Provincial government budget cuts are now affecting watersheds. According to a recent Edmonton Journal article funding for all surface water quality monitoring in 2009/10 could dramatically decline from $1.1 million to $300,000. Already only 20 out of hundreds of lakes in Alberta were tested last year. That number may now be reduced to 10 lakes.

Water quality monitoring, by collecting water samples and testing those samples for particular chemical, physical, or biological attributes like hydrocarbons, nutrient levels, or pathogens, is the only way to measure water quality changes in response to land-use and water-use activities. Water quality monitoring data helps identify the source of problems and is instrumental to defining cost-effective solutions.

Decreases to water quality monitoring even for one year can be detrimental because ongoing monitoring is crucial to establishing a long-term data collection.