Reactive Q&As

Mandate and location

Question 1. What is the mandate of the Canada Water Agency and where is it located?

The mandate of the Canada Water Agency is to improve freshwater management in Canada by providing leadership, effective collaboration federally, and improved coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples to proactively address national and regional transboundary freshwater challenges and opportunities.
The Agency was established as a standalone entity in October 2024, headquartered in Winnipeg with regional offices across the country. The Agency’s presence across Canada helps us to better understand and respond to freshwater challenges and opportunities in each region.

Details

The Canada Water Agency’s integrated policy and program approach aims to improve freshwater management and stewardship in Canada to meet economic, social, and environmental needs – today and for the future.
The Agency directly responds to Canada’s freshwater challenges and opportunities across five categories including:
- Service to Canadians focused on restoring and protecting significant freshwater ecosystems;
- Policy Leadership that responds to Canada’s most pressing freshwater challenges and opportunities;
- Cross-Country Collaboration, which involves creating partnerships to protect nationally significant freshwater ecosystems;
- Freshwater Literacy that cultivates a water aware Canada;
- And lastly, Foundational Science and Data focused on translating freshwater science and data to inform decision-making

Question 2. How does the Canada Water Agency’s work benefit Canadians?

[If appropriate, explain Agency mandate: The mandate of the Canada Water Agency is to improve freshwater management in Canada by providing leadership, effective collaboration federally, and improved coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples to proactively address national and regional transboundary freshwater challenges and opportunities.]
The Agency leads on the delivery of eight Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives that invest in partner-led, regionally specific actions to restore and protect water quality and ecosystem health in waterbodies of national significance.
The Agency chairs and supports two domestic water boards (Prairie Provinces Water Board and Mackenzie River Basin Board) to align federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous perspectives and priorities to guide decision-making and coordinate action. The Agency also supports binational water boards.
The Agency leads work on national freshwater policy initiatives to anticipate and proactively address freshwater challenges that impact ecosystems, communities, and the economy, such as a recently-launched initiative to develop a National Water Security Strategy.

Supplemental Points

Additional examples of the Agency’s work include, but are not limited to:
- The Agency chairs the Federal Freshwater Committee which brings together senior management from 26 federal departments and agencies with freshwaterrelated activities.
- The Agency runs the EcoAction program, which supports projects aimed at protecting and sustaining freshwater resources, including community projects and innovative projects of national relevance.
- The Agency works with partners to produce state of the ecosystem reporting for major watersheds, helping Canadians understand the health of key waterbodies and whether their status is improving over time.
The Agency is engaging with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners on other national freshwater policy initiatives such as the Canada Water Act review and the development of a National Freshwater Data Strategy.

Finance and Results / Finances et résultats

Question 3. What investments will be made with the Canada Water Agency’s 2026-27 fiscal year reference levels?

The Canada Water Agency’s reference levels of $81 million^{Footnote 1} will invest in:
- The Freshwater Management program ($59.7 million^{Footnote 1}) which includes work to support reduced loading of phosphorus to priority waterbodies, like Lake Erie, provides information to support decision-making and support for the restoration of priority ecosystems.
  - $19.1 million^{Footnote 2} for operating expenditures.
  - $40.6 million^{Footnote 3} in contribution expenditures for freshwater stewardship through Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives and the EcoAction program.
The Freshwater Policy and Engagement program ($6.5 million) is focused on developing integrated, proactive policy and program responses to freshwater challenges and opportunities in collaboration with partners and stakeholders ($4.9 million in operating expenditures and $1.6 million in contribution expenditures).
Enabling Services for Freshwater Stewardship (Internal Services) of $10.7 million.
Statutory authorities for employee benefit plan costs $4.1 million.

Question 4. What investments were made with the Canada Water Agency’s 2025-26 fiscal year reference levels?

