Brookswood Aquifer

Aquifer

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Project
Fraser Lowlands

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Brookswood Aquifer unit description

Update:2014-02-28
The bedrock is covered by marine sediments underlying discontinuous till unit, followed by fine sediments formations. These are covered by the Brookswood aquifer which is composed of glaciofluvial sand and gravel. The aquifer is exposed and consequently is mainly under unconfined conditions. It presents the highest vulnerability to contamination. The aquifer is recharged primarily by direct precipitation (about 55%) and infiltration from streams (about 19%; seasonally dependent). Total recharge is approximately 14M m3/year. The Campbell and Nicomekl Rivers recharge the aquifer during the wet winter months, but rely mostly on the local watertable for water supply to it during the summer. The average hydraulic conductivity for the Brookswood wells is good, showing good aquifer potential. The aquifer is the second most utilised unconfined aquifers in the Fraser Lowlands. The main uses of groundwater are: commercial, domestic and irrigation. Brookswood groundwater contains elevated concentrations of nitrate, derived primarily from agricultural use of manures.
Physiography
Hydrogeological regionCordillera
Hydrogeological context
ReliefNorth and south of the Fraser River, the Fraser Lowland consists mainly of gently rolling and flat-topped uplands, with elevation less than 175 m and separated by wide flat-bottomed valleys.
Area39.00 km2
Lithology
DescriptionThe geological description of the Fraser Lowlands is based on the hydrostratigraphic units described by Halstead (1986). The Brookswood aquifer corresponds to unit C of Halstead, Fort Langley Formation to unit A, Capilano Formation to unit B and the discontinuous till to unit D. The Brookswood (unit C) aquifer is composed of glaciofluvial sand and gravel. This sediments unit is exposed and overlies fine sediments (clay and silt) of Fort Langley and Capilano Formations (units A and B) which overlie till discontinuous unit (unit D). Marine sediments, overlying the bedrock is found under the till unit. The bedrock of Fraser Lowland and Fraser River delta consists of three, fundamentally different tectono-stratigraphic units: 1) plutonic rocks and subordinate metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks; 2) formations of sandstone, conglomerate and mudstone and 3) contact between the Paleogene-Neogene succession and Quaternary deposits.
Source
Aquifer
AquifersList of aquifers Brookswood granular aquifer (Langley)

Unit properties

Surficial aquifer media
Typical value:porous
Description Glaciofluvial sand and gravel
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.
Confinement
Typical value:unconfined
Description Mostly unconfined
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.
Surficial unit hydraulic conductivity
0.0007 m/s Range: [4e-05 to 0.002] m/s
Description Hydraulic conductivities for the Brookswood wells values range from 0.00004 to 0.002 m/s and average 0.0007 m/s
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.
Regional precipitation
1450 mm/y
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.
Regional recharge
Description Brookswood aquifer is recharged primarily by direct precipitation (about 55%) and infiltration from streams (about 19%; seasonally dependent - estimates from Dakin, 1994). Total recharge is approximately 14M m3/year (Dakin, 1994).Campbell River and Nicomekl River recharge the aquifer during the wet winter months
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.
Regional discharge
Description Campbell River and Nicomekl River rely mostly on the local watertable for water supply to it during the summer.
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.
Hydrogeological unit potential
Typical value:high
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.
Groundwater usage
Typical value:agricultural - domestic - industrial
Description It is the second most utilised unconfined aquifer in the Fraser Lowlands. It is used for commercial (Corporation of the Township of Langley), domestic and irrigation.
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.
Aquifer vulnerability
Typical value:high
Description The aquifer has the highest vulnerability to surface contaminations.
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.
Groundwater Quality
Typical value:fresh
Description Brookswood groundwater contains elevated concentrations of nitrate, derived primarily from agricultural uses of manures.
Source Chapter 9 -- Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains 9.1 COASTAL BASINS, LOWLANDS AND PLAINS. 9.1.1 FRASER LOWLAND.