Baseline Groundwater Monitoring in the Transboundary Liard Basin for Source Water Protection

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The Liard Basin is the second largest reservoir for unconventional oil and gas in Canada. It is situated within the boundaries of British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Unconventional oil and gas development requires hydraulic fracturing, commonly termed 'fracking'. This region has supported conventional oil and gas production since the 1950's. However, recent improvements in directional drilling and 'fracking' have led to growth in the unconventional oil and gas sector. These activities have given rise to public worries about the impacts of oil and natural gas production on the environment, especially local freshwater supplies. Northern communities rely on surface water or shallow groundwater as their primary source of water. Although shallow water may appear clean, it can be easily contaminated. Therefore, there is a need to find alternative sources of freshwater, specifically from deep unpolluted bedrock. However, it is not clear if deeper bedrock is also at risk from oil and gas production. If these bedrock layers become contaminated by natural gas, salts, metals, or organic pollution related to oil and gas drilling activities, they will not be a reliable source of clean water in the future. In fact, these deeper bedrock layers may act as a path for contaminants to reach shallow water supplies, adding to the problem. This research will develop a plan for monitoring groundwater using a combination of geology, geophysics, geochemistry, groundwater flow and quality measurements. It will create a network of monitoring wells that can be operated by the Government of the Northwest Territories in support of the Acho Dene Koe First Nation and residents of the Hamlet of Fort Liard. These monitoring wells and groundwater system knowledge will be used to assess impacts from oil and gas development and help understand the reliability of fresh groundwater resources for water supply. The proposed work represents an important step toward safeguarding northern water resources, while ensuring responsible development of Canada's oil and gas sector.