Grebe with chicksWater defines life in Canada. Relative to other parts of the world, Canada is blessed with abundant quantities of fresh, clean water. Our history, culture, communities, ecosystems, and the economy on which we depend have all been shaped by water. Water resources sustain our nation and represent an asset that few, if any, countries can match. We have a moral and ethical responsibility to manage our water resources wisely.

In Canada, the responsibility for water management is shared by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, and in some instances, by Aboriginal governments under self-government agreements. For the most part, waters that lie solely within a province's boundaries fall within the constitutional authority of that province. The waters flowing in the national parks, First Nation reserves, and other federal lands come under federal jurisdiction. The federal government is also responsible for waters that form or flow across the international boundary between Canada and the United States, and for waters in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, with the exception of certain limited authorities for Aboriginal governments as defined in self-government agreements.

Adapted from Pollution Probe's New Approach to Water Management in Canada and Environment Canada's Freshwater website