Welcome to the National Lake Blitz!
The 3rd Annual National Lake Blitz monitoring season is coming to a close!
442 volunteers are monitoring lakes
across 10 provinces and territories between May and September 2023. We’re also extending the monitoring season through October for our keen volunteers!
The goal of the National Lake Blitz is to encourage the widespread monitoring of lakes across Canada using simple tools so participants can easily understand the impacts of climate change on lakes.
From May to September, Lake Blitz volunteers across Canada help create a ‘snapshot’ of lake health by collecting temperature readings at their chosen lake and shoreline photos of their location and the colour of the water. All the data that’s being collected is added to the Lake Observation Map that can be viewed in real-time!
The sister event of the Lake Blitz is the 2023 Lake Biodiversity Photo Challenge, which runs May to July.
Virtual Office Hours
Tuesdays 12-1 pm PT/ 1-2 pm MT / 3-4 pm ET
The Lake Blitz team is available every Tuesday in a Zoom meeting room.
Register to receive reminders and add the meetings to your calendar.
If you have any questions, please contact Lake Blitz Program Manager Camille LeBlanc at lakeblitz@livinglakescanada.ca
How to Monitor & Upload Data – in 2 Minutes!
Check out our new training videos
Scroll down to learn more!
Submit your Data in the Observation Form • View the Observation Map
2023 Training Video • Newsletter Archive • Frequently Asked Questions • Volunteer Resources
2023 Observation Form
Entering your monitoring data into the scrolling form below.
Lake Blitz Observation Map
Find all the data collected by National Lake Blitz volunteers here. Search by lake name.
👇 Zoom in for Monitoring Site Summaries & Photos (the map takes a moment to load)
2023 Volunteer Training Video
2023 Summer Speaker Series Webinar
Frequently Asked Questions
A: The sampling should be consistent but a 2-3 day variation is acceptable. Consider creating a team of close friends, neighbours or coworkers who can fill in for the days you will be gone.
A: Yes, we collect a range of data sets. Each data sheet comes with a spot for you to input what wildlife, invasive species or issues you see while monitoring.
A: Data is collected using the Lake Blitz Observation form on the Survey123 platform. Use either the Survey 123 mobile app at the lake or the data cards provided in the Lake Blitz kit and the desktop version once home. See pages 5, 8 and 25 on the Lake Blitz Field Guide for information on data collection and entry.
The data will be used to build a national database and will help to validate the use of community science to measure climate change impacts on freshwater.
A: We encourage our volunteers to keep their kits and take part next year! If you don’t think you will use your kit again, consider encouraging a friend to become a lake monitor for 2023 and pass the kit on. Kits can also be returned to Living Lakes Canada #202A 330 Baker Street, Nelson BC, V1L 4H5.
A: Contact lakeblitz@livinglakescanada.ca. We will send you another.
A: For those who may miss a sampling weekend, please feel free to monitor the next weekend. In order to fulfill the 10 sampling days per year, those lakes that remain ice-free can be monitored into October.
A: No login is needed to access the Survey 123 app. To get started, open the app and select “Continue without signing in” (see image below). This will take you into the app where you can then follow the steps on page 8 of the Lake Blitz Field Guide.
A: To change the location, first access the Lake Blitz Observation form at lakeblitz.livinglakescanada.ca on a mobile browser. Click on “SUBMIT YOUR MONITORING RESULTS” and select “open in browser”. The blue location cursor can now be moved. Select OK in the top right corner to save the new location. Please note that you cannot change the location while using the Survey 123 app.
A: Since temperature fluctuates throughout the day, choose a consistent time of day when data can be gathered.
A: This is likely because the entry exceeded the photo limits on the form. Each photo entry section has a maximum photo entry: 4 lake photos, 6 wildlife photos, 3 invasive species photos, 6 issues and concerns photos. Limits are placed on photo uploads because of storage space and data page loading time.
A: If you see any invasive species you are concerned about or think should be reported immediately, contact lakeblitz@livinglakescanada.ca and provide a photo. If you come into contact with a priority species such as Zebra and Quagga mussels, call your province or territories reporting line. Phone numbers can be found on page 23 of the Lake Blitz Field Guide.
2023 Field Guide
Click the cover to access the guide.
Lake Blitz Newsletters
Volunteer Resources
Our Funders
Thank you to RBC Tech for Nature for making the Lake Blitz possible and to TD Friends of the Environment and the New Horizons for Seniors Program for their additional support.
