Reports of elevated mercury levels in fish from different waterbodies in Alberta have raised concern to the origin of this element. A survey of soft sediment from the epilimnion region and watershed soil cores was conducted in the major watersheds of southern Alberta, Canada, to determine the concentration and spatial distribution of mercury. The concentrations of mercury averaged 43 and 66 ng/g in soft sediment and soil cores respectively; all values indicate relatively low background concentrations of mercury in survey samples. Reservoir sediments contained significantly lower mercury values than river sediments from the respective watershed ( P ≤ 0.005). Soil mercury concentrations were influenced by the higher values in the upper horizon (humic layer). The rivers do not seem to have a large influence on the soil mercury within the flood plain indicated by similar profiles from cores sampled above the flood plain.