The Canada Water Agency invested $80.61 million of its reference levels^{Footnote 4} in:

The Freshwater Management program ($61.1 million) which included work to support reduced loading of phosphorus to priority water bodies like Lake Erie, provides information to support decision-making and support for the restoration of priority ecosystems.
- $21.7 million for operating expenditures.
- $39.4 million in contribution expenditures for freshwater stewardship through Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives and the EcoAction program.
The Freshwater Policy and Engagement program ($7.1 million) is focused on developing integrated, proactive policy and program responses to freshwater challenges and opportunities in collaboration with partners and stakeholders ($6.6 million in operating expenditures and $0.5 million in contribution expenditures).
Enabling Services for Freshwater Stewardship (Internal Services) of $8.8 million.
Statutory authorities for employee benefit plan costs $3.9 million.

Question 5. The Canada Water Agency has been in existence since October 2024. Where are the results achieved for the Agency reported? What are the highlights of those results?

The Canada Water Agency was officially established as a standalone agency on 15 October 2024, separating from Environment and Climate Change Canada part way through the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Therefore, the Agency’s 2024–2025 results were reported through ECCC’s 2024– 2025 Departmental Results Report.
The Agency will report its 2025–2026 results through its own 2025–2026 Departmental Results Report. This report is expected to be tabled in Parliament in Fall 2026.
In 2025-2026, the Agency invested over $39M in 339 ongoing projects across the country focused on the restoration and protection of fresh water. This includes significant investments in meeting our binational phosphorus targets for Lake Erie to address algal blooms, targeted investments in reducing phosphorus loads to Lake Winnipeg, key investments in new Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives such as the Fraser River in the west and the Wolastoq/Saint John River in the East and investments in innovative approaches to addressing today’s freshwater challenges.
The Agency has already been able to leverage on average $1.70 in matching contributions for every dollar it invests in freshwater restoration and protection through the existing Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives.

Supplemental Points

Some highlights of the Agency’s results for 2024-25, include:
- The Agency’s programs continued to enable work on improving, restoring, and protecting transboundary and nationally significant freshwater ecosystems;
- $76 million was invested to support 50 partner-led projects as part of the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative—one of the largest single investments in freshwater restoration efforts in Canadian history;
- The Agency sought input from provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners, and stakeholders on how they would like to be engaged in the review of the Canada Water Act; and
- The Agency established Freshwater Roundtables to bring together partners, experts and stakeholders and to gather input on freshwater issues,

Detailed highlights of the Agency’s 2024–2025 results from ECCC’s 2024–2025 DRR

The highlights of the Agency’s 2024-2025 results found in ECCC’s 2024-2025 DRR reflect a partial year of operation for the Agency, which was launched on October 15, 2024. Highlights include:
- The Agency and ECCC continued to work on improving, restoring, and protecting transboundary and nationally significant freshwater ecosystems. This work required significant collaboration with partners, including provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry. In addition to those of the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River, and Lake Winnipeg, Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives were established in other water bodies of national significance, including the Fraser River, the Mackenzie River, Lake Simcoe, Lake of the Woods, and the Wolastoq/Saint John River.
- Under the Freshwater Action Plan, the Agency and ECCC continued to advance the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes, aiming to clean up 12 of 14 remaining Canadian Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes by 2030, and all 14 of them within 15 years. The Agency, while it was still part of ECCC, also invested $76 million, as part of the Freshwater Action Plan, to support 50 partner-led projects in the Detroit River, the St. Clair River, and the Great Lakes ecosystems as part of the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative—one of the largest single investments in freshwater restoration efforts in Canadian history.
- One of the Agency’s departmental results of “Canada has healthy freshwater ecosystems” is measured by indicators of annual reduction of phosphorus loads from Canadian sources into priority waterbodies. For Lake Winnipeg, the Agency is targeting a total annual reduction of 25 tonnes of phosphorus by March 31, 2033. In 2024–2025, the result for Lake Winnipeg was an annual reduction of 1.81 tonnes of phosphorus. Additional indicators will be available in future years. The Agency sought input from partners on how they would like to be engaged in the review of the Canada Water Act. The Agency conducted pre-engagement with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners, including National Indigenous Organizations, Indigenous provincial and territorial organizations, and modern treaty and self-governing nations. The Agency also piloted an Indigenous Grassroots Water Circle to support engagement.
- The Agency established the President’s Freshwater Tables to support engagementwith stakeholders and to gather input from experts on freshwater issues. The first President’s Table took place on February 28, 2025.
- The Agency engaged on the development of a National Freshwater Data Strategy. The strategy will make it easier for Canadians to find, access, and use freshwater data once implemented.

