IN THE JUNE 2024 ISSUE: 

• WLRS Updates
• Provincial Government Groundwater Program Regional Update
• Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network (PGOWN) Update
• Registering as a GWELLS user to submit well records online

REPORT NON-COMPLIANCE

• Have you noticed a well that does not meet the construction standards of the Groundwater Protection Regulation?
• Know of someone who is drilling a well or installing a well pump without being registered?

Provincial Groundwater Program Regional Update – West Coast Region

WLRS West Coast Region (WCR) is pleased to provide an update of groundwater-related activities that have been carried out over the year in 2023, with some insight into 2024 operations.

Groundwater Science

New and ongoing groundwater science projects for WCR:

Shawnigan Creek Watershed Model

This past year, the WCR undertook a project to develop an integrated, physically based 3D numerical model of groundwater and surface water flow in the Shawnigan Creek Watershed on Vancouver Island. This watershed has been subjected to heightened stress in recent years due to increased groundwater use and contains many groundwater users that have a strong likelihood of hydraulic connection with streams and/or other users. The WCR developed the numerical model to serve as a decision support tool for conjunctive management of groundwater, surface water, and cumulative effects. At this stage, model development has been completed and the WCR is simulating future scenarios to include in the report that will be published in the Water Science Series.

Comparison of Two Methods for Determining Long-Term Well Yield in British Columbia

Well performance and aquifer capabilities must be assessed to Provincial standards when providing information for groundwater licence applications. Two provincially acceptable methods for evaluating long-term capacities for water supply wells are the 100-day (Ministry of Environment, 1999) and the modified Moell Q20 (Maathuis and van der Kamp, 2006) methods. A comparison and evaluation of these methods was conducted to consider: 1) available drawdown in a well; 2) assessment of where and when these methods apply; 3) prerequisites and assumptions underlying the methods; and 4) other factors that may impact long-term well yield, such as boundary conditions and well interference. A report of the finding has been drafted and will be published on the Water Science Series webpage once finalized.

Groundwater Protection Regulation Compliance

The WCR continues to work closely with the Natural Resource Officers to address compliance concerns received from direct inquiries, and complaints to the Report Natural Resource Violations system (1 877-952-7277). Common groundwater concerns received in the past year included well siting, development impacts to wells and aquifers, dry wells, water use by neighbours, unauthorized groundwater use, and general maintenance requirements.

Saltwater intrusion continues to be a growing concern within the region. Drillers and well pump installers are reminded of their responsibility to be prepared for encountering saltwater during drilling or other operations and knowing what to do if this happens. The Best Practices for Prevention of Saltwater Intrusion and Sea Water Intrusion Advisories can provide information on what to do and at-risk areas. Saltwater intrusion can be costly and difficult to reverse and preventing and mitigating saltwater intrusion will help to keep groundwater resources fresh and support sustainable aquifer management.

The WCR is participating in an ongoing provincial compliance project, targeting well drillers who are not submitting well records within the 90-day requirement. Letters were sent out to all registered well drillers, including a survey to collect information and identify if any training or changes in the submission project are needed or would be helpful. The goals of the project include increasing the GWELLS database with accurate information to be used by well drillers, pump installer, consultants, property owners and others. This information supports provincial efforts for informed decision making on licenses, water budgets, data gaps, emergency response, and aquifer stress.

Authorizations

A provincial initiative began in February 2024, where a centralized existing use groundwater (EUGW) licensing team was established with the primary goal of processing EUGW license applications quickly and efficiently. As of May 1, 2024, approximately 200 EUGW license applications were processed by the centralized team, resulting in many licenses being issued.

As a result, the WCR Water Authorizations Team transferred all but 16 regional EUGW license applications to the centralized team for expedited evaluation. The handful of applications retained by regional staff were either significantly underway or tied to new groundwater use license applications necessitating regional processing.

New use groundwater license applications continue to be processed by the WCR Water Authorizations Team and are prioritized based on ties to housing, agriculture, and time in the water license application queue.  

For information on groundwater licensing requirements see Front Counter BC.

Regional Drought Response

Drought response efforts in British Columbia are a shared responsibility that are guided by the British Columbia Drought and Water Scarcity Plan. Within the WCR, numerous streams naturally experience low flow conditions in the summer season. Surface and groundwater use can exacerbate this, and flows can fall low enough which along with rising water temperatures can harm fish and aquatic ecosystems.

In advance of the drought season, the WCR Water Authorizations team hosted or participated in numerous outreach events focussed on drought awareness and response with a look towards the 2024 drought season. These sessions included Decoding Drought Workshops that were hosted by Ministry of Agriculture and Food, a seasonal preparedness workshop that was facilitated by the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) and other targeted stakeholder specific presentations.

As the drought season progresses, WCR Water Authorizations and Protection staff will conduct low flow monitoring of fisheries sensitive ecosystems in several east coast Vancouver Island streams (e.g. Koksilah, Tsolum), participate in the Regional Technical Drought Working group and update current conditions via the West Coast Watershed Watch tab, viewable on the BC Drought Information Portal. All readers and other members of the public are encouraged to stay abreast of changing conditions and updated provincial drought levels via the Drought Information Portal link above.

Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network

The WCR groundwater team expanded by two in March 2024, adding Groundwater Technicians Jennifer Veitch and Harry Tassell. Since starting, the technicians have been working to catch up on the operation and maintenance of more than 80 observation wells in the region. This work includes site visits, data collection and processing, replacing ageing equipment, and upgrading sites to feature telemetry for real-time data availability.

Looking to the future, the added staff capacity will help to maintain high-quality groundwater data for decision makers and expand groundwater monitoring into priority areas. The Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network is going through a rigorous review period and sites are being checked to ensure they meet the intended monitoring objectives. There may be some changes to monitoring locations as the WCR removes unrepresentative sites to make room for strategic network expansion.