Environmental and taxonomic data along the Thames River - Lake St. Clair continuum in Ontario, August 2020 to September 2023.

Data for this research were collected from water samples obtained along the Thames River- Lake St. Clair continuum to determine differences in water quality and biodiversity between river and lake sites. Sampling began in Lake St. Clair in August of 2020 in Stoney Point Ontario. Samples were taken from the intake well of the water treatment plant. The intake pipe is located approximately 1km off-shore, at a depth of 1.9m. To address spatial differences, a second site was added in Lake St. Clair in Belle River, Ontario and a river site was added in Chatham, Ontario. Belle River samples were collected from the intake well at the water treatment plant, with the intake pipe located approximately 1km off-shore and at a depth of 3.1m. Chatham samples were collected from the surface of the Thames River as grab samples. Samples from both locations were collected weekly to monthly throughout June to October, 2021. To further increase spatial resolution, samples were collected from the mouth of the Thames River in Lighthouse Cove, Ontario, from June to October 2022, and from this site and another river site in Prairie Siding, Ontario, from June to October 2023. They were collected as grab samples from the surface of the water. Each site was sampled weekly to monthly.