Katherine Balpataky
@kbalp.bsky.social
Canadian water wonk advocating for the environment and economy. Executive Director, DataStream Initiative. 🍁#LakeErieLove #waterquality #opendata #nibi #Canicross
Hot off the press: @wqmgreatlakes.bsky.social SOE Great Lakes report, incl. an indicator for #groundwater quality. Status is Good based on chloride & nitrate concentrations, but the 10-year trend is Undetermined due to insufficient spatial coverage binational.net/wp-content/u...
January 24, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Hot off the press: @wqmgreatlakes.bsky.social SOE Great Lakes report, incl. an indicator for #groundwater quality. Status is Good based on chloride & nitrate concentrations, but the 10-year trend is Undetermined due to insufficient spatial coverage binational.net/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Katherine Balpataky
ECCC-WQMSD is on BlueSky! Follow us for cool (hopefully) posts on #GreatLakes water quality and science!
November 15, 2024 at 8:48 PM
ECCC-WQMSD is on BlueSky! Follow us for cool (hopefully) posts on #GreatLakes water quality and science!
Reposted by Katherine Balpataky
@psfca.bsky.social’s latest assessment of Yukon salmon, outlined in their Pacific Salmon Explorer database, show that 80% of salmon population groups are struggling, writes Tori Fitzpatrick for CBC: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
‘First of its kind’ database for Yukon salmon looks at chinook and chum more extensively | CBC Arctic Winter Games
Yukon chinook and chum salmon have faced declines for years, but new assessments are shedding light on the status of smaller population groups, many of which are struggling.
www.cbc.ca
January 21, 2026 at 3:30 PM
@psfca.bsky.social’s latest assessment of Yukon salmon, outlined in their Pacific Salmon Explorer database, show that 80% of salmon population groups are struggling, writes Tori Fitzpatrick for CBC: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Katherine Balpataky
DYK Lake Superior is so cold & deep that it preserves shipwrecks like underwater museums? Some wrecks from the 1800s are still perfectly intact!
Check out the Lake Superior water monitoring efforts by Garden River First Nation and Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone: doi.org/10.25976/oe0...
Check out the Lake Superior water monitoring efforts by Garden River First Nation and Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone: doi.org/10.25976/oe0...
January 22, 2026 at 8:08 PM
DYK Lake Superior is so cold & deep that it preserves shipwrecks like underwater museums? Some wrecks from the 1800s are still perfectly intact!
Check out the Lake Superior water monitoring efforts by Garden River First Nation and Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone: doi.org/10.25976/oe0...
Check out the Lake Superior water monitoring efforts by Garden River First Nation and Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone: doi.org/10.25976/oe0...
I love it when art and science meet. INCUBATOR Art Lab is presenting a reimagining of scientific instruments as installation art at the @raeon-uw.bsky.social Demystifying #data workshop in February @uwindsor.bsky.social (I wish this was my desk!)
January 22, 2026 at 2:25 PM
I love it when art and science meet. INCUBATOR Art Lab is presenting a reimagining of scientific instruments as installation art at the @raeon-uw.bsky.social Demystifying #data workshop in February @uwindsor.bsky.social (I wish this was my desk!)
Reposted by Katherine Balpataky
CALL FOR PROPOSALS 📢
We are now accepting applications to target environmental challenges affecting water quality and ecosystem health within the Great Lakes Basin.
Application deadline: January 23, 2026 at 4:30 PM EST
For more information contact: francis.gallo@anishinabek.ca
We are now accepting applications to target environmental challenges affecting water quality and ecosystem health within the Great Lakes Basin.
Application deadline: January 23, 2026 at 4:30 PM EST
For more information contact: francis.gallo@anishinabek.ca
January 7, 2026 at 7:30 PM
CALL FOR PROPOSALS 📢
We are now accepting applications to target environmental challenges affecting water quality and ecosystem health within the Great Lakes Basin.
Application deadline: January 23, 2026 at 4:30 PM EST
For more information contact: francis.gallo@anishinabek.ca
We are now accepting applications to target environmental challenges affecting water quality and ecosystem health within the Great Lakes Basin.
Application deadline: January 23, 2026 at 4:30 PM EST
For more information contact: francis.gallo@anishinabek.ca
It was great to be back to #Winnipeg.
