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The residents of the Saugeen watershed are well aware of the importance of good water quality. It is vital for healthy people, a healthy environment, and a healthy economy.
Saugeen Conservation has implemented a comprehensive
program to monitor, analyze, evaluate, protect and improve the
quality of water in the Saugeen watershed. The following are different
aspects of the Saugeen Conservation Water Quality Program.
Watershed Report Cards
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River Reference Map
 Surface Water Quality Monitoring
Saugeen Conservation staff collects surface water chemistry samples eight times a year or, on a monthly basis during ice-free periods, as part of a monitoring partnership with the Ministry
of the Environment. As well, the same locations are sampled bi-weekly for E. coli.
The samples come from 14 stations situated in all of the major
subwatersheds of the Saugeen River as well as some of the systems
within SC jurisdiction that drain directly to Lake Huron. Some
water quality parameters are measured in the field when the samples
are taken while analysis for numerous chemical parameters is
undertaken later in the laboratories of the Ministry of the Environment.
 The information gained from this program will assist in determining
long-term trends in the quality of the surface water in the various
subwatersheds. It may also assist in detecting general causes
of water quality impairment and in evaluating the effectiveness
of Saugeen Conservation programs.
Groundwater Quality Monitoring
 A system of groundwater monitoring wells has been established
across the watershed to monitor the quality and quantity of the
groundwater resources in the region.
The 17 wells established by Saugeen Conservation are part of
the provincial groundwater Monitoring Network, monitoring 23 different aquifers. The establishment
of this province wide network is a partnership between Conservation
Authorities and the Ministry of the Environment.
Biological Monitoring
Saugeen Conservation is presently working to develop a biological
monitoring program for the Saugeen watershed. The goal of the program is to enable the assessment of aquatic ecosystems using benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality. Sampling of macroinvertebrates is being conducted using the Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network protocol.
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