Abstracts

on producing zone in Alberta. Toward the deformation front of the Rocky Mountains
in the Alberta basin, the Belly River Group strata and lateral equivalents are known to
contain saline groundwater. Updip the aquifer progressively thins and outcrops in central
and east-central Alberta where non-saline groundwater exists. Hence as a regional aquifer,
the Belly River Group is an important potential water source for unconventional oil and
gas projects but also an important water source for domestic water users. Given the various
groundwater uses of the Belly River Group and the potential for co-interference of saline
and non-saline groundwater, it is important to map regional groundwater flow, salinity and
where relevant, density-corrected hydraulic heads to assess current and future development
scenarios for this aquifer.
During the first part of the study we focused on analyzing and filtering data from two
sources, water wells and petroleum exploration boreholes. Maps of hydraulic head, salinity,
and temperature distribution within the Belly River Group were produced. The second
part of the study focused on advancing the methodology for mapping variable-density flow
using the water driving force methodology that allows for a qualitative analysis of potential
effects of density-driven flow.
POSTER SESSION: Surficial Geology of
Southern Ontario
Thursday October 29, 16:40
Room: Regent
276 - Emerging trends from the groundwater monitoring data
collection at the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority
(UTRCA)
Linda P. Nicks & Karla Young
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, London, Ontario, Canada
The Ontario Provincial groundwater monitoring network (PGMN) began in 2001 for
the purpose of establishing a long-term, province-wide monitoring network and is a partnership
between the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) and
Conservation Ontario. It is important to note that in contrast to meteorological and stream
flow data, which may have records up to 100 years in length, continuous groundwater
level records are significantly shorter. The network was designed to provide baseline data
on ambient groundwater conditions in aquifers throughout Ontario and to monitor the
partitioning of precipitation between runoff, groundwater recharge, and stream flow. The
data can be used to obtain information on the natural groundwater level fluctuations across
topographic, geologic, climatic and land-use environments, and to obtain information on
the behavior of various types of aquifers under natural or anthropogenic stress. The wells
were primarily instrumented between 2001 and 2003. The UTRCA maintains approximately
28 wells throughout the watershed with a nearly continuous record of groundwater
176 IAH-CNC 2015 WATERLOO CONFERENCE