It’s a great week to be in Winnipeg! We’re thrilled to be attending the 43rd Annual Red River Basin Commission Land and Water International Summit Conference.
We’re having productive and practical conversations about protecting freshwater and the future of the Red River Basin.
We’re having productive and practical conversations about protecting freshwater and the future of the Red River Basin.
January 15, 2026 at 9:15 PM
It was great to be back to #Winnipeg.
👉Hiring: Bruce Postdoctoral Fellow in Canadian Water Politics and Policy
@researchtmu.bsky.social now accepting applications for the Geoffrey F. Bruce Postdoctoral Fellowship in Canadian Water Politics and Policy
👉 Learn more:
www.torontomu.ca/bruce-fellow...
@researchtmu.bsky.social now accepting applications for the Geoffrey F. Bruce Postdoctoral Fellowship in Canadian Water Politics and Policy
👉 Learn more:
www.torontomu.ca/bruce-fellow...
Bruce Fellowships in Environment and Canadian Freshwater Policy
www.torontomu.ca
January 15, 2026 at 6:02 PM
👉Hiring: Bruce Postdoctoral Fellow in Canadian Water Politics and Policy
@researchtmu.bsky.social now accepting applications for the Geoffrey F. Bruce Postdoctoral Fellowship in Canadian Water Politics and Policy
👉 Learn more:
www.torontomu.ca/bruce-fellow...
@researchtmu.bsky.social now accepting applications for the Geoffrey F. Bruce Postdoctoral Fellowship in Canadian Water Politics and Policy
👉 Learn more:
www.torontomu.ca/bruce-fellow...
Data centre sovereignty and AI advancements are in our economic interest, but there are real tradeoffs to consider when building more Canadian infrastructure nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
Data’s dark, thirsty side
Data centres consume huge amounts of fresh water, but as Canada embraces AI as an economic driver, there may be a reluctance to enact legislation requiring them to report on and curb consumption
nationalmagazine.ca
December 18, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Data centre sovereignty and AI advancements are in our economic interest, but there are real tradeoffs to consider when building more Canadian infrastructure nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...
Call for abstracts! The Canadian Geophysical Union & the Canadian National Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists are hosting a joint meeting in May 2026, and they want your research and insights.
Abstract submission deadline is January 10: www.meet-here.ca/cgu-iah_2026...
Abstract submission deadline is January 10: www.meet-here.ca/cgu-iah_2026...
2026 Session Descriptions
www.meet-here.ca
December 18, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Reposted by Katherine Balpataky
2025 was a great year for DataStream! Check out our Highlights Video to see what we’ve been up to this year.
Thank you to our partners, collaborators, and all those monitoring their waterways. See you in 2026! youtu.be/mPQOdJDjEi0
Thank you to our partners, collaborators, and all those monitoring their waterways. See you in 2026! youtu.be/mPQOdJDjEi0
2025 DataStream Highlights
YouTube video by DataStream
youtu.be
December 18, 2025 at 6:41 PM
2025 was a great year for DataStream! Check out our Highlights Video to see what we’ve been up to this year.
Thank you to our partners, collaborators, and all those monitoring their waterways. See you in 2026! youtu.be/mPQOdJDjEi0
Thank you to our partners, collaborators, and all those monitoring their waterways. See you in 2026! youtu.be/mPQOdJDjEi0
📣📣📣
Call for abstracts! We are co-hosting a conference session with Lake Winnipeg Foundation at the IAGLR & SCAS Conference, May 2026, in Winnipeg. The session is called "Community Monitoring Full Circle: From Data to Science, Policy, & Action."
Abstracts due December 19: iaglr.org/iaglr-scas26...
Abstracts due December 19: iaglr.org/iaglr-scas26...
Abstracts - IAGLR-SCAS 2026
iaglr.org
December 15, 2025 at 3:32 PM
📣📣📣
Reposted by Katherine Balpataky
If you missed it, the @unesconow.bsky.social Groundwater Youth Network “Groundwater in Glacier Regions and Youth Participation” panel is now online! Find it here: youtu.be/_nuiLqOJF_8?...
GWYN Side Event IYGP 2025: GW in Glacier Regions and Youth Participation
YouTube video by Groundwater Youth Network
youtu.be
January 28, 2025 at 11:06 PM
If you missed it, the @unesconow.bsky.social Groundwater Youth Network “Groundwater in Glacier Regions and Youth Participation” panel is now online! Find it here: youtu.be/_nuiLqOJF_8?...
