Quebec Watercourse Drainage Areas and Lake Catchments

Quebec's Ministry of the Environment provides drainage area boundaries for watercourse monitoring stations and lake catchments. The data is generated using GIS from topographic maps, elevation models, and flow models to characterize upstream land use. Linked tables include land use compilations according to three classifications.

Use Cases

• Calculate drained area upstream of a sampling station or lake outlet using the GIS-generated boundaries.
• Characterize drained territory by analyzing linked land use tables with three classification schemes.
• Support mapping needs for environmental monitoring stations tracking physicochemical, bacteriological, or pesticide data.
• Contextualize water quality monitoring by correlating station data with land use percentages for the Quebec area.

Strengths

• Includes the majority of lakes in the Voluntary Lake Monitoring Network (RSVL).
• Data is provided in multiple formats including GEOJSON, CSV, and ESRI REST for flexibility.
• Land use is compiled according to three distinct classifications for contextual analysis.

Limitations

• Land use outside Quebec, for transboundary watersheds, is not calculated, limiting cross-border analysis.
• Sample data and specific row/column counts are unavailable, hindering initial assessment of dataset scale.

Provenance

Source

Government and Municipalities of Québec, Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP).

Collection Method

Boundaries generated using a geographic information system (GIS) from topographic maps, numerical elevation models, and flow models by the Main Directorate of Water Expertise (DPEH).

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated March 25, 2026.

Geography

Quebec, Canada (note: land use outside Quebec is not calculated).