Objective

The primary objective of Environment Canada's Freshwater Website is to instill in Canadians a knowledge and understanding of the nature and extent of freshwater in Canada in the hope that they will recognize the need to value this precious resource and will be motivated to take action to conserve and protect it in their homes, schools, industries, businesses and communities.

Structure

The Freshwater Web Site is "subject driven." Organized into five main subject categories, a number of sub-topics are provided under each category. The five main subject categories and the sub-topics under each are listed below:

The Nature of Water
Aquatic Ecosystems | Groundwater | Lakes | Permafrost | Properties of Water | Rivers | Sediment | Snow and Ice | Water and Climate | Wetlands |

Water Policy and Legislation
Federal | International | Provincial/Territorial | Shared Responsibility |

The Management of Water
Bulk Water Removal and Water Export | Floods | Water Efficiency/Conservation | Water Modeling | Water Pollution | Water Quality | Water Resource Economics | Water Use |

Water and Culture
Water and Art | Water and Canadian Identity |

Informational Resources and Services
Comments | Data/Tools | Did you know? | Directories | eGroups and Listserves | Frequently Asked Questions | Glossary | News Releases | Notices/Events | Publications | Subject Index | Teacher's Corner |

The division of the topic "Water" into subject categories and sub-topics results in pages that contain a great many links. Unless you enter the site "sideways" (i.e., by way of a search engine), you may have to drill down three or four levels before you find text on the specific topic that interests you.

Adding to the number of links, is the fact that the Freshwater Website is also designed to act as a portal to the wealth of water information on the Internet. From the "Index" page of each topic area, visitors can access other Canadian (and a limited number of international) websites specifically related to that particular topic.

In addition, the site contains links to full-text versions of a number of Environment Canada's key water-related publications. These include: A Primer on Fresh Water, nine freshwater fact sheets, The Federal Water Policy, and a consumer's guide to water conservation. The Publications List contains the titles of all the available water awareness products. Some of these publications are available in print and can be ordered online.

The quickest way to access content on a specific topic is by using either the Sitemap or the Subject Index.

For additional information about the design of the Freshwater Website visit the Help page or contact us directly.

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