We couldn't be more excited about this new collaboration with the Kivalliq Inuit Association. They have a fantastic monitoring program that weaves Western and Inuit Traditional Knowledge. And there is so much more we hope to do together!
The One Voice initiative, led by the Kivalliq Inuit Association and Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd. draws on Inuit Traditional Knowledge and other science to determine water quality in northern communities. Today, the team is uploading data to DataStream: datastream.org/en-ca/articl...
Is the water safe to drink? Are the fish safe to eat? Answering community questions in Kivalliq - Article - DataStream
When Baker Lake community members gathered at a mining development hearing a few years ago, they had two questions. Is the water safe to drink? And are the fish safe to eat?
datastream.org
November 28, 2025 at 7:50 PM
We couldn't be more excited about this new collaboration with the Kivalliq Inuit Association. They have a fantastic monitoring program that weaves Western and Inuit Traditional Knowledge. And there is so much more we hope to do together!
So forward-looking! In June, the New York State legislature passed the Open Water Data Act, modelled after successful policies in water-scarce states. It will standardise data from state programs, including data from citizen scientists. I❤️NY. www.adirondackcouncil.org/what-the-ope... #opendata
What the Open Water Data Act Means for Clean Water in the Adirondacks - Adirondack Council
By Zachary Tarrant – Legislative Intern Friday, August 1, 2025 In June, both houses of the New York State legislature passed the Open Water Data Act (S.1211-A/A.5254-A). This legislation, sponsored by...
www.adirondackcouncil.org
November 27, 2025 at 10:37 PM
So forward-looking! In June, the New York State legislature passed the Open Water Data Act, modelled after successful policies in water-scarce states. It will standardise data from state programs, including data from citizen scientists. I❤️NY. www.adirondackcouncil.org/what-the-ope... #opendata
Water doesn’t recognize borders — but politics does. @theeconomistnews.bsky.social describes the complex web of transboundary water mngt in South Asia, where Indus, Ganges & Brahmaputra rivers flow across nations with intertwined histories, economies & ambitions www.economist.com/asia/2025/11...
South Asia’s water wars
Climate change and rising energy demand could worsen conflict over rivers
www.economist.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Water doesn’t recognize borders — but politics does. @theeconomistnews.bsky.social describes the complex web of transboundary water mngt in South Asia, where Indus, Ganges & Brahmaputra rivers flow across nations with intertwined histories, economies & ambitions www.economist.com/asia/2025/11...
Crowley and I are racing for the Hammer Animal Services this weekend. A great cause. Check it out >> raceroster.com/events/2025/...
Crowley's fundraising page. He wants to win!
raceroster.com/events/2025/...
Crowley's fundraising page. He wants to win!
raceroster.com/events/2025/...
November 6, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Crowley and I are racing for the Hammer Animal Services this weekend. A great cause. Check it out >> raceroster.com/events/2025/...
Crowley's fundraising page. He wants to win!
raceroster.com/events/2025/...
Crowley's fundraising page. He wants to win!
raceroster.com/events/2025/...
So well put, Stephanie. That's why we are excited to deepen our partnership with @psfca.bsky.social to advance open data sharing and on-the-ground conservation strategies to protect freshwater and salmon habitat on the Pacific coast.
“In the Yukon there's a real need to improve what I call data stewardship,” says Stephanie Peacock of @psfca.bsky.social, as the new State of Salmon report highlights data management gaps: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Salmon monitoring efforts under-reported in the Yukon, say biologists | CBC News
As Yukon chinook and chum salmon numbers decline, monitoring efforts in the territory are being under-reported, say biologists. A recent report provides a broad look at Pacific salmon species in the Y...
www.cbc.ca
November 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM
So well put, Stephanie. That's why we are excited to deepen our partnership with @psfca.bsky.social to advance open data sharing and on-the-ground conservation strategies to protect freshwater and salmon habitat on the Pacific coast.
Reposted by Katherine Balpataky
Lake Huron has the largest shoreline of all the Great Lakes, including 30,000 islands! That’s more than the Caribbean Sea.
