Groundwater Protection Towards Sustainable Management of Water Supply for a Northern BC Indigenous Community: Insights from Field Observation, Numerical Modelling, Laboratory Experiments, and Community Engagement
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Project Description
Safe water supply in Lheidli T’enneh First Nation (LTFN) has become a main challenge due to the lack of information on the community aquifer and its interaction with the Fraser River. Little knowledge is available on the water-supplying aquifer of the Shelley Reserve community. Therefore, it is of great importance to fully understand the groundwater status and trend in the community so that sound decisions on safe water supply can be made by LTFN. The overall goal of this project is to develop a groundwater protection plan for sustainable water supply from aquifers in the Shelley Reserve community through partnership with LTFN.
View of vertical lithology wells
Project Outcomes
2024-2025 was the first year of this multi-year project. To date, a field monitoring program has been proposed and implemented. The successful drilling and development of two new monitoring wells, combined with data from existing wells, provided valuable insights into the subsurface lithology and hydraulic properties of the aquifer system. Slug tests conducted on the monitoring wells and pumping tests from the supply wells allowed us to estimate the aquifer's hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and storativity. In addition, three-dimensional modelling of the stratigraphy of the study area has been developed and verified based on available data and reports. In the next phase of the project, the aquifer vulnerability, groundwater and surface water quality analysis, supply well capture zone, source water protection plan, and the numerical model boundary conditions will be determined, and the variables and parameters of the 3D numerical model will be developed.
Relevance
A recent review by McElhanney and Western Water Associates Ltd. in LTFN identified deficiencies and challenges in the community’s water well system. This project will address these issues through a holistic approach that combines field observations, laboratory experiments, numerical modeling, and community engagement.
Learnings and Recommendations
A subsurface geological model was developed based on well lithological data, providing a detailed understanding of the area's geological structure. A rigorous monitoring network must be established to support the validation of the groundwater model.
Partners and Linkages
This is a joint project between the University of Northern British Columbia and the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation.
References
Mahmoodzadeh, D., Yin, J., and Li, J, 2025. Impact of cumulative groundwater withdrawal on surface water and groundwater interaction in the Stoney Creek Watershed. Water Science Series, WSS2025-04. Province of British Columbia.
Project Contacts
Davood Mahmoodzadeh | e-mail: Davood.Mahmoodzadeh@unbc.ca | Phone: 1-778-890-1260
Jianbing Li | e-mail: Jianbing.Li@unbc.ca | Phone: 1-250-960-6397
Fieldwork (2024-2025)
Lheidli T’enneh First Nation (LTFN), Prince George, British Columbia
Fieldwork (2024-2025)
Lheidli T’enneh First Nation (LTFN), Prince George, British Columbia
Drilling UNBC monitoring well #1 (October 2024)
Drilling UNBC monitoring well #2 (October 2024)
Conducting the Slug Test on UNBC monitoring well #1 (November 2024)
Groundwater level measurement
UNBC monitoring well #2 (April 2025)
Water sample collection, Fraser River
(May 2025)
Groundwater purge—UNBC monitoring well #2 (June 2025)
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