What we do

The CWA’s integrated policy and program approach aims to improve freshwater management and stewardship in Canada to ensure it meets economic, social, and environment needs – today and for the future.

The CWA directly responds to Canada’s freshwater challenges and opportunities through five interconnected workstreams:

The EcoAction programs and Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives (FEIs) are key elements of the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan (FWAP) to manage, restore and protect fresh water in Canada. These programs advance science to inform decisions, enhance governance to support improved collaboration with partners and stakeholders, and through actions protect and restore freshwater ecosystem health.

EcoAction: Supports projects aimed at protecting and sustaining freshwater resources, including community projects, and innovative projects of national relevance.

FEIs: Support region-specific freshwater management programs, that include governance and science to improve ecosystem health in significant water bodies across Canada.

EcoAction (previously named EcoAction Community Funding Program) was initiated by ECCC in 1996 to provide funding for community-based projects focused on climate change, clean water, clean air, and nature. Since 2019, the program has focused on freshwater restoration and protection. In 2023, the program shifted to the CWA and will continue to deliver measurable environmental outcomes through partner-led freshwater actions.

Through EcoAction, Canada has invested $19.4M between 2019 and 2024 in 246 projects which engaged over 93,000 participants in freshwater projects. Other results achieved include the protection of 3,680 hectares of habitat and over 16,000 hectares of shorelines protected, stabilized or improved. In 2024/25, the CWA is investing an additional $4.9M over three years to support 55 partner-led projects to address program priorities.

Building on this success, a new stream of EcoAction focusing on freshwater sustainability and innovation across Canada was launched as a pilot in March 2025 to address gaps in existing initiatives.

• Shared with the U.S., the Great Lakes are one of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystems, containing 20% of the world’s surface fresh water.
• Home to over 13 million Canadians and a source of drinking water for over 10 million Canadians; Home to 62 First Nations and numerous Métis citizens who value their spiritual, cultural, and ceremonial relationships with the lakes.
• Support 4,000 species of plants and animals, including rare and unique species; 16,000 km of coastline and over 200,000 hectares of coastal wetlands; More than 35,000 islands, including Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world.
• The region accounts for 30% of the combined economic activity of Canada and the U.S. ($6T USD annually); Great Lakes fisheries - commercial, recreational and Indigenous - are valued at over $7B annually.

Between 1989 and 2022, Canada invested over $475M to support federal efforts in the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes. These previous investments led to key accomplishments including nutrient reductions, the restoration of three Areas of Concern, and the completion of all actions in two others.

Under the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan, Canada is committing $420M in new funding over ten years in the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative, starting in 2023/24, with a focus on accelerating Canada’s implementation of the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). In 2024/25, the CWA is investing $82M to support 56 partner-led projects. Applications are currently under review for the 2025/26 call for applications.

• The St. Lawrence river system is the third largest in North America and drains more than 25% of the world's freshwater reserves.
• The St. Lawrence River is a vital waterway stretching over 3,000 km from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• More than 5.5 million Canadians live along the shore of the St. Lawrence River.
• It plays an essential role in transportation acting as a vital artery for Canada’s economy and supply chain, fisheries, tourism, and provides habitats for many species.

Between 1988 and 2023, Canada invested approximately $448M to support federal efforts (including significant industrial remediation prior to the 2000s) and collaboration with partners and stakeholders to restore the ecological health of the St. Lawrence River.

Under the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan, the St. Lawrence Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative is continuing to support partner-led actions to improve water quality, conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable use of the river.

In 2024/25, the CWA is investing over $1.7M over three years to support partner-led projects to address the St. Lawrence FEI program priorities. The next call for applications is planned for the fall of 2025, for projects beginning in 2026/27.

The federal investment in the St. Lawrence River is guided by the Canada-Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence River, which was signed for a fifteen-year period from 2011 to 2026 and is renewed every five years. The agreement, referred to as the St. Lawrence Action Plan (SLAP), is a collaborative initiative between the governments of Canada and Quebec, initially established in 1988 to protect, conserve, and enhance the St. Lawrence River and its ecosystem.

