20180525 12503600 1.0 TRUE Lakes monitored for water quality in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site.<span style='color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);'>Water quality is a globally accepted and widely used measure for assessing and monitoring the condition of freshwater ecosystems. It has a pivotal affect on the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The physical and chemical characteristics of water have a strong influence on aquatic biota and freshwater ecosystem processes. As a result, changes in water quality may provide an early warning of environmental stress to aquatic ecosystems. The water quality index (WQI) is a tool that was developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to summarize complex water chemistry data to a single index in order to simplify and standardize water quality assessment and reporting across the country. Water samples are taken twice a year at the same location from 18 lakes during June and August.</span>