balancing the of water users...assess historic irrigation water use (2015) consultant...
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Whitemans Creek Water Budget
Balancing the Needs of Water Users
James Etienne, Grand River Conservation Authority
A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium, November 17, 2015
Whitemans Creek
404 km2 (situated in Brant and Oxford Counties)
Southern portion on Norfolk Sand Plain
Significant cold water fishery Dominant water use is agricultural
Municipal water supply for Bright and Paris (Bethel)
Two streamflow stations Perennial low water issues
BRIGHT
BETHEL
What are Water Budgets?
Relationship between Relationship between supply and demandsupply and demand
Through an integrated understanding of Through an integrated understanding of system function we can make better planning system function we can make better planning decisions and are better prepared effectively decisions and are better prepared effectively manage water resources.manage water resources.
““ Water Budgets lead us on the path to Water Budgets lead us on the path to secure and sustainable source waters secure and sustainable source waters ””
Water Budgeting
QGW-Out
QGW-In
QGW-R
QGW-D
QGW-C QSW-RO
QSW-C
QSW-In
QSW-Out
QP
QET
Groundwater
SurfaceWater
water table
UnsaturatedZone
SaturatedZone
Surface Water Modelling
Groundwater Modelling
Ultimate Goal: Balancing Water Needs
< 800
800.00 - 850.0
850.00 - 900.00
900.00 - 950.00
950.00 - 1000.00
1000.00 - 1050.00
0 - 1100.00
LegendClimate Normals
RoadsDrainage
Precipitation (mm/year)< 800.00
800.00 - 850.00850.00 - 900.00900.00 - 950.00
950.00 - 1000.001000.00 - 1050.001050.00 - 1100.001100.00 - 1150.00
> 1150.00
N
S
W E
0 20 km
Grand River Tier 2 Water BudgetWater resource professionals characterized the watershed,
using models, statistics and estimates to track the volume of water entering,
moving through and leavingthe watershed for
sustainablewateruse.
Climate
Surficial Geology
Streamflow
Recharge
Groundwater Levels
Discharge
Water Use
Hydrologic Cycle
Water Use Permits
~700 permits~1200 sources
Municipal: 20% of permitsAgricultural: <50% of permits
SurfaceWaterPermits
GroundwaterPermits
Tier 2 Stress Assessment
Surface Water Groundwater
Bright
Bethel
Declared Conditions Voluntary reductions
at Levels 1 and 2
Very low precipitation
OLWR Level 3 apparent Streamflow <30% of average summer low flow Anticipated harmful effects to environment, fishery Unknown: agricultural use vs. water availability
Low Water Conditions in 2007 & 2012
Figure 4: Average Daily values for Whitemans Creek and Burford
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
1-Ju
n
8-Ju
n
15-J
un
22-J
un
29-J
un
6-Ju
l
13-J
ul
20-J
ul
27-J
ul
3-Au
g
10-A
ug
17-A
ug
24-A
ug
31-A
ug
7-Se
p
Flow
(m3/
s)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Rai
nfal
l (m
m)
Whitemans Creek Flow Burford Rain
Level 1 flow first reached
Level 2 flow first reached
Level 3 flow reached
Level 1 Called Level 2 Called
Beaver dam affects flow readings
Precipitation (1961‐2014)1960’s Drier 1970’s & 1980’s Wetter 1990’s Drier 2000’s Mixed
Surface Water (1961‐2014)
1960’s Drier 1970’s & 1980’s Wetter 1990’s Drier 2000’s Mixed
Groundwater (2001‐2014)
2001‐2002 2004 2007 2012
2008‐20102006
Surface and Groundwater (2001‐2014)
2001‐2002 2004
2006
2012
2008‐2010
2007
?
Water UseGrand Watershed Whitemans Subwatershed
Irrigation Water Sources
Water Use Timing
**estimated monthly water use from the Tier 2 stress assessment
Water Use Timing
Challenges
1. Water use is different than the rest of the watershed
2. Many water users, but one main water use
3. Reliance on shallow groundwater and surface water
4. High water use coincides with low stream flow
5. Water use cycles with crop cycles
Watershed Drought Plan
Watershed scope Based on past work focused on high water use
sectors municipal agriculture industry and commercial rural domestic
19
Drought Preparedness
Contingency Planning
Best Practices
BMP Locations
Education & Outreach
Pilot Outcomes
Grand River Water Management Plan Ensuring water supplies
Drinking Water Source Protection Water budget assessment
Ontario Low Water Response Program Developing drought resistance
Whitemans Creek Drought Contingency Plan Transferable to other high use agricultural watersheds
Supporting Other Initiatives
WHAT’S
NEXT
Deliver a free “Soil
Moisture
Probe
Borrowing
Program”
Promote workshops &
discussions re: nitrogen legacy
Seek opportunities and apply for drought
preparedness pond renovations
funding
Promote the need
for PTTW
workshops
Automate data collection from
remote soil moisture sensors
in Oxford & Brant
Encourage growers to implement new BRWQP actions
Voluntary “no fishing” signage campaign
Tier 3 Water Budget model
Going Forward
Whitemans Creek Tier 3
Water Budget and Water
Quantity Risk Assessment
Tier 3 Data Updates
2010 Woodstock‐Brantford Surficial Geology Survey
2014/15 Field Work Program Spot Flow Surveys Piezometer & Level Logger
Installations
2013 Crop Mapping Imagery Review Whitemans Creek PTTWs
2015 Whitemans Creek Workshop
Update Integrated Modeling Tools (SW‐GW)
Surface Water – Groundwater Combined Model better represent groundwater and
surface water interactions discharge and recharge functions
are integrated
Whitemans Creek
Characterize Demand (municipal and non‐municipal) Hydrology Hydrogeology We are here
Modelling Tools SW & GW
Delineate “Vulnerable Area” WHPA‐Q1, WHPA‐Q2
Risk Assessment Scenarios Assign semi‐quantitative ‘RISK’ Evaluate hydrogeologic uncertainty
Tier Three Risk Assessment
Refine Characterization
Refine Modeling Tools
Define “Vulnerable Area”
Assess Risk Level using Multiple
Scenarios
Ecological Water Needs
Monitor water levels across the subwatershed (2015‐16) Assess historic irrigation water use (2015) Consultant Conceptualization Report (September 2015) Develop integrated surface/groundwater model (2015‐16) Assess Bright & Bethel Well water supplies (Summer 2016) Complete Tier 3 Water Budget (Fall 2016) Integrate results in amended Grand River Assessment Report (2017)
Next Steps in Tier 3 Work
Whitemans is Water Management Plan priority area Use model to assess Water Demand/Permit to Take Water Drought Planning Climate Change Assessment
Beyond Source Water
source protection
Farm & Food Care Ontario Hajnal Kovacs, Conservation Sudbury Brant County Federation of Agriculture Ontario Federation of Agriculture AquaResource Inc. (now Matrix Solutions Inc.) EarthFX Incorporated Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry Ministry of Environment & Climate Change
Acknowledgements