DETERMINING AQUIFER VULNERABILITY AND RECHARGE RATES IN ALBERTA, CANADA USING HYDROGRAPH DATA ANALYSIS

In the Canadian prairies, climate change, increasing population, and increased need for agricultural irrigation are expected to cause a larger demand for water. As surface water sources become unreliable due to climate change, farmers will increasingly turn to groundwater to suit their agricultural needs. Studies determining the capabilities and vulnerabilities of aquifers in the region, their response to pumping, and recharge areas are necessary before they are extensively pumped, to more effectively manage the larger demand. To do this cost-effectively, existing well hydrographs from aquifers in Alberta, a significant agricultural province in the Canadian prairies, will be graphically analyzed to determine their response to pumping events and future stresses. Focus is placed on Alberta due to its provincial government’s extensive monitoring well database, which contains excellent well data from across the province. The wells in the provincial database are sorted based on data quality. Data from aquifers that are located in agricultural regions are prioritized. Hydrographs are analyzed to identify boundary conditions during pumping to identify recharge locations and vulnerability to stresses. Vulnerability will be determined in a qualitative manner using a classification system such as the DRASTIC method. Results will be mapped and spatially analyzed to identify vulnerable areas and those suitable for pumping.