The future St. Lawrence Action Plan (2026-2036), currently being negotiated, will continue making progress toward protecting and restoring this iconic waterway by emphasizing actions that will improve water quality, foster biodiversity conservation, and enhance sustainable use.

The CWA plays a central role by managing this collaborative initiative on behalf of the federal government, which involves coordinating efforts across various stakeholders, including governments, industries, scientists, and local communities. By engaging these diverse groups, the CWA fosters broad participation and mobilizes collective action to address environmental challenges in the St. Lawrence.

• 11^th largest freshwater lake in the world, 6^th largest in Canada with the 2^nd largest basin and home to over 6 million Canadians;
• Covering nearly 10% of Canada’s landscape, the basin spans over 1 million km² across four Canadian provinces and four American states;
• Approximately half of the basin is used for agricultural production;
• The Lake Winnipeg fishery accounts for over 25% of Canada’s freshwater fisheries, with the 2022 commerical catch valued at $23M;
• Lake Winnipeg is the third largest hydro-electric reservoir in the world, contributing over $600M to Manitoba’s economy annually;
• Tourism and recreation are important economic drivers for communities around the lake.

Between 2007 and 2023, Canada invested approximately $63M in support of restoring the health of Lake Winnipeg. Under the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan, the Lake Winnipeg FEI is continuing to leverage science and mobilize knowledge to target nutrient reduction efforts, support partner-led actions to improve water quality while continuing to support collaboration and decision-making and enhancing engagement of Indigenous peoples.

In 2024/25, the Canada Water Agency is investing $3.5M over two years to support partner-led projects to address program priorities. Applications are currently under review for the 2025/26 call for applications.

Half of the nutrients entering Lake Winnipeg originate from upstream jurisdictions. The Red River, which originates in in the U.S., is the largest source of nutrients. In 2022, Canada and the U.S. approved phosphorus and nitrogen targets for the Red River at the international border. In 2024, Manitoba established phosphorus and nitrogen targets for Lake Winnipeg and its four main tributaries (Red, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, and Dauphin rivers). These targets provide a foundation for jurisdictions to take action and measure progress. Achieving these targets will require sustained long-term efforts and commitments across the basin.

The Canada-Manitoba Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Respecting Lake Winnipeg and its Basin, first signed in 2010 and renewed in 2021, is a federal-provincial commitment to coordinate efforts to protect the water quality and ecosystem health of Lake
Winnipeg for present and future generations.

A Science Subsidiary Arrangement identifies priorities and coordinates research and knowledge efforts through the MOU to support decision making.

• Lake of the Woods is a large transboundary waterbody shared by Ontario, Manitoba, and Minnesota that is part of the Lake Winnipeg basin which provides drinking water for more than 700,000 people in Canada and the U.S.;
• Culturally, economically, and spiritually significant to the many First Nations, Tribes, and Métis in the basin, with the northern half of the basin being wholly within Treaty #3 territory, the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe Nation and home of the Northwestern Ontario Métis Community;
• 15^th largest lake in Canada by surface area (4,350 km²);
• Supports a significant natural resource, recreation and tourism-based economy and supports the most economically valuable inland recreational fishery in Ontario, with anglers generating approximately $111M annually;
• Has a highly diverse and complex lake environment.

Between 2016 and 2023, Canada invested $8.3M to support federal efforts to develop science-based nutrient reduction targets, to restore and protect the ecological health of Lake of the Woods, and to support stakeholder engagement on the targets. Under the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan, the Lake of the Woods FEI will continue to support actions on the ground to restore and protect water quality and the ecosystem health with a focus on preventing toxic and nuisance algae.

