What percentage of Canadas fresh water is found in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut?
The Northwest Territories and Nunavut cover 34% of Canada’s land mass, and have 18% of its lake area. Average annual runoff produced within the two territories is 18% of the total for Canada, and another 5% of that total flows into this area from the south. The Northwest Territories’ and Nunavut’s portion of Canada’s fresh water must be estimated on the basis of the total mean annual flow of rivers, as accurate data on water stored in its lakes, under the ground, and in glaciers are unavailable. However, northern runoff is less significant than commonly perceived because the North is a cold desert. Relatively little water is actually circulating in the hydrologic cycle, due to permafrost conditions, seasonal storage of water in snow, and long-term storage in glaciers.
