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The St. Lawrence River is currently plagued by issues related to sustainable use, biodiversity and water quality. In light of this, the governments of Canada and Quebec have agreed on the need to continue their research efforts and collaborate on the development of solutions that will enable them to address these existing and emerging problems.
State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program
The State of the St. Lawrence Monitoring Program, formally launched in 2003, enables its partners to pool their expertise to report regularly on the state of the St. Lawrence and how it is changing. The results of this monitoring are made available in a series of fact sheets, at the Rendez-vous St. Lawrence event and in the Overview report, which is published every five years.
St. Lawrence River Water Quality
By shedding light on the sources of contamination affecting the St. Lawrence’s waters, the work completed by SLAP aims to reduce water pollution and improve water quality. This work focuses on four key areas: nonpoint source pollution, sediment management, toxic substances and fluvial inputs.
Protecting Biodiversity
The primary threats to biodiversity arise from the transformation of ecosystems through woodland fragmentation and wetland destruction, the spread of invasive exotic species and climate change. The resulting damage typically occurs in the form of habitat loss, degradation of ecosystem services, reduced species abundance or changes in species distribution.
Sustainable Use
Whether in the areas of sustainable management of fishery resources, the maintenance and promotion of public access points to the St. Lawrence, sustainable commercial navigation and recreational boating practices or adequate water flows to maintain the health of ecosystems, the governments of Canada and Quebec are working together to provide for the sustainable use of the St. Lawrence.
Numerical Environmental Prediction
A program to aid decision making and water management planning in the St. Lawrence and its watershed.
Coordination Committees
Thematic coordination committees address issues requiring broad collaborative action.