• Canada’s 4^th largest river based on annual discharge, 12^th largest basin by area, and home to over 3 million Canadians, most of whom live within 100 km of the mouth of the river in the Vancouver area.
• Over 100 First Nations across at least 9 language groups have stewarded these lands and waters since time immemorial, giving names to the river including Lhta Koh, Dasiqox, ʔElhdaqox, Sexqeltqín, Stó:lō.
• The lower Fraser and estuary hosts the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, which directly supports $5.5B of Canada’s GDP. In 2021, economic activities in the basin accounted for approximately 60% of British Columbia’s GDP.
• Serves as the most significant migratory waterfowl and shorebird habitat on Canada’s Pacific coast and is one of the most productive salmon river systems in the world.

The initial focus of this new initiative will be on water quality and the protection of aquatic ecosystem health, watershed threat assessments, and ecosystem health reporting.

In 2024/25, the Canada Water Agency is investing $1.9M in targeted funding over two years to support foundational efforts and early actions by partners. Applications are currently under review for the 2025/26 call for applications.

• The Mackenzie River Basin is Canada’s largest river basin, covering about 1.8 million km² (about 20% of Canada’s landmass) and includes portions of five provinces and territories.
• The watershed is home to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, representing approximately 10% of the basin’s total population of 400,000 people (2001).
• The basin is home to three large deltas: the Peace-Athabasca Delta (the largest freshwater inland river delta in North America), the Slave River Delta, and the Mackenzie River Delta.
• Industrial activities in the basin are mainly focused on agriculture, forestry, resource extraction (fossil fuels and mineral), and hydroelectric development.
• In 2005, the GDP of the basin was estimated at $41.5B annually, with natural capital value from ecological goods and services, such as carbon storage and water filtrations estimated at $448B/year.

Under the new Mackenzie River FEI, priorities are informed through collaboration under an existing governance structure, the Mackenzie River Basin Board, and through dialogue with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners.

The first call for applications to support partner-led activities through the Mackenzie River FEI was launched in March 2025 and will close in May.

• Largest river in the Maritimes and stretches over 600 km, of which 115 km represents the international boundary between Canada and the U.S.; the watershed is largely forested (83%) and covers an area of 55,000 km² almost 10 times the size of Prince Edward Island.
• Designated a Canadian Heritage River in 2013, this transboundary river flows through Maine, Quebec and New Brunswick.
• The watershed is home to half a million people and is the traditional territory of the Wolastoqey people; 40% of the population of New Brunswick rely on the river for its drinking water.
• Resource-based industries like forestry, agriculture, hydroelectricity and tourism are important economic drivers.

In 2024/25, the CWA invested more than $1.5M over three years to support partner-led actions in the Wolastoq / Saint John River watershed. Applications are currently under review for the 2025/26 call for applications.

• Lake Simcoe is the largest inland lake in Southern Ontario after the Great Lakes;
• The basin is covered by Treaty 16, 18, 20 and the Williams Treaties, is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg and Huron-Wendat, and is home to many Métis citizens;
• The watershed is 3,400 km², covers 20 municipalities, and provides drinking water for seven municipalities;
• Supports a regional tourism and recreation sector that generates over $200M annually; 
• One of the fastest growing regions in Canada, characterized by growing urban centers and intensive agriculture; 
• Home to 32 Species at Risk and significant habitats such as the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Holland Marsh wetlands.

The initial focus of this new initiative is to prevent toxic and nuisance algae by supporting innovation and implementing best management practices that reduce phosphorus loads to Lake Simcoe. CWA’s support is increasing participation in the application of phosphorus load reduction measures and promoting the broad uptake, application, and demonstration of new and innovative approaches to phosphorus management.

The CWA analyzes freshwater issues facing Canada 3 to 100 years from now, leveraging futures and foresight techniques to develop anticipatory policy approaches that proactively build water security and resilience, rather than reacting to challenges once they become a crisis.

There are new policy, funding, and science options that can help Canadians prepare and effectively adapt to this new water future.

Policy research is based on the strongest evidence available, combining multidisciplinary perspectives and engagement with academia to develop robust analysis and proposals. For example, the CWA is collaborating with the Privy Council Office to apply behavioural science in understanding Canadian attitudes toward drought preparedness. The CWA is also working to strengthen partnerships with Indigenous Knowledge holders.

