Geoscience BC: Northeast British Columbia Water Studies Partnerships in Water Research with Industry, Government, Universities & Communities for Responsible Natural Gas Development

BACKGROUND SURFACE WATER SURFICIAL MATERIALS AND VEGETATION CURRENT RESEARCH IN THE KISKATINAW RIVER WATERSHED In 2008, the Provincial Government invested over $5 million in The Peace River flows west to east through the center of the MontneyThe Kiskatinaw River watershed is mostly underlain by glacial till witGeoscienceh BC is leading the Montney Water Project, with a a Geoscience BC for geoscience studies supporting timely and ef- play. Several major tributaries to the Peace also flow through the play,approx imately 25% fine grained glaciolacustrine sediments. SurficialTechnical Advisory Group which include representatives of seven ficient appraisal and development of the enormous shale gas including the Halfway, Moberly, Pine, Kiskatinaw, and Pouce Coupe material type is an important component for hydrological modellingnat. ural gas companies (see logos below), and the B.C. Ministries resource in Northeast BC. Rivers. Analysis was performed to characterize the streamflow, climate,Wate r infiltrates through these material types at different rates. of Energy, Environment and Healthy Living and Sport, the North- water balance, surficial geology and vegetation in each watershed. ern Health Authority, the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission, the City of In 2008, Geoscience BC consulted with industry, including the The southern portion of the Kiskatinaw River watershed is mostly cDawso- on Creek and the Science and Community Environmental members of the Horn River Basin Producers Group who priori- STREAMFLOW 180 niferous forest and wetland, and grades into broadleaf forest and aKnowledgegri- Fund. tized for investigation the deep subsurface aquifers as sources maximum The Water Survey of Canada has operated 160a cultural lands moving northwards. Forested areas in the northern por- of frac water and subsequent disposal sites for the produced 140 120 hydrometric station at Farmington continu-/s) tion of the watershed are mostly restricted to along river valleys, witTheh Montney Water Project is complementary to other work water, to support the emerging Devonian shale gas play in the 100 75th percentile ously since 1966. This station operates year median 80 25th percentile Discharge Discharge ³ (m minimum agricultural land covering the majority of the remainder of the region.occuring in the Kiskatinaw River watershed, including the Horn River Basin. The results of the Horn River Basin Subsurface 60 round, and collects data hourly on the Aquifer Study were published in April 2009. After the comple- 40 following. amount of water passing through the river20 at 0 tion of the first HRB study, a group of producing companies ap- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec this point. The amount of discharge can varKiskatyina w River Mean Monthly Discharge, Water Survey of Canada proached Geoscience BC to undertake a similar partnership 07FD001 Kiskatinaw River near Farmington, 1948-2008 greatly for the same month, year to year. KISKATINAW RIVER WATERSHED RESEARCH PROJECT project for assessment of potential water sources and sinks in Average Monthly Temperature, 1960-1990 A collaborative researchroject p currently underway, developed Kiskatinaw River Watershed the Montney play area. 20 jointly between the City of Dawson Creek, University of Northern CLIMATE 15 The Kiskatinaw River watershed receives 10 British Columbia and Ministry of Environment, with support from MONTNEY WATER PROJECT OVERVIEW 5

0 Geoscience BC and industry. The Montney Water Project (MWP) was designed to provide a most of its precipitation as rainfall during Temperature(C) -5 comprehensive inventory of water sources and potential zones the summer. Temperatures range from an-10 LOCATION OF THE KISKATINAW RIVER WATERSHED AND MONTNEY PLAY TREND -15 for deep geological water disposal sites in the Montney gas play average of -13 C in January to +15 C in July.Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The goal is to obtain scientific information necessary to manage Average Monthly Precipitation, 1960-1990 KISKATINAW RIVER WATERSHED Kiskatinaw River Watershed SURFICIAL GEOLOGY, KISKATINAW RIVER WATERSHED VEGETATION AND LAND USE, KISKATINAW RIVER WATERSHED area. 100 the watershed and thereby reduce conflict and uncertainty be- Data Source: Data Sources: 90 The Kiskatinaw River originates in B.C.’s Rocky Moun- Geologic Survey of Canada B.C. Ministry of Forests, Mines and Land, GeoBC Cooler temperatures and more precipita- 80 tween water users. Two Ph.D. candidates from UNBC, F. Hirshfield 70 tain foothills at Bearhole Lake and flows into the 60 Phase 1 of the MWP project focused on collecting, analyzing tion are found moving toward the foothills50 and G. Saha, are conducting the project as part of their Ph.D. dis- 40

Peace River just west of the B.C. – Alberta border. The Precipitation (mm) and interpreting available water-related data. This phase in- in the southwest. 30 sertations. 20 cluded three general topics: river drains an area roughly 4,100 km² in size. About 10 0 one-quarter of the watershed is covered by crop or Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec MONTNEY WATER PROJECT PARTNERS: 1. Surface water rangeland with the majority of the remaining lands WATER BALANCE The major processes by which 2. Shallow subsurface water being forested. output output input water moves are precipitation, 3. Deep bedrock water and disposal evaporation, transpiration, and sur- transpiration evaporation precipitation face and subsurface flow. Water The surface water component included collection of a variety of Photo: interception can be stored in lakes, vegetation, West Kiskatinaw River publicly available data on components of the hydrologic cycle. (Adrian Hickin) surface overland soil, or subsurface aquifers. storage flow The first priority of the shallow subsurface component was to output A distinguishing feature of the Kiskatinaw watershed surface vegetation channel ground storage flow The Kiskatinaw River watershed on compile existing surficial mapping and groundwater aquifer lin is that it contains no major urban centers. The water- ank average receives about 60 cm of Fr soil water ard data and work towards a drift thickness / bedrock topography ich storage y R shed boasts a healthy ranching and farming area with on b ati precipitation per year. Of this, str map and updates to groundwater aquifer classifications. illu a significant amount of forestry and natural gas explo- ground water storage about 45 cm evaporates or is used ration and development activity scattered throughout by vegetation, <5 cm is used or per- The deep bedrock component was designed to assess the avail- Geoscience BC is an industry-led, industry-focused not-for- For more information, contact: the watershed. The City of Dawson Creek and the colates deep into the ground, and profit society. Its mandate includes the collection, interpreta- ability of non-potable (saline) water hosted in deep aquifers, STORAGE AND TRANSFER IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE tion and marketing of geoscience data and expertise to pro- Geoscience BC 440 - 890 W. Pender St. Town of Pouce Coupe, just outside the watershed to Conceptual Diagram of mote investment in resource exploration and development in Vancouver, B.C. and the usefulness of these aquifers for disposal of fluids related <10cm flows out of the watershed British Columbia. Geoscience BC is funded through grants from V6C 1J9 Hydrologic Cycle (scale varies) the east, utilize the Kiskatinaw River for their water the Provincial Government and works in partnership with to natural gas development. in the Kiskatinaw River. industry, academia, government, First Nations and communi- [email protected] supply. ties to attract mineral and oil & gas investment to BC. www.geosciencebc.com