MVIHES Groundwater Project
Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society (MVIHES) has just learned that their application to the RBC Blue Water Project has been approved. MVIHES will be receiving $70,000 over 2 years for Groundwater Mapping and Education in the Englishman River Watershed.
The project began last year on a small scale with funding from the Real Estate Foundation of BC, Georgia Basin Living Rivers, the Regional District of Nanaimo, TD Friends of the Environment and much in-kind technical advice, labour and equipment from GW Solutions, Ministry of Environment and Vancouver Island University. The report of that first phase is available on the website www.mvihes.bc.ca
The need for groundwater information on Vancouver Island – and BC and in Canada – is crucial if we expect to protect our watersheds in light of climate change and population growth. Decisions about freshwater resources need to be made with a more complete understanding of its availability and how that is expected to change over time. This means that we have to fill in the many knowledge gaps that exist so that decisions about land-use and water extraction will not be made with incomplete information.
With funding from the RBC Blue Water Project, the Groundwater Mapping and Education project, MVIHES, led by groundwater expert, Dr. Gilles Wendling, Hydrogeologist, will provide:
1. Characterization of the aquifers (GIS): Vancouver Island University (VIU) will detail the interpretation of the subsurface in the ER watershed and generate detailed maps and cross-sections of interpreted aquifers and assumed water tables;
2. Piezometric Assessment: Up to 20 data loggers will be installed in private wells located in aquifers to be characterized. The data loggers will record the fluctuations of the water table elevation;
3. Characterization of the Surface Water Flow: Up to 10 gauging stations will be installed along the ER to collect information on surface water elevation, flow rate, and temperature. The gauges will be installed and regularly monitored by volunteers;
4. Data Interpretation: With the newly collected information, GW Solutions and VIU will define a conceptual model describing where the aquifers are, how they connect to the ER, and the water flow between the aquifers and the ER.
5. Public Education and Involvement: MVIHES will inform the public of the project through the local media, public presentations, displays and direct contact. It will interview local residents and seek their cooperation in voluntarily monitoring their wells. This public communication will be enhanced with the on-going public outreach conducted by MVIHES, which focuses on watershed protection and water conservation.
The RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year, $50 million philanthropic commitment to support charitable organizations that are committed to watershed protection and providing access to clean drinking water. Since 2007, RBC has committed more than $20.48 million in single and multi-year grants to more than 200 organizations worldwide.
Contact:Faye Smith, MVIHES Project Coordinator 250 752 9297
Dr. Gilles Wendling, Hydrogeologist 250 756 4538