| The Waterloo Moraine is a sand and gravel deposit with facies transitions to mud. It is up to 140 m thick with an average thickness of 54 m (Bajc et al 2014). It forms the most prolific aquifer complex within the surficial geological succession that from bedrock, consists of units, including i) ) Pre-Canning glaciofluvial deposits; ii) Canning sediment; iii) Pre-Catfish glaciofluvial deposits; iv) Catfish Creek Till; v) Waterloo Moraine deposits; and vi) Upper tills (Port Stanley, Stratford, Upper Maryhill, Tavistock, and Mornington). Waterloo Moraine deposits are underlain by the regional sandy silt Catfish Creek Till which is an aquitard, but locally may be breached by erosional widows providing connectivity to deeper aquifers (e.g. Bester et al., 2002). The Moraine is locally semi confined where it is overlain by muddy and silty diamictons along its flank.
Recharge to the Moraine system is believed to enter mainly through sand hills along the core area of the Moraine. Water percolates through till on the flanks of the moraine by high conductivity windows. Percolating water is believed to also recharge lower aquifers by way of windows in the aquitards and /or fractures within the till. Groundwater flow is generally from northwest to southeast along the core of the Moraine, and toward the Nith and Grand rivers. Local rivers and streams receive discharge from the Waterloo moraine. The groundwater is abundant and characterized by high quality water.
|
Groundwater Information Network