Results from the Quebec Groundwater Knowledge Acquisition Program

Abstract

Groundwater is a crucial supply of freshwater worldwide. It is estimated that groundwater represents more than one third of water withdrawals used for irrigation, domestic, and manufacturing purposes (Döll et al. 2012). In Canada, about 30% of the population (nearly 10 million inhabitants) depend on groundwater for their water supply (CCA 2009). In the Province of Quebec, 20% of the population relies on groundwater for its drinking water over 90% of the inhabited territory (MDDELCC 2018). Globally, several pressures impact the state of groundwater resources, including urbanization, land and water uses, pollution and climate variability (WWAP 2009). The intensification of industrial and agricultural activities, that can lead to contamination and overexploitation, as well as natural climate variability and climate change, are threats to Canada's groundwater (Rivera et al. 2004; CCA 2009). It has been recognized at different levels of organizations that the lack of knowledge on groundwater resources and aquifers, as well as the difficulty in accessing water-related data, are major obtacles to the implementation of sustainable management of groundwater resources (Government of Québec 2002; CCA 2009; WWAP 2009). To face this challenge in the Province of Quebec, a unique and systematic program of regional hydrogeological mapping, the Groundwater Knowledge Acquisition Program (Programme d'acquisition de connaissances sur les eaux souterraines-PACES), was implemented in 2008 by the Québec Ministry of the Environment (Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques-MDDELCC) to ensure the protection and long-term sustainability of groundwater resources (MDDELCC 2018). The proposed methodology for the PACES program was based on the experience developed during previous hydrogeological mapping projects in Quebec (pre-PACES projects; Figure 1), including the Portneuf granu

A workflow for bedrock thermal conductivity map to help designing geothermal heat pump systems in the St. Lawrence Lowlands, Québec, Canada

“…The contribution of the Quaternary deposits to the bulk subsurface thermal conductivity has been removed from collected TRT data since this regional assessment focused on the bedrock only, where most of the information is available. The groundwater level in the SLL is relatively shallow and commonly found less than 10 m below the surface (Carrier et al 2013;Laroque et al 2015;Larocque et al 2018), such that bedrock was assumed to be fully saturated. The SLL sedimentary sequence was divided in seven thermostratigraphic units following previous work to assess the deep and shallow geothermal resource potential of the sedimentary basin (Figure 2; Bédard et al 2017;Raymond, Sirois, et al 2017).…”

Simulation of long-term spatiotemporal variations in regional-scale groundwater recharge: Contributions of a water budget approach in southern Quebec

“…This is especially true in a global change context, where climate, land cover, and water use are evolving (Green et al, 2011;Kløve et al, 2014). Consequently, spatiotemporal GWR estimates at the regional scale are particularly important for water resource managers (Ashaolu et al, 2020;Brunner et al, 2004;Larocque et al, 2018).…”

“…In southern Quebec (Canada), GWR has been estimated in various studies (Carrier et al, 2013;Chemingui et al, 2015;Croteau et al, 2010;Gagné et al, 2018;Guay et al, 2013;Larocque and Pharand, 2010;Larocque et al, 2013Larocque et al, , 2015bLarocque et al, , 2018Lavigne et al, 2010;Lefebvre et al, 2015;Levison et al, 2014Levison et al, , 2016McCormack and Therrien, 2014;Nastev et al, 2008;Rivard et al, 2009Rivard et al, , 2014Saby et al, 2016;Talbot-Poutin et al, 2013). Interannual GWR rates estimated from these studies range from 50 mm/yr to more than 450 mm/yr throughout southern Quebec.…”

Simulation of long-term spatiotemporal variations in regional-scale groundwater recharge: contributions of a water budget approach in cold and humid climates

“…It is recognized as a strategic hydrologic variable for sustainable groundwater management (Foster and Ait-Kadi, 2012;Wada et al, 2010). Consequently, spatiotemporal GWR estimates at the regional scale and analysis of past changes and trends linked to climate variations or climate changes are particularly important for water resource managers (Ashaolu et al, 2020;Brunner et al, 2004;Larocque et al, 2018). This is especially true in cold and humid climates where warming temperatures specifically impact key winter conditions (Aygün et al, 2020;Grinevskiy et al, 2021;Nygren et al, 2020).…”