Alfonso Rivera
Geological Survey of Canada
Alfonso Rivera
Geological Survey of Canada
Arid/Semi-Arid Groundwater Governance & Management
Workshop
3-8 April, 2005, Cairo Egypt
Overview of Groundwater in Overview of Groundwater in
Canada:
Canada:
Perspective of Data & Information
Perspective of Data & Information
OUTLINE OUTLINE OUTLINE
• Introduction
• Groundwater in Canada
• How Information is delivered
• Institutional Capacity
• Quality of Data
• Emerging IM/IT Issues
• Introduction
• Groundwater in Canada
• How Information is delivered
• Institutional Capacity
• Quality of Data
• Emerging IM/IT Issues
Introduction and Background Introduction and Background Introduction and Background
Domestic, 43% Industry, 14%
Agriculture, 43%
Close to 10 M people rely Close to 10 M people rely on groundwater
on groundwater
The groundwater resources at the scale of Canada -- quantity, location, use, quality--
are virtually unknown
85% of rural population 85% of rural population rely on GW
rely on GW
Groundwater Trends & Use Groundwater
Groundwater Trends & Use Trends & Use Groundwater Resources
Groundwater Resources
Groundwater Resources
Groundwater Trends & Use Groundwater
Groundwater Trends & Use Trends & Use
1998).
Industry Agriculture Domestic Total Surface Water 71% 11% 17% 44.1 km33 Groundwater 14% 43% 43% 1.0 km3
Total 70% 12% 18% 45.1 km3
• Too early to frame a Canadian portrait of GW resources at national scale
• Regional-scale trends indicate pre-
development conditions most everywhere
• Regional aquifers are exploited at shallow depths
• No evidence of GW overdraft
• Current knowledge gaps
• Geological frameworks (lack of Quaternary maps and buried valleys)
• SW/GW interactions
• GW use (supply)
• Too early to frame a Canadian portrait of GW resources at national scale
• Regional-scale trends indicate pre-
development conditions most everywhere
• Regional aquifers are exploited at shallow depths
• No evidence of GW overdraft
• Current knowledge gaps
• Geological frameworks (lack of Quaternary maps and buried valleys)
• SW/GW interactions
• GW use (supply)
Groundwater Trends & Use Groundwater
Groundwater Trends & Use Trends & Use
Resource Mgmt
Groundwater Management Groundwater Management Groundwater Management
Provincial & Federal Federal Research
Provincial
General Approach for
Groundwater Management General Approach for
General Approach for Groundwater
Groundwater Management Management
1998).
• Divide authority between federal and provincial levels of government
• Jurisdiction over water may be conferred as the result of proprietary rights, as opposed to
legislative authority
• Because of the overlap of authority, water
management in Canada depends on cooperation between the two levels of government
• Divide authority between federal and provincial levels of government
• Jurisdiction over water may be conferred as the result of proprietary rights, as opposed to
legislative authority
• Because of the overlap of authority, water
management in Canada depends on cooperation between the two levels of government
Water Laws and Regulations Water Laws and Regulations Water Laws and Regulations
1998).
• GW management based in water laws and regulations, when existing.
• Otherwise is based on prior apportionment (practice in western Provinces); or
• On the riparian doctrine of common law (eastern Provinces).
• No consistent or uniform approach for GW management, there has been no need – most water supply used to
come from surface water sources.
• This has changed in the last decade.
• GW management based in water laws and regulations, when existing.
• Otherwise is based on prior apportionment (practice in western Provinces); or
• On the riparian doctrine of common law (eastern Provinces).
• No consistent or uniform approach for GW management, there has been no need – most water supply used to
come from surface water sources.
• This has changed in the last decade.
Problems associated with Groundwater Management Problems associated with Problems associated with Groundwater Management Groundwater Management
1998).
• Lack of groundwater information and data;
• Lack of groundwater use data;
• Lack of regulations;
• Lack of management strategies;
• Lack of water laws;
• Use of old principles of apportionment; and
• Lack of knowledge of the groundwater needs for ecosystems and base flow in rivers.
Groundwater Management Groundwater
Groundwater Management Management
1998).
The lack of due attention to groundwater in Canada has now been recognized more widely. Reasons for this are:
― increase public awareness;
― droughts;
— point and non-point pollution;
— decrease in surface water quality;
— water conflicts;
— inter-jurisdictional water issues;
— climate changes; and
— international commitments (i.e., Great Lakes,
— transboundary aquifers).
