Groundwater Resources and Hydrogeology of the Western Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia (Trescott, 1969)
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PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES Groundwater Section Report 69- 1 GROUNDWATER RESOURCES AND HYDROGEOLOGY of the WESTERN ANNAPOLIS VALLEY, NOVA SCOTIA by Peter C. Trescott HON. PERCY GAUM J.P. NOWLAN, Ph.D. MIN ISTE R DEPUTY MINISTER Halifax, Nova Scotia 1969 PREFACE The Nova S coti a Department of Mines initiated in 1964 an extensive program to evaluate the groundwater resources of the Province of Nova Scotia. This report on the hydrogeology of the We s t e r n Annapolis Val ley supplements the Annapolis-Cornwallis Valley report (Department of Mines Memoir 6) by dis- cussing the groundwater resources of the area southwest of Annapolis Royal. The field work for this study was carried out during the summer of 1968 by the Groundwater Section, Nova Scotia Department of Mines, and is a joint undertaking between the Canada Department of Forestry and Rural Development and the Province of Nova Scotia (ARDA proiect No. 22042). Recently the ad- ministration of the ARDA Act was transferred to the Canada Department of Regional Economic Expansion. It should be pointed out that many individuals and other govern m e n t agencies cooperated in supplying much valuable i n f orm a t i on and assistance throughout the period of study. To list a few: Dr. J. D. Wright, Director, Geological Division and the staff of the Mineral Resources Section, Nova Scotia Department of Mines, the Nova Scotia Agricultural College at Truro, and the Nova Scotia Department ofAgriculture who made available manuscript soil maps of Annapolis County. It is hoped that information in this report will be useful for agricultural, industrial, municipal and individual water needs and that the report will serve as a guide for the future exploration, development and use of the largely un- developed groundwater resources of the Western Annapolis Val ley. John F. Jones Chief, Groundwater Section Nova Scotia Department of Mines Halifax, October 1, 1969 CONTENTS Abstract ......................................................... 1 Introduction ...................................................... 2 Purpose and scope of the investigation ........................... 2 General description of the area ................................. 2 Location. access. and extent of the area ...................... 2 Physiography and drainage ................................... 2 Agriculture and soils ...............................i ...... 4 Population and industry .................................... 5 Climate ................................................. 6 Land survey system .............................................. 9 Previous investigations ......................................... 9 Field work and maps ............................................ 10 Acknowledgments ............................................. 11 .. Geology .........................................................12 Introduction .................................................. 12 Rock units .................................................... 12 Meguma Group ........................................... 12 White Rock, Kentville and Torbrook Formations ................ 12 Granite .................................................. 13 WoIfviIle Formation ........................................ 13 Blomidon Formation ..................... ................. 14 North Mountain Basalt .................................... 15 Surficial deposits .............................................. 15 Glacial till .............................................. 15 Glaciofluvial deposits ..................................... 16 Estuarine deposits ......................................... 17 Dykeland, salt marsh and tidal flat ...................... ... 17 Stream alluvium .......................................... 18 Peat and muck ............................................. 18 Structure ..................................................... 18 Geomorphology ...............................................18 Hydrostratigraphic units ............................................ 20 Introduction .................................................... 20 Bedrock hydrostratigraphic units ................................. 20 Slate and quartzite ........................................ 20 Granite ................................................. 21 Wolfville Formation ....................................... 22 I vi Page Blomidon Forma tion ........................................ 23 North Mountain Basalt ..................................... 24 Surficial hydrostratigraphic units ................................. 24 G laciof luvial deposits ...................................... 24 Other surficial deposits ..................................... 24 Chemical quality of groundwater ..................................... 