Canada's Premier National Freshwater Research Facility

Supporting critical water research to safeguard Canadian water resources in an era of rapid change

GWFO is led by the University of Saskatchewan and is a partnership amongst nine universities, providing essential data to help researchers and other users develop sustainable water resource management solutions. The geographical scope of GWFO covers most of the major river basins in Canada with exemplary observation sites that provide key insights on water cycling and quality.

OPEN ACCESS TO FRESHWATER DATA

64

INSTRUMENTED WATER OBSERVATION SITES

In lakes, rivers, wetlands, glaciers, and drainage basins across Canada

15

DEPLOYABLE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS

For specialized field data acquisition

18

STATE‑OF‑THE‑ART WATER LABORATORIES

At partner universities for detailed water quality, biological, and other analyses

Real-Time & Historical Data

Urgently needed freshwater data collected from GWFO's instrumented observing sites inform the development and testing of water prediction models, allow changes in water sources to be monitored, underpin diagnosis of risks to water security, and help in the design of solutions to ensure the long-term sustainability of Canadian water resources.

Data Policy About GWFO Data

 

Data Centre

Real-Time & Historical  Search  Visualisation  Download

The primary access point for GWFO's open-access data, located on GWFNet.

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Telemetry Viewer

Real-Time  Visualisation  Download

Visualization system used during the GWF program and continues forward as our current system as the Real-Time GWFO Telemetry Viewer progresses towards completion.

Mobile Version

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Data Request Form

For large or custom data requests, please fill out the data request form.

Why GWFO Matters for Canadians

National Flood, Drought, & Water Quality Prediction

Floodplain Mapping & Risks Associated with Water-Related Disasters

Flexible & Responsive to Climate Change & Extreme Events

Foundation for the Federal & Provincial Water Management Strategies

National and Transboundary Lake Restoration

Water Information for Prosperity - Industry, Communities

Attract & Retain Young Professionals & Global Scientific-Thought Leaders

GWFO's International Impact

Data-Driven Water Futures

GWFO’s data-informed predictive models are being developed for application around the world in collaboration with UNESCO, WCRP, and WMO.

GWFO's International Impact

Supporting UN Climate Science

GWFO supplies the data, informs models and provides knowledge mobilisation to support three UN programs: the World Climate Research Programme, UNESCO, and World Meteorological Organisation.

GWFO's International Impact

Decade of Action for the Cryosphere

The Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025–2034) signals a global shift from observing ice loss to actively addressing it. GWFO is helping drive science based collaboration to reduce climate risks and protect communities and ecosystems that depend on the world’s frozen regions.

GWFO's International Impact

Leading North America's Hydroclimate Research

As the only North American Regional Hydroclimate Project within GEWEX, GWFO leads coordinated research on water and energy cycles across the continent, advancing global climate understanding under the World Climate Research Programme.

GWFO's International Impact

Advancing Glacier Science

GWFO is contributing to the science objectives for the UN International Year for Glaciers’ Preservation - 2025, such as instituting GWFO-style "Integrated Mountain Observing and Prediction Systems" through collaborations in the World Climate Research Programme.