly understood regions.   

These sites are available for field visits and scientific or operational use by partners and interested users, following consultation with the facility lead(s)/liaison(s) and agreement to certain terms, and, if necessary, approval of the Strategic Management Committee.  Data from the sites are made freely accessible, subject to some terms and conditions (see our data policy).   

Instrumented Site Latitude (°N) Longitude (°W)

Site Lead and/or GWFO Liaison

 River Basin
Turkey Point Environmental Observatory 42.68 80.33 Altaf Arain Great Lakes – St. Lawrence 
Havikpak Creek 68.32 133.51 Phil Marsh Mackenzie River Basin
Smith Creek 63.15 123.25 Jennifer Baltzer Mackenzie River Basin
Kakisa and Tathlina Lakes 60.59 117.56 Jennifer Baltzer Mackenzie River Basin
Bogg Creek and surround areas 64.91 125.54 Jennifer Baltzer Mackenzie River Basin
Trail Valley Creek 68.74 133.44 Phil Marsh Mackenzie River Basin
Baker Creek Research Watershed 62.58 114.43 Jennifer Baltzer Mackenzie River Basin
Peace-Athabasca Delta 58.70 111.50 Jennifer Baltzer Mackenzie River Basin
Dehcho Lake Sampling Network 61.25 120.48 Jennifer Baltzer Mackenzie River Basin
Fire Ecology Network 62.48 116.60 Jennifer Baltzer Mackenzie River Basin
Buffalo Pound Lake 50.59 105.38 Helen Baulch Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Wolf Creek Research Basin 60.53 135.12 Sean Carey Yukon River Basin
km 44 (Ying Yang Creek) – Tombstone Water Observatory 64.31 138.47 Sean Carey Yukon River Basin
km 71 (Black Shale Creek – Tombstone Water Observatory 64.50 138.22 Sean Carey Yukon River Basin
km 99 (Slavin Creek) – Tombstone Water Observatory 64.71 138.41 Sean Carey Mackenzie River Basin
km 104 – Tombstone Water Observatory 64.75 138.37 Sean Carey Mackenzie River Basin
km 175 – Tombstone Water Observatory 65.21 138.32 Sean Carey Mackenzie River Basin
km 185 – Tombstone Water Observatory 65.29 138.23 Sean Carey Mackenzie River Basin
Athabasca Glacier Research Basin 52.19 117.25 John Pomeroy Mackenzie River Basin
Bologna Glacier 62.10 127.97 John Pomeroy Mackenzie River Basin
Helen Creek Research Basin 51.68 116.41 John Pomeroy Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Marmot Creek Research Basin 50.96 115.19 John Pomeroy Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Sibbald Wetlands 51.05 114.87 Cherie Westbrook Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Peyto Glacier Research Basin 51.67 116.55 John Pomeroy Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Bow River Headwaters (Bow Hut) 51.64 116.49 John Pomeroy Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Burstall Creek 50.88 115.41 John Pomeroy Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Kenaston/Brightwater Creek Mesonet Site 51.38 106.42 Warren Helgason Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Saskatchewan River Delta 54.08 102.32 Tim Jardine Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Fortress Mountain 50.83 115.24 John Pomeroy Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Nibi (Water) Observatory for Boreal Ecohydrological Landscapes (NOBEL) 45.36 80.02 Mike Waddington Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
St. Denis National Wildlife Area 52.21 106.09 Andrew Ireson / Chris Spence Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Wilket Creek in Toronto 43.72 79.35 Bruce MacVicar Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Morningside Creek in Toronto 43.78 79.12 Bruce MacVicar Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Ganatsekaigon Creek in Pickering 43.86 79.08 Bruce MacVicar Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Central Grand River (Inverhaugh) 43.63 80.44 Mark Servos Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Central Grand River (West Montrose) 43.58 80.48 Mark Servos Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Central Grand River (Kiwnis Park) 43.50 80.48 Mark Servos Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Central Grand River (Economical Insurance Trail (EIT)) 43.47 80.47 Mark Servos Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Central Grand River (Fairway) 43.44 80.40 Mark Servos Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Central Grand River (Manheim) 43.41 80.43 Mark Servos Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Central Grand River (Glen Morris) 43.28 80.35 Mark Servos Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Fen - Boreal Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Sites (BERMS), White Gull Creek, SK 53.73 104.35 Warren Helgason Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Old Jack Pine (OJP) - Boreal Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Sites (BERMS), White Gull Creek, SK 53.80 104.62 Warren Helgason Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Old Black Spruce (OBS) - Boreal Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Sites (BERMS), White Gull Creek, SK 53.92 104.69 Warren Helgason Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Clavet Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence 52.00 106.38 Warren Helgason Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Alder Creek Smart Watershed 43.40 80.55 David Rudolph Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Turkey Lakes Watershed 47.05 84.42 Feredioun Rezanezhad Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Elora Research Station (University of Guelph) 43.637 80.405 Feredioun Rezanezhad Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Urban Ecohydrology 1: Ajax Sewersheds (East&West) 43.82 78.98 Philippe Van Cappellen Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Urban Ecohydrology 2: Richmond Hill stormwater pond 43.89 79.40 Philippe Van Cappellen Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Urban Ecogydrology 3: Lake Wilcox (Richmond Hill) 43.95 79.44 Philippe Van Cappellen Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Urban Ecohydroloy 4: Bioretention cell (Mississauga) 43.59 79.64 Philippe Van Cappellen Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Urban Ecohydrology 5: Stormwater ponds (Kitchener) 43.40 80.51 Philippe Van Cappellen Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Eastern Basin Lake Erie 42.90 79.62 Philippe Van Cappellen Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Fanshawe Reservoir 43.057 81.175 Philippe Van Cappellen Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
rare Charitable Research Reserve 43.38 80.38 Feredioun Rezanezhad Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Lake Ontario 43.52 78.18 Aaron Fisk Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Lake Superior 48.60 88.53 Aaron Fisk Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Lake Huron 45.29 82.16 Aaron Fisk Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Lake Erie 41.92 82.44 Aaron Fisk Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Lake Erie - Pigeon Bay 42.00 82.63 Maggie Xenopoulos Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Duck Lake 52.92 106.22 Andrew Ireson Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Hannin Creek 55.88 105.40 Andrew Ireson Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin
Chappell Marsh Conservation Area 52.10 106.76 Krys Chutko Nelson – Saskatchewan River Basin