Georgian Bay Islands National Park is monitoring this diverse water body. Dive into Parks Canada’s water quality data on DataStream: https://doi.org/10.25976/ynsp-9u38
Georgian Bay Islands National Park is monitoring this diverse water body. Dive into Parks Canada’s water quality data on DataStream: https://doi.org/10.25976/ynsp-9u38
Georgian Bay Islands National Park - Wetlands Water Quality
doi.org
October 30, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Lake Huron has the largest shoreline of all the Great Lakes, including 30,000 islands! That’s more than the Caribbean Sea.
Georgian Bay Islands National Park is monitoring this diverse water body. Dive into Parks Canada’s water quality data on DataStream: https://doi.org/10.25976/ynsp-9u38
Georgian Bay Islands National Park is monitoring this diverse water body. Dive into Parks Canada’s water quality data on DataStream: https://doi.org/10.25976/ynsp-9u38
@theglobeandmail.com Dr. Beth Parker, reported in the Globe for winning the NSERC Donna Strickland Prize is a hydroGEOLOGIST not a hydrologist. #Groundwater, so often overlooked :-)
November 2, 2025 at 5:44 PM
@theglobeandmail.com Dr. Beth Parker, reported in the Globe for winning the NSERC Donna Strickland Prize is a hydroGEOLOGIST not a hydrologist. #Groundwater, so often overlooked :-)
Congratulations to University of Guelph hydrogeologist Beth Parker for winning the #NSERC Donna Strickland Prize for Societal Impact www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Prizes-Prix/... @uofguelphnews.bsky.social #groundwater
University of Alberta’s David Wishart wins top Canadian science prize
Gerhard Herzberg gold medal comes with a grant of up to $1-million to support personal university-based research or related initiatives
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 2, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Congratulations to University of Guelph hydrogeologist Beth Parker for winning the #NSERC Donna Strickland Prize for Societal Impact www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Prizes-Prix/... @uofguelphnews.bsky.social #groundwater
Reposted by Katherine Balpataky
We have progressed from data collection to data analysis.
November 1, 2025 at 12:31 AM
We have progressed from data collection to data analysis.
Enviro nerd #Halloween costumes of yore. Sad that I cannot find my 'Matt Damon potty strike' & 'ag runoff' costume pics, but here's dirty beach and carbon credit.
October 31, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Enviro nerd #Halloween costumes of yore. Sad that I cannot find my 'Matt Damon potty strike' & 'ag runoff' costume pics, but here's dirty beach and carbon credit.
Reposted by Katherine Balpataky
It was so great to be in Yellowknife last week for the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy workshop.
We loved connecting with water partners & putting our minds together for the next 5-year Water Stewardship Strategy Action Plan. Mahsi cho, thank you to Environment & Climate Change Canada for hosting!
We loved connecting with water partners & putting our minds together for the next 5-year Water Stewardship Strategy Action Plan. Mahsi cho, thank you to Environment & Climate Change Canada for hosting!
October 24, 2025 at 2:32 PM
It was so great to be in Yellowknife last week for the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy workshop.
We loved connecting with water partners & putting our minds together for the next 5-year Water Stewardship Strategy Action Plan. Mahsi cho, thank you to Environment & Climate Change Canada for hosting!
We loved connecting with water partners & putting our minds together for the next 5-year Water Stewardship Strategy Action Plan. Mahsi cho, thank you to Environment & Climate Change Canada for hosting!
What a wonderful week in Fredericton with so many local leaders who are committed to the health of the Wolastoq River. Thanks to @wwfcanada.org and New Brunswick Environmental Network for hosting.
Thank you for sharing this 2025 Wəlastəkw | Saint-Jean | St. John River Summit photo update with us. 💙 The fall colours are beautiful.
We were in Fredericton and Sitansisk this week for the 2025 Wəlastəkw | Saint-Jean | St. John River Summit.
We're grateful for this time to connect with partners working together for the Wolastoq River.
Thank you to @wwfcanada.org & New Brunswick Environmental Network for the warm welcome!
We're grateful for this time to connect with partners working together for the Wolastoq River.
Thank you to @wwfcanada.org & New Brunswick Environmental Network for the warm welcome!
October 16, 2025 at 2:25 PM
What a wonderful week in Fredericton with so many local leaders who are committed to the health of the Wolastoq River. Thanks to @wwfcanada.org and New Brunswick Environmental Network for hosting.