Welcome to the world's freshwater laboratory
IISD Experimental Lakes Area is one of the most influential freshwater research facilities on Earth.
Take a virtual tourThese 58 lakes are like no others on the planet
IISD Experimental Lakes Area is the world’s freshwater laboratory.
This is the only place in the world where scientists can manipulate real lakes, over the long term, to understand what human activity does to fresh water.
Dive into Some Freshwater Basics
What is a lake?
There are no silly questions in science. So, if you have always wondered what a lake actually is, allow us to explain...
What is fresh water?
Fresh water takes many forms. Learn more about what fresh water is and why it is important.
What is a limnologist?
A limnologist is essentially a scientist who studies all aspects of a body of water. But it can be much more complex!
Discover the Lakes and the Faces That Make Us Who We Are
Featured Issues
We tackle new and emerging threats to fresh water head on. Here are just a few...
Our Impact
We conduct experiments on real lakes and ecosystems—one of the only places in the world you can do this—and then use those results to create new policies and practices to protect fresh water. Now. And for generations to come.
Here’s what people are saying about us and how we tackle threats to fresh water.
Their generous contributions have allowed us to continue the incredible work at IISD-ELA and to preserve a legacy that began in 1968, enabling our researchers to continue finding solutions to the most pressing threats to our most precious resource – fresh water.
All the Latest
Plastics In The Fish We Eat: What we do about it
Read More
Can Pollution be a Tool for Environmental Protection? Pauline Gerrard does TedX Winnipeg
Read More
Sowing Abundance: How freshwater science is helping to bring wild rice back to Indigenous communities
Read More
This Is What Climate Change is Doing to our Fresh Water
Read More