Question 6. What is the impact of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review on the Canada Water Agency?

Along with other departments and agencies, the Canada Water Agency participated in the Comprehensive Expenditure Review.
As outlined in Budget 2025, the Agency will deliver annual savings under the Comprehensive Expenditure Review exercise of $0.7 million in fiscal year 2026-27, $0.7 million in fiscal year 27-28, $1.2 million in fiscal year 28-29, $1.2 million in fiscal year 29-30, and $1.2 million ongoing. These savings will be achieved by modernizing operations at the Agency and focusing resources on core priorities.
Through further detailed analysis, the Canada Water Agency is developing a defined plan to meet the savings under Comprehensive Expenditure Review and will keep employees and unions informed as work progresses.
The Agency’s spending reductions will involve a decrease of approximately 13 fulltime equivalents by 2028-29. The Agency is not entering a workforce adjustment situation in relation to this savings exercise at this time.

Question 7. What is the Agency’s year-over-year spending?

The Canada Water Agency’s voted reference level spending since inception in October 2024 to March 31, 2026 is $124 million:
- $43 million spent in the 2024-25 fiscal year; and,
- $81 million spent in the 2025-26 fiscal year.^{Footnote 5}
The expenditures for 2024-2025 reflect a partial fiscal year (October 15, 2024 to March 31, 2025). Forecasted spending for 2025-2026 shows a significant increase from 2024-2025 levels as 2025-2026 is the Agency’s first full fiscal year of operation.

Question 8. What was the Canada Water Agency’s past spending relative to its reference levels?

In the 2024-25 fiscal year, reference levels were $55 million with spending of $43 million, resulting in a surplus of $12 million, primarily attributable to unspent surge capacity funding and this being the Canada Water Agency’s first year of operations
In the 2025-26 fiscal year, reference levels were $84 million with spending of $81 million, with an anticipated surplus of $2-3 million. The Agency is anticipating to carry forward most of this surplus into the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Question 9. How does Canada Water Agency manage audit and oversight on contributions and projects?

As a small agency, the Canada Water Agency contracts out program audits as required and fully supports any Office of the Auditor General program audits.
From a project management perspective, the Agency is currently following Environment and Climate Change Canada’s project management framework while it builds its own internal framework and capacity.

Government Priorities and Linkages to Other Government Departments

Question 10. What is the Canada Water Agency doing to support the government’s goal of protecting Arctic sovereignty?

The Arctic and northern Canada face critical water security pressures due to climate change and other pressures.
The Canada Water Agency is leading a number of initiatives to support the Arctic and North, including:
- Implementing the Mackenzie River Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative through existing collaborative mechanisms, and with partners on shared priorities in the basin.
- Supporting, through EcoAction, local community-led actions focused on freshwater stewardship and projects that focus on clean technologies, innovation and sustainability across Canada, including the north.
- Hosting the Secretariat of the Mackenzie River Basin Board and serving as one of the federal members and current interim Chair.
The Agency will continue to work with partners and stakeholders to explore collaborative opportunities and inform other actions the Agency can take to support freshwater work in the Arctic and northern Canada.

Details

The Mackenzie River Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative supports partner-led actions to improve freshwater outcomes related to advancing science and knowledge across a vast northern basin; supporting Indigenous Knowledge Systems, capacity building, engagement; and improving resiliency and adaptation through freshwater stewardship.
The Mackenzie River Basin Board, and the activities it undertakes to implement the Mackenzie River Basin Transboundary Waters Master Agreement, is the primary means for multilateral, cooperative management of freshwater resources and dialogue on current and future challenges to aquatic ecosystem health of the Basin, including threats from a changing climate.

Question 11. What is the Canada Water Agency doing to support First Nations access to clean drinking water?

