Wetland Classification and Geologic Assessment Report: Cedar-Yellow Point/Nanaimo River Water Region (WR6-CYPNR) Prepared for: Regional District of Nanaimo’s Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Program Prepared by: Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute Wetland Classification and Geologic Assessment Report: Cedar-Yellow Point & Nanaimo River Water Region Acknowledgments A special thank you is extended to Julie Pisani, Coordinator of the Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Program (DWWP) at the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), for her continual support and guidance throughout this project. We would also like to thank our team of advisors for this project including, Vancouver Island University (VIU) Geography Department faculty member and RDN DWWP Technical Advisory Committee board member, Dr. Alan Gilchrist PhD PGeo., as well as VIU Earth Science Department faculty member, Dr. Jerome Lesemann PhD. Another special thank you to former Project Coordinator of the Mid-Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society (MVIHES) and lifelong active community member and environmental steward, Faye Smith Rosenblatt. Her recent passing has been a great sadness and we are exceedingly grateful for the care and contributions she made to this research project and to the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region (MABR) as a whole. We would like to extend further thanks to Bernd Keller, member of MVIHES, for his continual support and collaboration with this project moving forward. We continue to be thankful to the members of the public and property owners for welcoming our researchers on to their lands to conduct our research, as well as for engaging and showing interest in the purpose and longevity of this project. Research Project Team Wetland Project Coordinators Research Assistants Ashley Van Acken Michael Anderson Graham Sakaki Carson Anderson Kayla Harris Roxanne Croxall Jeffrey Fontaine Cassidy Funk Jessica Pyett GIS & Remote Sensing Specialists Curtis Rispin Ryan Frederickson Lauren Shaw Ariel Verhoeks Kidston Short Brian Timmer 2 | P a g e Wetland Classification and Geologic Assessment Report: Cedar-Yellow Point & Nanaimo River Water Region Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 7 2.0 Methods 8 – 10 2.1 Preliminary Research Steps 8 2.2 Field Steps 9 3.0 Regional Description 10 – 13 3.1 Physiography 10 3.2 Regional Geology 11 3.2.1 Bedrock Geology 11 3.2.2 Stratigraphic Framework 13 4.0 Cedar-Yellow Point and Nanaimo River Water Region Study Sites 14 – 23 4.1 Hemer Provincial Park 14 4.1.1 Surficial Materials of Hemer Provincial Park 14 4.1.2 WR6-CYPNR-01 Wetland Observations and Classification 14 4.1.3 WR6-CYPNR-02 Wetland Observations and Classification 16 4.2 Nanaimo River Regional Park 17 4.2.1 Surficial Materials of the Nanaimo River Regional Park 17 4.2.2 WR6-CYPNR-03 Wetland Observations and Classification 17 4.3 Richards Marsh Park 19 4.3.1 Surficial Materials of Richards Marsh Park 19 4.3.2 WR6-CYPNR-04 Wetland Observations and Classification 19 4.3.3 WR6-CYPNR-05 Wetland Observations and Classification 20 4.4 Wildwood Ecoforest 21 4.4.1 Surficial Materials of Wildwood Ecoforest 22 4.4.2 WR6-CYPNR-06 Wetland Observations and Classification 22 5.0 Discussion 23 –29 5.1 Hydrostratigraphy 23 5.2 Wetland Characteristics 25 5.2.1 Surrounding Land Uses and Hydrology 25 of WR6-CYPNR-01 & WR6-CYPNR-02 5.2.2 Surrounding Land Uses and Hydrology 20 of WR6-CYPNR-04 & WR6-CYPNR-05 5.3 Recommendations 27 3 | P a g e Wetland Classification and Geologic Assessment Report: Cedar-Yellow Point & Nanaimo River Water Region 5.3.1 Cross-Sectional Analysis 27 5.3.2 Geophysical Surveys 28 5.3.3 Installation of Instrumentation 28 6.0 Conclusion 29 7.0 References 30-25 Appendix A: Summary of Wetland Classification and Aquifer Characteristics 33 Appendix B: Aquifers in the Cedar-Yellow Point and Nanaimo River Water Region 34-36 Appendix C: Aerial Photographs for WR6-CYPNR-01 & WR6-CYPNR-02 37-39 Appendix D: Aerial Photographs for WR6-CYPNR-04 & WR6-CYPNR-05 40-44 4 | P a g e Wetland Classification and Geologic Assessment Report: Cedar-Yellow Point & Nanaimo River Water Region List of Figures and Tables Figure 1: Wetland study site in Cedar-Yellow Point and Nanaimo River Water Region 8 Figure 2: Simplified Stratigraphic units of the Nanaimo Group 12 Figure 3: Quaternary Stratigraphic Framework for Vancouver Island 13 Figure 4: WR6-CYPNR-01 15 Figure 5: WR6-CYPNR-02 16 Figure 6: WR6-CYPNR-03 18 Figure 7: WR6-CYPNR-04 & WR6-CYPNR-05 21 Figure 8: WR6-CYPNR-06 23 Figure 9: Example distribution of materials and their relationship to stratigraphy and hydrostratigraphy 25 5 | P a g e Wetland Classification and Geologic Assessment Report: Cedar-Yellow Point & Nanaimo River Water Region Abstract Significant data gaps exist within the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) in regards to wetland locations, classifications, and the role they play in groundwater recharge. While there has been recent interest in freshwater resources within the RDN’s watersheds, there are relatively few studies that have inventoried