Moderate to low lineament density bedrock aquifer

Aquifer

Version	Metadata
	81418c9a-c16e-47cd-8fc9-f738c32d76d5

Project
Okanagan Valley

Datasets

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Moderate to low lineament density bedrock aquifer unit description

Update:2014-03-10

Physiography
Moderate to low lineament density bedrock hydrogeological unit is located in the upland bedrock. It consists of Proterozoic Okanagan Gneiss and Miocene plateau basalts. The bedrock is covered by a till unit. Along the river, there are scree deposits and the Mission Creek Valley Fill aquifer is present. This suggests that the bedrock aquifer is mostly under confined conditions. The bedrock has moderate hydraulic conductivity. This unit has important recharge rates for the Okanagan area. Shallow bedrock groundwater of the eastern part of the unit flows toward Mission Creek Valley Fill aquifer, but the western and north-western part of the unit as well as the deep bedrock groundwater flows toward Okanagan Lake. The deep bedrock groundwater flow is less important than the shallow one because the permeability of the bedrock decreases exponentially with increased depth in the Okanagan Highlands.
Hydrogeological region	Cordillera
Hydrogeological context
Relief	Located in the uplands, the moderate to low lineament density bedrock has moderate to high slopes along the river and its branches. Highest elevations are found on the top of two hills (1700 m) and the lowest elevations designate the river (700 m).
Area	343.00 km2
Lithology
Description	Moderate to low lineament density bedrock hydrogeological unit is located in the upland bedrock. It consists of Proterozoic Okanagan Gneiss and Miocene plateau basalts. The bedrock is covered by a till unit. Along the river, there are scree deposits and the Mission Creek Valley Fill aquifer is present.
Source
Aquifer
Aquifers	List of aquifers Moderate to Low Lineament Density bedrock aquifer

Unit properties

Surficial aquifer media


Typical value:	porous
Description	In a section of the unit, Mission Creek Valley Fill overlies the moderate lineament density bedrock aquifer.
Source	Regional-Scale Groundwater Flow Model of the Kelowna Area and the Mission Creek Watershed, Central Okanagan, BC

Bedrock aquifer media

Typical value:	fractured
Source	Regional-Scale Groundwater Flow Model of the Kelowna Area and the Mission Creek Watershed, Central Okanagan, BC

Confinement

Typical value:	confined
Description	The bedrock aquifer is confined by the till unit.
Source	Surficial geology, Kelowna, British Columbia

Surficial sediment thickness
Range: [20 to 100] m
Source	Regional-Scale Groundwater Flow Model of the Kelowna Area and the Mission Creek Watershed, Central Okanagan, BC

Bedrock hydraulic conductivity
1.5E-7 m/s
Source	Regional-Scale Groundwater Flow Model of the Kelowna Area and the Mission Creek Watershed, Central Okanagan, BC

Regional precipitation
381 mm/y
Description	Average annual precipitation for Kelowna is 381 mm
Source	Regional-Scale Groundwater Flow Model of the Kelowna Area and the Mission Creek Watershed, Central Okanagan, BC

Regional recharge
29.5 mm/y Range: [22 to 37] mm/y
Description	The highest recharge rates of the unit are found in the east. The recharge rates decrease from east to west.
Source	Regional-Scale Groundwater Flow Model of the Kelowna Area and the Mission Creek Watershed, Central Okanagan, BC

Regional discharge

Description	Shallow bedrock groundwater of the eastern part of the unit flows toward Mission Creek Valley Fill aquifer, but the western and north-western part of the unit as well as the deep bedrock groundwater flows toward Okanagan Lake. The deep bedrock groundwater flow is less important than the shallow one because the permeability of the bedrock decreases exponentially with increased depth in the Okanagan Highlands.
Source	Regional-Scale Groundwater Flow Model of the Kelowna Area and the Mission Creek Watershed, Central Okanagan, BC