Safe drinking water on First Nations land is a shared responsibility between First Nations and the Government of Canada.
Indigenous Services Canada leads work to address clean and safe drinking water for First Nations on reserve. The Canada Water Agency is committed to supporting Indigenous Services Canada’s work on this file, providing advice as required on freshwater management and coordination.

Question 12. How does the Canada Water Agency’s work relate to major project approvals and infrastructure investment?

The Canada Water Agency’s work does not relate directly to major project approvals. Other federal departments and agencies lead on major project reviews, such as the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, and the newly established Major Projects Office.

Details

Water fuels Canada’s economy and is key to economic growth and development.
The Agency-led Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives invest in partner-led projects for environmental protection, restoration, and conservation which bolsters Canada’s clean-growth economy and ensures sustainable freshwater resources for future
generations.
The Agency will continue to collaborate with other federal departments and agencies leading on Major Projects to inform areas for pro-active freshwater restoration and protection.

Question 13. How is the Canada Water Agency working with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada?

The Canada Water Agency engages all federal departments and agencies with water-related activities through the Federal Freshwater Committee, which aims to strengthen whole-of-government approaches to freshwater challenges and opportunities.
The Agency is exploring how collaboration with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada can reflect freshwater considerations in housing and infrastructure programs.

Question 14. Could the Canada Water Agency do the flood and drought forecasting strategy that would be required under Bill C-241?

The Canada Water Agency does not have direct functions related to flood and drought forecasting.
These types of functions are supported by other federal departments and agencies, such as Environment and Climate Change Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Given the Agency’s mandate to develop whole-of-government approaches to strengthen water security in Canada, activities that contribute to flood and drought preparedness are relevant to the Agency’s work.
For example, the Canada Water Agency is collaborating across the federal government to develop a National Water Security Strategy, which could include elements related to flood and drought. As such, elements of the two strategies could be mutually reinforcing.
If Bill C-241 was to pass, the Agency would work with federal partners to coordinate on engagement approaches with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples.

Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives and Freshwater Action Plan

Question 15. What is the Freshwater Action Plan and how is the Agency delivering it?

The Freshwater Action Plan is a major federal funding initiative, primarily led by the Canada Water Agency, which manages, restores and protects fresh water in Canada.
The Freshwater Action Plan funds actions to protect and restore transboundary and nationally significant freshwater ecosystems through Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, St. Lawrence River, Fraser River, Wolastoq/Saint John River, Mackenzie River, and Lake Simcoe.
The Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives cover approximately 40% of Canada’s surface area where 90% of Canada's population lives.
Complementary to the Freshwater Action Plan, the EcoAction program is a funding initiative that focuses on freshwater sustainability and innovation across Canada, by funding community-led actions, clean technology, and innovation.

Question 16. How much is the Canada Water Agency investing in the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives across the country?

Investments in Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives are part of the broader Freshwater Action Plan, for which Budget 2023 announced $650 million over 10 years. Of this amount, $420 million in new funding was identified for the Great Lakes.
Year-over-year annual expenditures will vary as some mature Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives have seen an expanded contributions program (e.g., Great Lakes), and other Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives are in the early stages of program development, first focusing on building a strong science foundation to inform partner led on-the-ground actions to achieve restoration and protection results.

Details

In the Great Lakes, the Canada Water Agency is targeting the most significant environmental challenges affecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health by delivering on commitments under the Canada–U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the Canada–Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health. Funding over ten years will accelerate the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes.
In other Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, programming is focused on foundational efforts to increase the understanding of threats to water quality and aquatic ecosystem health, advance ecosystem health reporting, and advance collaborative partnerships, including reconciliation through Indigenous-led freshwater stewardship.
Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives held calls for applications to support partner-led activities to support knowledge building, developing approaches to collaborative watershed governance, and freshwater ecosystem restoration and protection.

Question 17. What is the level of funding for Lake Winnipeg?

The Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative provides financial support for eligible partner-led projects that improve the water quality and ecological health of Lake Winnipeg and its basin. Program priorities include nutrient reduction (through on-the ground, science and knowledge mobilization) and supporting meaningful and respectful inclusion of Indigenous partners in freshwater decision-making.
We currently have $3.6M in federal funding invested in 26 ongoing projects and are leveraging another $5.6M to achieve results in Lake Winnipeg. And we continue to invest in more projects annually in Lake Winnipeg.
Between 2017 and 2024, Canada invested over $15.1 million, funding over 120 projects to restore and protect Lake Winnipeg.

