Water Stewardship Information Sources
| Citation | Wels, C, Mackie, D and Scibek, J. 2012. Guidelines for Groundwater Modelling to Assess the Impacts of Proposed Natural Resource Development Activities. Prepared for BC Ministry of Environment. |
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| Organization | Ministry of Environment |
| URL | http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/plan_protect_sustain/groundwater/groundwater_modelling_guidelines_final-2012.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | The development of natural resources in British Columbia includes hard-rock mining, aggregate mining, and groundwater extraction projects. Development, operation, and closure of such projects involve an assessment of environmental impacts before a project can be approved by the regulatory agencies. Note that oil and gas developments may also use significant amounts of groundwater resources. Although this industry sector is not covered explicitly included in these guidelines, the general principles discussed in these guidelines may also apply to that sector. The scale and nature of mining projects and large groundwater extraction projects may impact the receiving environment (including groundwater and/or surface water). The impact needs to be quantified prior to undertaking the project. Recent advances in computing power and user-friendly modelling software have made the use of numerical groundwater models for impact assessments common. Table 1-1 lists mining and groundwater extraction projects that submitted full Environmental Assessment (EA) applications and were accepted for review by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) in the last decade. A review of the groundwater modeling studies completed for these projects indicates that most proponents used numerical groundwater models to support their (EA) application. The use of numerical groundwater models enables decision makers to study and evaluate large and complex resource development projects. Sophisticated models and modelling platforms are, however, no guarantee of good modelling practice. The complexities of groundwater models used for impact assessment may even lead to misuse and/or misinterpretation. To address the complexity and avoid potential misuse of groundwater models, there is a need to provide guidance to industry and government agencies on how to develop, use, and review groundwater models used to assess environmental impacts due to mining and large groundwater extraction projects. These guidelines address the broader concepts of groundwater modelling related to the EA process in British Columbia. Yet, these guidelines reflect generally accepted best practices in groundwater modelling and as such should be applicable to a wider range of groundwater modelling applications. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Province |
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| Comments | |
| Project status | complete |
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