High-Frequency Stream Water Chemistry from 11 Agricultural Watersheds

11 small agricultural watersheds in Ontario were sampled for stream water chemistry between 2014 and 2020. The dataset combines high-frequency sensor data, flow measurements, meteorological observations, and lab-analyzed water quality parameters. It was collected by the Government of Ontario, with water quantity data provided by the Water Survey of Canada.

Use Cases

• Model total phosphorus concentration from flow data, turbidity, and meteorological conditions during rainfall events.
• Analyze seasonal patterns of total nitrogen and dissolved carbons across baseflow and stormflow conditions.
• Correlate suspended solids and turbidity measurements with flow data to understand sediment transport.
• Compare phosphate and sulphate levels between watersheds with different land use activities.
• Integrate historical PLUARG study data from the 1970s for six watersheds to analyze long-term nutrient trends.

Strengths

• Data spans 7 years (2014-2020) across all four seasons.
• Includes high-frequency sampling over the rise, peak, and fall of flow events from 11 watersheds.
• Combines multiple data types: stream sensors, flow data, weather stations, and lab water quality.

Limitations

• Sample size and row count are unspecified.
• Geographic scope is limited to 11 specific watersheds in Ontario, Canada.
• Data users are strongly encouraged to review a supplemental summary document, indicating potential complexity.

Provenance

Source

Government of Ontario, with water quantity data from Water Survey of Canada/Government of Canada.

Collection Method

Stream water samples collected manually during flow and baseflow events, supplemented by automated sensor and meteorological station data.

Time Range

2014 to 2020

Freshness

Data collection ended in 2020; metadata was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

11 small agricultural watersheds in Ontario, Canada.