Supplemental Points

Budget 2023 announced a major investment to support Canada’s fresh water, including $650 million over ten years, starting in 2023-2024, to support monitoring, assessment, and restoration work through the implementation of Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, St. Lawrence River, Fraser River, Wolastoq/Saint John River, Mackenzie River, and Lake Simcoe.
For Lake Winnipeg, the Agency is targeting a total annual reduction of 25 tonnes of phosphorus by 2033.
In 2024–2025, 16 projects funded through the Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative invested in actions on the ground to reduce 1.81 tonnes of phosphorus annually.
In 2025-2026, we continued to fund an additional 10 projects to build on these expected outcomes and leveraged over $2 for every $1 in federal investment.
This work has strengthened our understanding of nutrient sources and in-lake response, supported the development of nutrient objectives, built strong partnerships, and enabled partner-led actions to improve water quality through nutrient reduction, collaboration, and Indigenous engagement.
Reducing nutrient loading and improving the health of the lake is expected to be a long-term endeavor. Under the Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative, CWA is working with partners to develop a framework to test, implement and evaluate more targeted approaches and options for nutrient reduction, focusing on higher contributing areas with the goal of accelerating positive outcomes.

Question 18. What is the status of the Randle Reef Project?

The Randle Reef Sediment Remediation Project is scheduled for completion in 2027.
The project will provide new port lands for industrial commercial use. The area will see economic and social benefits from the increase to port facilities, and the revitalization of the area as a clean and progressive place to live and work.
Questions relating to construction and contracting process should be addressed to Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Details

The Randle Reef Sediment Remediation Project is funded through a public-private approach, with the federal government, the province of Ontario, and local partners each contributing approximately one third of the over $150M project value.
A total of 615,000 cubic meters of contaminated sediment is safely contained within the engineered containment facility.
Cleaning up Randle Reef is one of the most significant steps remaining to remediate Hamilton Harbour and remove it from the list of Areas of Concern. By isolating the contaminated sediment, the project has reduced the amount and spread of contaminants through the Harbour, leading to improved water quality and ecosystem health.

Engagement & Collaboration

Question 19. How will the Canada Water Agency work with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, and stakeholders?

Freshwater management in a country as vast as Canada is complex. Challenges vary by region and addressing them can involve multiple jurisdictions.
The Canada Water Agency engages with provinces and territories on water issues in several ways including, through intergovernmental agreements that support some of the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, interjurisdictional and binational water boards, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, and bilateral and multilateral discussions.
The Agency engages with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in freshwater management through different approaches, including bilateral discussions and through Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives.
The Agency is also working to strengthen collaboration on fresh water with all interested partners and stakeholders through initiatives such as freshwater roundtables, which convene relevant parties to discuss topics across different regions.

Details

The Agency is also committed to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples by supporting implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and its Action Plan. This includes Action Plan Measure 49, which commits to modernizing the Canada Water Act to reflect Canada’s freshwater reality.

Question 20. How does the Canada Water Agency work with provinces and territories?

Since the federal government began work to create the Canada Water Agency, it has been clear that the Agency will respect the jurisdiction of provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments. A key aspect of the Agency’s mandate is to work collaboratively with others.
The Government of Canada’s collaboration with provinces and territories has been and will continue to be instrumental in addressing a range of environmental challenges facing our freshwater ecosystems to ensure the health and sustainability of our vital freshwater resources.

Question 21. How is the Canada Water Agency engaging with Indigenous partners?

The Agency works with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners to advance Indigenous leadership in freshwater management through the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, the EcoAction program, and by engaging Indigenous partners on national freshwater policy initiatives, including the Canada Water Act review, the National Freshwater Data Strategy and the National Water Security Strategy.
Advancing participation and engagement of Indigenous peoples in freshwater management is a priority in all Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, including through participation in decision-making process and providing financial support for Indigenous-led stewardship initiatives such as community-based monitoring; restoration and protection, and knowledge-based activities.
The Agency is also committed to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples by supporting implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and its Action Plan. This includes Action Plan Measure 49, which commits to modernizing the Canada Water Act to reflect Canada’s freshwater reality.

