The Maritime Coastal drainage region includes Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick. In 2011, the landscape was dominated by natural and semi-natural areas (93.0%), followed by built-up area (3.5%), arable land (3.2%) and natural land for pasture (0.4%).
The density of linear infrastructure such as roads, rail lines and transmission lines was relatively high at 864.3 m/km2 in 2011.
The population was 1,515,262 in 2011—5% of Canada’s total—with a population density of 13.1 persons/km2.
Surface freshwater intake from drinking water plants, manufacturing, mining and thermal-electric production was 202.5 million m3 in 2013.
The average annual water yield was 103.6 km3 over the period 1971 to 2013. The water yield per unit area was 0.85 m3/m2, compared to the 0.35 m3/m2 at the Canada level. Monthly water flows peak in April. The region had the third highest evapotranspiration at 0.47 m3/m2.
Sources of nitrogen and phosphorus residuals in the environment include fertilizer application, livestock and poultry production, as well as industrial emissions. On average residual soil nitrogen on agricultural land was 37.0 kg/ha in 2011 compared to 23.2 kg/ha at the Canada level. The risk of phosphorus release from agricultural soils was high, with 3.2 mg/kg of water extractable phosphorus potentially released in 2011.