How Information is delivered
How Information is How Information is
delivered delivered
• Considerable amount of GW data &
information exists in municipalities, provincial and federal agencies, universities and private sector
• Most are not readily available or are not commonly known to exist
• A new national initiative (2003):
- Goal is to establish new, or link existing
databases and compilation of GW knowledge to
• Considerable amount of GW data &
information exists in municipalities, provincial and federal agencies, universities and private sector
• Most are not readily available or are not commonly known to exist
• A new national initiative (2003):
- Goal is to establish new, or link existing
databases and compilation of GW knowledge to
How Information is delivered
How Information is How Information is
delivered delivered
• Main steps in the process :
- Construct an archive of existing GW databases
- Identify relevant information systems - Construct an archive of existing GW
knowledge
- Upgrade or transfer databases to new platforms as required
- Facilitate the move to Internet access for databases and information
- Establish links for GIS and computer- modelling applications
• Main steps in the process :
- Construct an archive of existing GW databases
- Identify relevant information systems - Construct an archive of existing GW
knowledge
- Upgrade or transfer databases to new platforms as required
- Facilitate the move to Internet access for databases and information
- Establish links for GIS and computer- modelling applications
National Groundwater Database National Groundwater Database National Groundwater Database
IN T E R N E IN T E R N E
NGWD
ESS GW
Ess dataset Catalog of
Resource and services External
dataset
Envirodat There is a relevant
paper on water contamination here
CCRSRecharge Provincial Database
I know I can get water quality data for the Atlantic from this
place, using this service
National Groundwater Database National Groundwater Database National Groundwater Database
IN T E R N E T IN T E R N E T
NGWD
ESS GW
Ess dataset Catalog of
Resource and services
External
dataset
WMS
Web Map Service W M S
WMS
IN T E R N E IN T E R N E
NGWD
ESS GW
Ess dataset Catalog of
Resource and services External
dataset
WFS
W FS
WFS
It can also provide actual data for specific
applications
supply
National Groundwater Database
National Groundwater Database
National Groundwater Database
QUALITY OF THE DATA QUALITY OF THE DATA
Modélisable par un milieu équivalent poreux à une échelle régionale
Effet d’échelle dans les processus d’interpolation
Le rayon d’influence est à l’origine du degré d’hétérogénéité mis en évidence.
Slug test Essai de pompage
Obtention des données par des essais dont l’impact est significatif à:
- quelques mètres ou - 100m ou - quelques km
(varie avec le type d’essai)
Choix de l’essai:
Valeurs de conductivité hydraulique
Hydrogeological models are used to evaluate aquifer Vulnerability and sustainability, commonly developed in combination with “GIS”
GIS allows to precisely superpose all relevant data and solves problems due to the treatment of data: e.g., integration of data at different scales and from different sources
However, new problems may appear when using GIS such as the smoothing of data when point data are used for interpolation
Every treatment of data is a source of error
which in turn adds to the already existing errors (i.e., measurements errors)
The accumulation of the ensemble of those errors produces an uncertainty in the final product (map)
Error characterization and propagation
QUALITY OF THE DATA QUALITY OF THE DATA
Error characterization and propagation
FOUR main sources of possible errors in the process of GIS data manipulation are identified :
Conceptual Errors
Errors of measurement
Storage support errors
Aquifer classification types according to 6 different specialists
A Geologist B Geologist
E Geologist F Geologist
C Hydrogeologist D Hydrogeologist
• Uncertainty assessment in GIS-based
implementation indicate that the main sources of errors occur during data acquisition, data transfer, as well as in the data handling process
• The knowledge of the errors allows for better gathering, treatment and control of the data
• Uncertainty depended on the number of parameters involved in a model
•• Thus, the higher the number of parameters, the
QUALITY OF THE DATA
•
A systematic analysis of the errors during regional- scale projects would make hydrogeologicalcharacterization more efficient
•• Errors should be minimized mainly at the level of data acquisition (field work and testing), but also in the treatment of the data
•• Using GIS, even if it allows better management, storing and analysis tools, it creates new sources of uncertainty
•
There is a clear process in place for controlling and ensuring the quality of data and informationprovided
QUALITY OF THE DATA
Emerging IM/IT Issues Emerging IM/IT Issues
• Remote Sensing
(i.e., Thermal high-resolution imagery)
• Radar imagery ET-recharge linked to monitoring systems
• Interactive databases, OGC-
standards, linked to numerical models
• Data Integration from Oil surveys
• Remote Sensing
(i.e., Thermal high-resolution imagery)
• Radar imagery ET-recharge linked to monitoring systems
• Interactive databases, OGC-
standards, linked to numerical models
• Data Integration from Oil surveys
Summary Summary Summary
1998).
• Regional-scale trends indicate pre-development conditions most everywhere in Canada
• No evidence of GW overdraft
• Current knowledge gaps:
- Geological frameworks (lack of Quaternary maps and buried valleys)
- SW/GW interactions - GW use (supply)
- Sustainability and vulnerability of regional aquifers
• Data and information for decision-making is the backbone of any GW management approach
• Regional-scale trends indicate pre-development conditions most everywhere in Canada
• No evidence of GW overdraft
• Current knowledge gaps:
- Geological frameworks (lack of Quaternary maps and buried valleys)
- SW/GW interactions - GW use (supply)
- Sustainability and vulnerability of regional aquifers
• Data and information for decision-making is the backbone of any GW management approach