Supplemental Points

In 2024, the Canada Water Agency began discussions with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners on how to best to engage with them on the review of the Canada Water Act. This pre-engagement phase is ongoing.

Details

In 2024-25, the Canada Water Agency provided $1.22 million in funding to First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners to support their participation in Canada Water Act pre-engagement activities.
In Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, the Canada Water Agency has provided financial support for Indigenous-led actions (such as Indigenous community-based monitoring; the use of Indigenous Knowledge Systems to guide local efforts; and increased partnerships, collaboration, and shared decision-making). Flexible program design allows funding to respond to evolving community priorities, regional contexts, and Indigenous defined outcomes while maintaining alignment with Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives priorities.
Indigenous participation in decision-making processes that affect freshwater ecosystems is enabled through formal governance mechanisms, advisory bodies or partnerships. Participation is supported through sustained engagement and multiyear funding that enable Indigenous partners to participate meaningfully and consistently.
For example:
- the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives has targeted multi-year funding agreements with the Chiefs of Ontario and Anishinabek Nation to support First Nations participation in Great Lakes governance, science and stewardship. The Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives also partners with First Nations communities to support their participation in the restoration of Great Lakes Areas of Concern.
- In 2025/26, the Lake Winnipeg Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives launched a pilot funding stream titled Cultivating Collaboration and Indigenous-driven Action. This pilot stream supports projects led by or partnered closely with Indigenous governments, organizations, and/or communities, in the Canadian portion of the basin enhance opportunities and capacity for Indigenous-led stewardship on freshwater quality issues in the Lake Winnipeg Basin.

Question 22. How is the Canada Water Agency working with municipalities? Are they eligible to receive funding to address freshwater challenges?

Municipal governments are eligible to apply for funding through several of the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives open calls for applications and under EcoAction Stream 2: Freshwater Sustainability and Innovation.

National Water Security Strategy & Water Security

Question 23. What is the Canada Water Agency doing to strengthen Canada’s water security?

The Canada Water Agency works closely with partners to implement programs that protect and restore nationally significant waterbodies across the country. These programs, called Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, include governance and science to improve ecosystem health.
The Agency is in the initial stages of efforts to develop the country’s first National Water Security Strategy.

Details on the development of a National Water Security Strategy

The Canada Water Agency will seek to collaborate with those who hold water management responsibilities—including federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners.
In the coming months, we will engage with partners, stakeholders, and Canadians on water security challenges, opportunities, and priorities.

Question 24. Will consultation on the National Water Security Strategy meet section 35 obligations (duty to consult) involving all First Nations?

The Agency is in the initial stages of work on a National Water Security Strategy and is undertaking early discussions with Indigenous partners to understand their preferences for engagement approaches.
Following this, consultation requirements would likely depend on the nature of the measures proposed for the Strategy.

Water Supply, Quality, Quantity (including floods and droughts)

Question 25. What role does the federal government play in drought management?

Provinces and territories are responsible for drought management in their jurisdictions. The federal government conducts drought monitoring and provides data on surface water quantity. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is the national lead for drought monitoring including overseeing the Canadian Drought Monitor, while Environment and Climate Change Canada works with provinces and territories to monitor surface freshwater quantity.

Details

Climate change is expected to increase drought frequency, duration and severity in the southern Prairies and interior British Columbia. Regions such as Atlantic Canada, which have not historically faced drought, are increasingly experiencing more frequent dry conditions.

Question 26. What role does the Canada Water Agency play in managing groundwater?

Groundwater management is primarily the responsibility of provinces and territories. Within the Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada leads on groundwater science, monitoring, and interjurisdictional coordination.
The Canada Water Agency strengthens interdepartmental coordination on freshwater topics, including groundwater, through the Federal Freshwater Committee and the Federal Freshwater Hub.