The CWA leads periodic reviews of federal freshwater policy frameworks and strategies with other federal departments and agencies to ensure the government’s approach to freshwater management is strategic and fit-for-purpose in the context of current and future freshwater challenges and opportunities.

For example, a review of the Canada Water Act was initiated and included in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan measures. The CWA is undertaking policy research to support this review and has begun pre-engagement discussions with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, and other federal departments and agencies.

The CWA leverages collaborative mechanisms such as the Federal Freshwater Committee and partnerships with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to ensure that policy reviews and strategies are horizontal, multidisciplinary, and responsive to user needs.

The PPWB facilitates collaborative management of shared waters between the Governments of Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba through the Master Agreement on Apportionment (1969) to share water equitably and to protect transboundary surface water quality and groundwater aquifers. The PPWB consists of five members with two representing Canada (CWA and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) and one each representing Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The CWA serves as chair and hosts the Secretariat of the PPWB. While the PPWB does not have legislative enforcement powers, it serves as an effective forum for interjurisdictional cooperation, proactive discussion and conflict resolution.

The MRBB facilitates cooperation through the Transboundary Waters Master Agreement (1997) between the Governments of Canada, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, and Northwest Territories with the goal of ensuring a healthy and diverse aquatic ecosystem for the benefit of present and future generations. The MRBB is comprised of 13 members including one Indigenous and one government member appointed by each of the five provincial and territorial governments and three federal government members representing the CWA, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and Parks Canada. The CWA serves as chair and hosts the secretariat of the MRBB.

Binational water cooperation and coordination through boards and other governance mechanisms is an effective vehicle for proactively resolving issues related to freshwater management between Canada and the U.S.

Boards of the IJC are guided by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909; this agreement is fundamental to establishing and resolving water sharing and water quality issues.

The GLWQB is the principal advisor to the IJC on matters related to its responsibilities under the 2012 Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The CWA is a member of the GLWQB and leads implemention of the agreement for Canada.

The GLWQB assists the IJC by: reviewing and assessing the progress of Canada and the U.S. in implementing the Agreement; identifying emerging issues; recommending strategies for preventing and resolving complex challenges facing the Great Lakes; and providing advice on the role of relevant jurisdictions to implement these strategies.

• Freshwater Hub: An experimental approach that embeds freshwater expertise from across the federal family within the CWA to develop whole-of-federal-government solutions to freshwater challenges. The Hub is an innovative testing ground for working horizontally and collaboratively. To date, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), ECCC, DFO, ISC, NRCan, and Statistics Canada (StatsCan) have been involved in the Hub.
• Whole-of-government initiatives supported by the FFC and Hub include the review of the Canada Water Act, the National Freshwater Data Strategy, the National Freshwater Science Agenda, and the Water One Window.

• Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOU): In several FEIs, the CWA’s cooperation with provinces and territories is formalized through agreements and MOUs with provincial governments (e.g., the Canada-Quebec Agreement and the Canada-Manitoba MOU Respecting Lake Winnipeg and its Basin).
• Domestic Water Boards: CWA has multiple responsibilities for domestic and binational water boards which include provincial and territorial governments.
• Bilateral engagement: CWA engages bilaterally with provinces and territories on specific issues. For example, the CWA has engaged provinces and territories on the Canada Water Act review and the development of a National Freshwater Data Strategy.

• CWA Mandate and Priorities: From 2020 to 2023, the CWA Transition Office engaged First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners to inform the CWA’s mandate and priorities.
• Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives: Advancing participation of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in freshwater management is a priority in all eight FEIs. To facilitate their participation, the CWA has provided financial support for Indigenous-led actions (e.g., Indigenous community-based monitoring; the use of Indigenous Knowledge Systems; and increased collaboration and shared decision-making).