wetlands and investigated their localized connection to groundwater systems. Our objectives in this study were to: 1) ground truth predictive mapping that showed the distribution of potential wetland sites in the RDN; 2) create an inventory of wetlands in the Cedar-Yellow Point and Nanaimo River Water Region based on their classification; 3) evaluate each site’s hydrogeological position to gain a better understanding of water storage, discharge, and potential flow pathways at each site; and 4) identify priority wetland sites for long-term monitoring and installation of instruments to identify potential hydraulic connections to groundwater systems. Researchers found that four of the six mapped wetlands in the region were classified as marsh ecosystems with secondary classifications unique to each site. All of the marsh wetlands were situated under past marine limits and had diffuse or central patches of water. These study sites were not situated near large fluvial systems and mantled Vashon Drift glaciomarine materials. Wetlands proximal to the Nanaimo River were located within Vashon Drift glaciofluvial and modern fluvial deposits. Two study sites were identified as potential priority sites within the Cedar- Yellow Point Water Region based on their size, surrounding land uses, hydrology, and ecology. By monitoring the health of these systems and investigating subsurface conditions through desktop analysis, geophysical surveys, and instrumentation, it should be possible to develop new management practices while also identifying any potential connections between surface water and groundwater systems. It should be noted that wetlands were mapped based on accessibility and proximity to vulnerable aquifer systems and that these findings may not be representative of all wetlands that exist across the entire water region. Overall, results from this study will provide a framework for understanding how localized wetland systems contribute to both local and regional freshwater systems, while also enhancing land use and planning decisions across the RDN. 6 | P a g e Wetland Classification and Geologic Assessment Report: Cedar-Yellow Point & Nanaimo River Water Region 1.0 Introduction The Regional District of Nanaimo is located on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Geographically, the RDN comprises an area that extends from the northern point of Deep Bay to the southern point of Cedar and includes Gabriola, Mudge, and DeCourcy Islands (Figure 1). There are four municipalities within the RDN that are home to over 140,000 people and include the City of Nanaimo, District of Lantzville, City of Parksville, and Town of Qualicum Beach. Seven major water basins divide this area and are referred to as water regions in this report and include: Big Qualicum, Little Qualicum, French Creek, Englishman River, South Wellington to Nanoose, and Cedar-Yellow Point/Nanaimo River (Waterline Resources Inc., 2013). This document focuses on the southernmost basin, the Cedar-Yellow Point/Nanaimo River Water Region (WR6 or WR6-CYPNR). WR6 is split into two distinct sections, as it is the largest water region within the RDN. Watershed boundaries extend from the Nanaimo River Estuary to the headwaters of the Nanaimo River catchment. WR6 encompasses an area of 939 km2 and extends south, beyond the RDN boundary to coincide with the watersheds full drainage basin (Waterline Resources Inc., 2013). This report will discuss wetlands mapped in WR6 and connect field observations with literature to better understand the impacts of surrounding land uses and potential connections between surface water and groundwater flow systems. To accomplish this, our report will highlight mapping methodology, physical geography, ecology, and regional geology of each wetland with a focus on hydrology and surrounding land uses. Developing baseline data on the ecological and geological relationships within wetlands will be crucial when trying to understand local impacts on ecology, as well as hydrological processes associated with groundwater recharge. 7 | P a g e Wetland Classification and Geologic Assessment Report: Cedar-Yellow Point & Nanaimo River Water Region Figure 1: Wetland Study Sites in Cedar-Yellow Point Water Region Sources: Imagery obtained from Esri’s online basemap database; water region boundaries obtained by the Regional District of Nanaimo; wetland site data collected in the field; map developed by MABRRI. 2.0 Methods 2.1 Preliminary Research Steps Prior to mapping a wetland in the field, the following preliminary research steps were taken: 1. Review predictive wetland maps that were created using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing based on existing data from Ducks Unlimited Workflow that combines the Government of British Columbia’s Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory (SEI), Pacific Estuary Conservation Program (PECP) polygons, and the Fresh Water Atlas (FWA) to determine the location and predictive classification of each site. 2. Determine which water region each wetland is located in using GIS software, specifically ArcMap 10.5, and associated RDN Water Region layers (RDN, 2018).