Details

Natural Resources Canada’s Geological Survey of Canada research programs assess groundwater systems and their vulnerability to human activities and climate change.

Question 27. What role does the Canada Water Agency play in addressing PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)?

The Canada Water Agency does not have a regulatory role. Work on Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is led federally by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada.

Details

In terms of Canada Water Agency activities relating to PFAS, the Agency leads the implementation of the 2012 Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the 2021 Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health. Both agreements include annexes with specific commitments related to chemicals, in support of restoring and protecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health.
Pursuant to the GLWQA, Canada and the U.S. identify, designate, and target Chemicals of Mutual Concern that are potentially harmful to human health or the environment and that originate from anthropogenic sources. The Agency leads the identification, assessment and decision-making in relation to the designation of Chemicals of Mutual Concern, in close collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada officials responsible for Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan.
In addition, under the GLWQA, Canada and the U.S. release a State of the Great Lakes Report every three years. This report provides an overview of ecosystem status and trends using a set of indicators, including those related to toxic chemicals. It is a valuable tool for long-term tracking of chemical pollution, raising awareness about Great Lakes health, and informing actions to reduce environmental stressors.
Finally, through the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative, the Agency funds projects that track sources of PFAS and develop tools and approaches for monitoring, measuring and reducing releases of PFAS from various sources into the Great Lakes.

Question 28. How is usage of fertilizers affecting watersheds across Canada?

Agriculture is a key contributor to the Canadian economy. Reliable and high-quality water is essential for agricultural production.
Excessive nutrient runoff (e.g., phosphorus and nitrogen) from a number of sources including agricultural activity causing harmful algal blooms is a key issue in many significant waterways in Canada.
The Canada Water Agency is working with partners across the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives in order to tackle this problem, such as in the Wolastoq/Saint John River, St. Lawrence River, Lake Winnipeg Basin, and the Great Lakes.

Details

Agricultural production and processing pose risks to water quality. Both aquatic ecosystems and farm productivity benefit from retaining nutrients on the landscape and preventing them from entering watercourses. Collaboration with the agricultural sector including the fertilizer industry can improve nutrient management for the benefit of the sector and the health of watersheds in Canada.
For example:
- In the Wolastoq/Saint John River, the Canada Water Agency is investing in three projects directed at promoting agricultural best practices in the Potato Belt region, as traditional practices are leading to soil erosion and nutrient runoff.
- In the St. Lawrence River, a consultation committee was established by the St. Lawrence Action Plan to support and coordinate action aimed at reducing nutrient loss from agricultural lands. Three community-led projects were funded to improve sustainable agricultural practices and to contribute to improving the water quality of the St. Lawrence and its tributaries.
- In the Lake Winnipeg Basin, the Agency is collaborating with federal departments to advance the understanding and the local effectiveness of best management practices in the Prairies and exploring collaborative opportunities with the fertilizer industry as they scale up industry-led efforts to adopt on-farm water management practices.
- The Canada-Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan brings partners, including the agricultural sector together in efforts to reduce phosphorus loads to Lake Erie.

Canada Water Act

Question 29. How will the Canada Water Agency work to modernize the Canada Water Act?

In 2024, the Canada Water Agency began discussions with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners on how to best to engage with them on the review of the Canada Water Act. This pre-engagement phase is ongoing.

International Engagement

Question 30. Questions related to Canada-U.S. relations.

The Canada Water Agency remains committed to the protection of fresh water and to working collaboratively with the United States, given the importance of fresh water to our bilateral relationship. For example, the Agency leads work implementing the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
We defer questions on binational relations to Global Affairs Canada.

Details

The Great Lakes are shared waters and require cooperation with many partners in Canada and the United States. For over 50 years, agreements with the United States and the Province of Ontario have been important mechanisms for advancing shared priorities and ensuring collaboration with all levels of government, local authorities, Indigenous Peoples, industry, non‑governmental organizations and the public.

Question 31. What is the Canada Water Agency doing on the international stage?

The Canada Water Agency works closely with other government departments and agencies, such as Global Affairs Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, to align the international freshwater agenda with Canadian values and priorities.