A new study has found that most high-risk aquifers in British Columbia’s Kootenays are not being monitored, raising questions about long-term water sustainability for communities, farms and ecosystems.
Aquifers are underground layers of rock, gravel or sand that store groundwater and are a key source of water for many rural households, farms and businesses in the region.
The study, conducted by Living Lakes Canada, suggests that 15 per cent of mapped aquifers were identified as high priority for monitoring, based on factors including water demand, proximity to communities and agricultural use.
Of those high-priority aquifers, the study found that 80 per cent are not currently monitored.
Several aquifer areas identified as higher risk to agricultural and community water supplies include the Baynes Lake area, the Sparwood and Fernie areas, and areas southwest of Golden.
Another area near Creston is already being monitored by Living Lakes Canada in partnership with the B.C. government, while other identified areas currently have no groundwater monitoring in place.
“For years, we’ve voiced concerns about groundwater uncertainty in our community,” said Stan Doehle, Area B director with the Regional District of East Kootenay and a resident of the Baynes Lake area.
“To have that validated by a formal scientific assessment is incredibly powerful,” he said, adding that sustained monitoring could help inform future water management decisions.
According to Living Lakes Canada, groundwater monitoring can help track changes in water levels and assess risks to well supplies, information used in water-use planning, particularly during drought.
In the Columbia Basin, Living Lakes Canada says groundwater levels are tracked at 32 privately owned wells, alongside eight wells monitored through the provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network.
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