26 Introduction ................................................... 26 Relationship of groundwater quality to use ......................... 26 Chemical quality of groundwater in the hydrostratigraphic units ...... 29 Slate. quartzite and granite ................................. 29 Wol fvi I le Formati on ........................................ 29 Blomidon Formation ........................................ 30 North Mountain Basalt ..................................... 30 Glaciofluvial deposits ...................................... 30 Other surficial deposits ..................................... 30 Groundwater utilization and development .............................. 31 Introduction .................................................. 31 Domestic and livestock water supplies ............................ 31 Irrigation water supplies ........................................ 32 Municipal and industrial water supplies ........................... 32 Annapolis Royal and Lequille ................................ 32 Bear River ................................................ 33 CFB Cornwallis and Clementsport ............................ 33 Digby .................................................... 34 Granvil le Ferry ........................................... 35 Summary and conclusions ........................................... 36 References ......................................................... 38 Appendix A . Graphic logs of test holes. wells. and measured sections in the Western Annapolis Valley .........(in pocket) Appendix B . Selected water well records in the Western Annapolis Valley ............................................. 42 Appendix C . Chemical analyses of groundwaters in the Western Annapolis Valley ...................................... 47 vii II I ustrati ons Page Map 1. Hydrogeology of the Western Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia .. .. .. .. .. .. .. (in poc.ket) Figure 1. Loco5on and physiography of the study area . .. .. .. .. 3 Figure 2. Triassic lowland from Digby to St. Marys Bay .. .. .. .. .. 4 Figure 3. Mean temperature distribution in the Western Annapolis Valley.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 7 Figure 4. Mean precipitation distribution in the Western Annapolis Valley ... ... ;. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. 7 Figure 5. Moisture budgets for a sandy loam soil at Annapolis Royal for the years 1965 - 1968 and mean values for a 30-year period . .. .. .. .. .. .#.. .. .. .. 8 Figure 6. Reference map 21A12A subdivided into mining tracts.. .. .. 10 Figure 7. Sandstone channel in Blomidon Formation at Red Bluff.. .. .. 14 Figure 8. Kame deposit consisting mostly of stratified sand at Upper Clements . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ., , .. .. .. .. 16 Figure 9. Pumping test conducted on test well 3 (Index No. 27) at Digby ........................ ..................... 23 Figure 10. Glacial till overlying stratified sand near Digby .. .. .. 25 Figure 11. Trilinear plot of chemical analyses for water samples collected in the Western Annapolis Valley .. .. .. .. .. 27 Table Table 1. Population changes in the Western Annapolis Valley, 1951 - 1966 .......................................... 5 GROUNDWATER RESOURCES AND HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE WESTERN ANNAPOLIS VALLEY, NOVA SCOTIA ABSTRACT The i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t h e groundwater resources of t h e Annapolis- C or nw a I I i s Val ley is extended in this report to cover the Western Annapolis Valley from Annapolis Royal to St. Marys Bay and adjacent areas on the North and South Mountains. The hydrogeologic map with this report illustrates at a scale of 1 inch to 1 mile the bedrock and surficial geology of the area and the locations of water wells reported in selected drillers' logs. With few exceptions, groundwater of good quality.can be developed for domestic use throughout the area. Development of groundwater for municipal, industrial and irrigation use, however, will be limited to the Triassic lowland, par ti cuI or I y the Digby area and the area from Karsdale to Granville Ferry. These a rea s,are underlain by Wolfvil le Formation sandstone and conglomerate aquifers in whichwells canbe completed to yield from 50 to300 gpm. Screened wells in glaciofluvial deposits at ,Sea View, Clementsvole, Lequille and along the lower Allain and Moose Rivers maybe able to sustain well fields yielding up to several hundred gallons per minute. Except for a few places where the hardness and iron content of the water are problems, the chemical quality of groundwater in the area is good to excel- lent for most uses. Saltwater intrusion may be a problem in the future if wells of high capacity are completed near the sea. INTRODUCTION Purpose and Scope of the Investigation The investigation of the groundwater resources and hydrogeology of the Annapolis-Cornwallis Valley (Trescott,