The polygons delineate the boundaries of each of the major sub-watersheds within City of Calgary boundaries. These include Bow River Direct, Elbow River, Fish Creek, Nose Creek, Pine Creek and Shepard Wetland/Western Headworks Canal. The sub-watersheds delineate the major drainage areas within The City. Polygons should be layered over an orthophoto of Calgary, with the rivers, creeks and streams visible. This data is updated on an as needed basis by Watershed Strategy and has been simplified for viewing purposes.

This dataset contains results for the City of Calgary's Watershed Monitoring Program. The program monitors surface water quality across a network of sites that include rivers, tributaries, and reservoirs within the Calgary region. Sampling locations have been added, removed, or modified over time. Grab sampling methodologies are used for sample collection.

The City of Calgary – Water Quality Services uses approved and documented analytical testing methodologies, and the City of Calgary laboratory is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. Quality Assurance programs track and ensure consistent laboratory performance. Newer analytical techniques and instrumentation may result in changes in data over time, such as method detection limits and accredited testing parameters. Users of the dataset should exercise caution when comparing water quality results over time. Additionally, as data quality standards have improved over time, users may notice formatting inconsistencies throughout the dataset.

Results are uploaded daily after laboratory review and approval for release. More recent data should be used with caution as, although infrequent, results may change based on potentially required reanalysis. Any result change will be reflected in the dataset upon subsequent data upload.

Sampling locations for the City of Calgary's Watershed Monitoring Program