Rideau Lakes
Environmental Foundation
Protecting the Rideau
for generations to come.
We act together to ensure the health and preservation
of the lakes we all love.
Our Work
RLEF is a registered Canadian charitable foundation supporting on-the-ground environmental projects on Upper, Lower, and Big Rideau Lakes, in Ontario, Canada. We provide modest grants to support activities that further our mission. We also monitor the regulatory environment and intervene where necessary.
Action
Lake Health
Research
Water Safety
Environmental Research
To develop our understanding of the science that underpins our environmental activities, the RLEF has established a program of small grants to support research projects. We are interested in receiving proposals from scientific researchers working in any discipline that contributes to our knowledge of the flora, fauna, or environment of the Rideau Lakes.
About Us
Our Organization
RLEF is a registered Canadian charity, managed by volunteers. Our overheads are low, and the vast majority of your donation will flow directly to protecting the water and lakes that we love.
Interested in helping out?
Please contact us.
Give Online
We use Canada Helps – a trusted service provider – to process our donations online, ensuring a secure transaction.
As a bonus, you’ll get your tax receipt instantly.
Send Us a Cheque
If you would rather use regular mail, you can send your donation by post to
RLEF, PO Box 93, Portland, Ontario K0G 1V0
We thank you for your support.
Enquire About Funding
RLEF provides modest grants to support activities that further our mission.
If you have a project that you think we might be interested in, please contact us.
Support Us
We need your help to do our work.
Your donation to RLEF goes directly towards supporting environmental projects on the lake you love.
Please remember the lake in your tax planning, and give generously.
Donations are processed online via Canada Helps.
From Our Donors
“Thanks for doing good work on our behalf. The Westport situation needs ongoing attention … to protect the Rideau Heritage Waterway from sewage pollution.”
“For the Doug Good Shoal Marker fund, in honour of his unswerving commitment to his community.”
“Impressed by the bass study.
Interested in studies on algae.”
Latest News
RLEF Research Grants: Help Us Fund an Extra project
Every year, the Rideau Lake Environmental Foundation invites researchers to submit proposals for env…
RLEF-Funded Research Finds Fish Sanctuaries Do More Than Protect Fish
A new article in Aquatic Conservation from the Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory a…
Bass Spawning Sanctuaries Work (BaSS): 2025 Early Stats
RLEF has been supporting research on lake fish populations, including that Dr. David Philipp and Dr.…
Results are in for the Bass Survey
From Dr. Steven Cooke, Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Lab, Carleton University One of the …
Support the RLEF in 2025: President’s Letter from J. Trant
December 2025 Dear Lake Friends and Neighbours, As the year winds down and the snow settles on the l…
Call for Proposals: 2026 Research Grants
Small Grants for Scientific Research on and around the Rideau Lake DEADLINE: January 31, 2026 To d…
We need your help to do our work.
Your donation enables the Rideau Lakes Environmental Foundation
to continue to protect and preserve the lakes we all love.
Please give generously.