September 13, 2005 Source: Simon Fraser University:
http://www.sfu.ca/mediapr/news_releases/archives/news09130502.htm Groundwater research in the Okanagan attracts funding Contact:
Diana Allen, 604.291.3967, dallen@sfu.ca September 13, 2005
National funding will help a Simon Fraser University based research group further its pioneering efforts to predict and plan for groundwater recharge variability in one of Canada's driest and fastest growing regions. SFU associate professor and chair of the earth sciences department Diana Allen leads a North American-wide network of researchers using the Okanagan as a case study to understand recharge and how it impacts groundwater resources. The case study is entitled A Basin Approach to Groundwater Recharge in the Okanagan: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy. “We will jeopardize long term social, economic and agriculture activity in watersheds, which are groundwater reliant,” says Allen, “if we don't develop groundwater resource management strategies.” A $280,000 grant from the Canadian Water Network (CWN) will enable Allen's group to collaborate with researchers involved in an initiative called PATHWAYS. It brings together researchers, planners, policymakers and industry to create groundwater methodologies and software tools that help decision makers develop regulations and land use plans based on scientific information and projections. Recharge is the percentage of the total precipitation in a given area that is added to the area's groundwater reservoirs annually. Streams can also recharge groundwater indirectly. Various factors, including climate variability, land use, topography and interaction with surface water, make it difficult to predict the amount of groundwater that is replenished annually and how much groundwater exists. Making the situation more unpredictable is the fact that groundwater use is unregulated in BC. Earth scientists and urban planners are particularly concerned about the sustainability of groundwater resources in high growth and arid areas, such as the Okanagan. Rapid urban development and changing weather patterns make it increasingly difficult for public works managers to count on groundwater infiltration as a way of keeping Okanagan Lake at controlled levels. In this region, surface water licenses are at or nearing their limit, and groundwater is becoming a much sought after resource. The CWN is one of 21 networks established through the federal government's networks of centres of excellence program. The CWN supports projects that address critical water issues facing Canada. -30- (electronic photo available) Websites:
SFU Earth Sciences,Diana Allan: www.sfu.ca/earth-sciences/people/faculty/allen.html
Canadian Water network: www.cwn-rce.ca/
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