Since 2006, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) and Pinery Provincial Park staff have collected water samples to monitor water quality in the Old Ausable Channel (OAC). These samples are collected monthly from March to November each year. Prior to this undertaking, very little was known about the water quality in the OAC.
Every 5 years, ABCA publishes a Watershed Report Card that summarizes multiple environmental parameters, including water quality. Learn more about these report cards and findings here.
Water Sampling in the OAC
Water samples are analyzed for the following eight indicators: