PAPER 64-39 GROUNDWATER HYDROLOGY AND WATER SUPPLY IN THE DISTRICT OF MACKENZIE, YUKON TERRITORY, AND ADJOINING PARTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Report, 25 figures, 3 plates, 14 tables) L. V. Brandon Price 75 cents 1965 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Of CANADA PAPER 64-39 GROUNDWATER HYDROLOGY AND WATER SUPPLY IN THE DISTRICT OF MACKENZIE, YUKON TERRITORY, AND ADJOINING PARTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA L. V. Brandon DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND TECHNICAL SURVEYS © Crown Copyrights reserved Available by mall from the Queen's Printer, Ottawa, from Oeoloalcal Survey or Canad::, 601 Booth St., Ottawa, and at the following Canadian Government bookshops: OTTAWA Daly Building, corner Mackenzie and Rideau TORONTO Mackenzie Building, 36 Adelaide St. East MONTREAL .£terna-Vle Building, 1182 St. Catherine St. We.ft or through your bookseller A deposit copy or this publication is also available for reference in public libraries across Canada Price 75 cents Cat. No. M44-64-39 Price .Jubject to change without notice ROGER DUHAMEL, F.R.s.c. Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationery Ottawa, Canada 1965 - iii - CONTENTS Page Abstract vii Introduction •...•••...••..••••....•••.......••........•.. 1 Acknowledgments .•...••••...•••••....•..••••••..••••• 1 Physiographic regions .•....•...••.......•••......•••. Climate .••••••...••••••.•••••••.•..•..•••••• , ...... 3 Groundwater hydrology .......••••••....••••••••...•••••• 3 Hydrologic regimen •••....••••••••.•.....••...••••••• 3 Recharge ....................................... 4 Storage ......................................... 4 Discharge .••••........•.•••••.••••.•••••.••.....• 7 Seasonal recharge-discharge relationship ...••••.•••• 8 Permafrost ...................................... 8 Field evidence ..•.••...•••••..•••••...••••...•• 9 Distribution ................................... 9 Groundwater in permafrost ......•.•••••••.....•. 10 Effect of permafrost ••.••••.•••••...••••••••••• 10 Groundwater flow ••••••..••••••••••••••.•...•••••• 11 Basin hydrogeology ..••••••••..•..•••••••....••••.•••.• 13 Great Slave Lake basin ••••.....•••••••••......•••• 14 Precambrian Shield •••....••••••••...•••••••••• 14 Interior Plains 25 Mackenzie River basin ••••••...•.••••••.....••••... 35 Yukon River basin .•••.•....•••••••••...•..•••••••• 41 Other basins 50 Conclusions ••••••••.....••.••••....•••.•••••••••• 51 Thermal springs ••••••....•.•••••••.....•...•.••••.....• 51 Descriptions of some thermal springs •••••••••......... 52 Roche-qui-Trempe-~-1 'Eau •..••••.•••.•.•••.••.... 52 Old Fort Island .•••••••..••..••..••..•••••...•.••• 56 Clausen Creek, South Nahanni River •••••...••••..••• 57 Liard River Crossing ..••••••••••••..••..•.••..••• 58 Portage Br-G.le Springs .•••••••.•••.•••••••......... 59 0 'Donnel River, Atlin .•••....•••••••••.••••••.•... 59 Takhini Hot Spring •••••.••••••.•••••...•.••••..... 61 McArthur Hot Springs •••.•.•••••.•..•••.•..••••..• 62 Upper Flat River and South Nahanni River .•.•.••••.• 62 Comparison of chemical analyses •••••.••••.••••••••••. 62 Groundwater supply ..........•. , ...... , .•. , .....• , ..... , 63 Comparison of surface and groundwater costs •...••••.•. 63 Testing and developing groundwater .•••..••••.••••••••• 64 Permafrost and water wells •••••••..••.••••••..••••••. 65 Water supply at towns and settlements • , ., ••• , ••• , •. , • , , • 65 - i v - Page District of Mackenzie 65 Fort Smith area .....•.•....••.......•. ..••...• 65 Fort Resolution .•.......•......••......•••••... 70 Dawson Landing and Pine Point •..........••••... 70 Hay River ....................•.••••......•.•.. 72 Mackenzie Highway .....•••• . ......•••••........ 76 Snowdrift .....••••.....•.•••.•......•.•••...... 76 Fort Reliance .....••· .........••............•••. 76 Yellowknife .....•. ......••.. ....••...•.•.. .. 77 Rae ......•.. ..........••••••••...•..........• 77 Lac La Martre .........................•......• 77 Fort Providence ......••.... ......••.......... 78 Jean Marie River ••••.......••...........•..••. 78 Fort Simpson ......•..................•........ 79 Fort Liard .....•••.. ....•..•....... .......... 80 Nahanni Butte ......•••..•. ....•.••••.•...•••.. 80 Wrigley •................ ......... ·........•. 81 Fort Norman ..••.... ................ ........ 81 Norman Wells .......••........•............ .. 82 Fort Good Hope . ....••....••••. ....•... ..... 82 Fort Franklin 83 Arctic Red River 83 Fort McPherson . • . • • • . • 83 Inuvik . • • • . • . • • . • • • . • . • • . 84 Tuktoyaktuk • . • • . • . • . • . • • • . • • • • • . • 84 Coppermine . • • . • • . • • • . • • • • • • . 85 British Columbia • • • • . • • . • • • • . • • • • . • . • • . 85 Coal River . • • . • • . • • . • • . • • • • . • . 85 Lower Post • • • • . • • • . • • . • . • . • . • • 87 Atlin • • • . • . • . • • . • • . • . • . • • • . 87 Yukon Territory . • . • . • • • . 87 Watson Lake . • . • • • . • . • • . • . • . 87 Alaska Highway, Mile 733-910 ...••..•..••...••.. 88 Whitehorse . • • • . • • • . • • • • . • • • • . • • • . • . • . • 89 Alaska Highway, Mile 1016-1202 •••.... , ......•.. 91 Whitehorse-Dawson Highway . ••...•.•.....••.... 93 Dawson • • • . • . • • • • . • • • . • • • . • • • 93 Mayo .•••....••...••.....•......•....•.•...... 93 Carcross . • . • . • • . • • . • • . • . • • . 93 Old Crow . • . • • . • . • • . • • . • . • . • • . 94 References . • . • . • • • . • . • • . • . 94 - v - Page Table I. Monthly mean temperature at nine stations . • • 2 II. Potential evaporation at four stations . • • . 7 III. Basin discharge data of Lockhart, Taltson, Emile, and Snare Rivers • • • . • . • . • • 23 IV. Chemical analyses of springs and rivers, Great Slave Lake, District of Mackenzie............ 24 V. Summary of geological succession in the Interior Plains on the west side of Great Slave Lake . • • . • . • • . • • • . • 26 VI. Chemical analyses of waters, Mackenzie River valley, District of Mackenzie • • . • . • • 38 VII. Basin discharge data of the Takhini, Yukon, Stewart and Pelly Rivers . • . • . • . 48 VIII. Chemical analyses of waters, Yukon Territory . 49 IX. Chemical analyses of thermal spring waters (see also Figure 2) • • • . • • • . • • • . • • • . • • • 54 x. Logs of wells drilled at Fort Smith . • • • 68 XI. Chemical analyses of wells, District of Mackenzie •••...•.. ·. • . • • • . • • • • . • • . • • 71 XII. Logs of wells drilled at Hay River • . • • . • • . 73 XIII. Chemical analyses of wells, Yukon Territory and British Columbia . • • . • • . • . • • . • 86 XIV. Logs of wells drilled at Whitehorse . • . • . • • 90 Illustrations Plate I. High Point on south shore of Great Slave Lake 29 II A. Portage Brule Hot Springs, B. C. , on Liard River • • • . • • . • • • . • • • • . • . • . 60 II B. Spring water from a solution channel, O'Donnel River, Atlin, British Columbia . • . • . • 60 Figure 1. Major drainage areas, District of Mackenzie, Yukon Territory, and British Columbia •• in pocket 2. Principle physiographic regions and hydrologic features, District of Mackenzie, Yukon Territory and British Columbia ....•.... in pocket 3. Histograms showing maximum, average, and minimum precipitation . • . • • . • • • . • • • . • . 5 4. Cumulative departure graphs for the mean annual precipitation • . • • . • . • • . • • • . • . • • • . 6 - vi - Page Figure 5. Relation between viscosity of water and temperature . • . • . • . 12 6. Location of springs, and sampling points for chemical analyses (see Table IV, and Figure 14) . • . • • • • • . • . • . 15 7. Mean monthly discharge, Snare and Yellowknife Rivers • • . • • . • • • . • • • . • . • 17 8. Mean monthly discharge , Lockhart and Snare Rivers . • . • . • • • . • . • . 18 9. Mean monthly discharge, Taltson and Emile Rivers . • . • . 19 10. Flow duration curves, Lockhart and Taltson Rivers . • . • • • . • . • • • . • • • . 21 11. Flow duration curves, Snare and Emile Rivers.. 22 12. Seasonal variation of water conductivity, Slave River . • • . • • . • • . • . 30 13. Electric analog flow system diagrams south of Great Slave Lake. For locations see Figure 6. Instrumentations by R. van Everdingen . • • . • • . • . • • . 32 14. Chemical analysis diagram of waters from springs, rivers, and lakes, Great Slave Lake basin (see also Figure 6 and Table IV) 33 15. Mean monthly discharge, Liard River . • . • . 36 16. Relation between discharge and conductivity of water, Liard River . • . • . • . • . • 40 17. Mean monthly discharge, Takhini River . • . 42 18. Mean monthly discharge, Pelly River.......... 43 19. Mean monthly discharge, Yukon River . • . 44 20. Flow duration curves, Takhini and Yukon Rivers . 46 21. Flow duration curves, Pelly and Stewart Rivers. 47 22. Geological map and cross-section illustrating flow system to springs at Roche-qui- Trempe-~- 1 'eau (Geology from Douglas and Norris, 1962). 53 23. Chemical analyses diagrams of thermal spring waters (see also Table IX).................. 55 24. Geology and location of test wells, Fort Smith . 66 25. Locations of test wells, Hay River . • • . • . 75 Abstract Groundwater is effluent in regions of discontinuous perma­ frost in the Interior Plains and the Cordillera. Groundwater flow in the Precambrian Shield is considered to be negligible. Winter base­ flow records, chemical analyses of river waters, the presence of springs, and the local occurrence of halophytic flora provide evidences of groundwater movement in regions where no piezometric data from borings are available. Quantitative information on the groundwater contribution to the Upper Liard basin is obtained from the relation between discharge and specific conductance. This relation