• Consultation: In December 2020, ECCC released a public discussion paper to support the creation of the CWA. Input was received from partners and stakeholders over a 75-day period. Feedback from this engagement was published in a What We Heard Report (see References).
• Stakeholder meetings: The CWA regularly meets with a wide variety of stakeholders and partners to discuss freshwater issues and policy.
• President’s Freshwater Tables: The President's Freshwater Tables foster meaningful dialogue on freshwater issues with partners and stakeholders. The President’s Tables gather input and advice on key freshwater issues, provide a forum for in-depth discussion on potential responses and solutions, and support relationship-building among those working on freshwater-related issues across the country. The first Table, on Water Technology Innovation, identified gaps, challenges, and opportunities for federal action. Further Tables in 2025–26 will build on the success of the first.

• Multilateral Engagement
  The CWA’s participation in international multilateral engagement ensures Canada has a clear view of international water agendas, a voice in United Nations and other multilateral processes, and can align outcomes with Canadian values and priorities.
  
  • For example, the CWA is leading Canada’s input to the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, which will shape the post-2030 Sustainable Develoment Goal Agenda.
• Bilateral Engagement
  The CWA fosters targeted bilateral engagement with likeminded countries and international non-governmental organizations, which allows Canada to coordinate with peers in multilateral water forums and incorporate lessons learned from counterparts in domestic freshwater policy and programs.
  
  • For example, the CWA held a knowledge exchange with the Government of Australia on approaches to freshwater legislation and management, partner and stakeholder engagement, collaboration with Indigenous peoples, and freshwater data management.

As part of the FEIs, reports on the state of the basin (Mackenzie) and waterbodies are delivered collaboratively with partners and are based on ecosystem health indicators (Lake Simcoe is an exception as the province conducts waterbody assessments).

Reporting supports a comprehensive assessment of freshwater challenges, including impacts of climate change; builds awareness; aids in identifying and prioritizing stressors; informs decision-making and actions to restore and protect water quality and ecosystem health; and assesses environmental results.

The CWA is currently assessing approaches for State of Freshwater Reporting at the national scale.

One of the CWA’s broad communications objectives is to build water literacy on the economic, social, and environmental value of fresh water and how to sustainably manage it. By developing engaging, inclusive public education campaigns, the CWA aims to foster a water-aware Canada through sustained, strategic communications.

Water One Window

The Water One Window (WOW) provides a centralized web presence on the CWA website for Canadians to easily access federal freshwater data, programs, services, reports, and other information via links to the webpages of other federal departments and agencies.

Freshwater science is critical to freshwater management and protection; it underpins the CWA’s work, including FEIs and policy development. The CWA leverages freshwater science led by ECCC, NRCan, other government departments, academia, and stakeholders to inform work across all workstreams.

To this end, the CWA also supports the development of the ECCC-led National Freshwater Science Agenda (NFSA), a plan to advance freshwater science and knowledge on Canada’s most pressing freshwater challenges and lay the groundwork for future collaborative science and knowledge mobilization. It will guide freshwater science priorities, collaboration, and investments nationally while addressing region-specific challenges and integrating Indigenous and western scientific approaches.

Freshwater data is essential to make well informed decisions and is foundational to all workstreams. The CWA is collaboratively leading the development of a National Freshwater Data Strategy (NFDS) to establish guidelines and principles for how freshwater information should be organized, stored, and shared in Canada.

The NFDS aims to collate and integrate fragmented data across multiple entities (federal government, provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities, academia, industry) and standardize approaches for managing and sharing freshwater data.

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis play a crucial role as water stewards and holders of vital knowledge on water in Canada. Indigenous Knowledge is, therefore, essential for freshwater policy and management.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems are considered in many aspects of CWA’s work, ranging from informing FEIs, to the development of the NFSA and the NFDS, to policy research and review of federal legislative frameworks in Canada.

Building on work to date, the CWA is developing an Indigenous Strategy, aiming to increase the Indigenous cultural competency of employees within the Agency and enable the CWA to cooperate with Indigenous partners to integrate their Knowledge Systems throughout all workstreams of the CWA.