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  Groundwater (or ground water) is the water present beneath Earth's surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The groundwater in this area is under stress both for quantity and quality.
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This Environment Canada website fills in a lot of gaps in basic groundwater information. 
Groundwater in the Arrowsmith Oceanside Area
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​​To link to the website  Click the drip
​Environment Canada Groundwater


The area has highly complex geology, formed by tectonic forces, glaciations, sea level fluctuations etc. The resulting inconsistent land types cause considerable variation in groundwater levels and availability.
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The video below demonstrates groundwater.

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Groundwater is mostly non-renewable, study finds  Less than 6% of groundwater is replenished within 50 years. In this area the amount of precipitation that actually infiltrated into the groundwater  each year is estimated at between 10 -18 cms near the coast to 18 - 25+ at higher elevations.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/groundwater-study-1.3318137
                                             Click the drip

Understanding and Protecting the Well and Source.

Groundwater and well-head protection are essential components to providing healthy drinking water. Water can move through the ground at a few meters a year or many meters an hour.

Even if the well is tens or more than a hundred meters deep, contaminated surface water could reach the bottom of the well within a very short time during a heavy rain event.
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Click the drip for more information
​Ministry of Environment Water Protection & Sustainability Branch: Well Protection Toolkit

​British Columbia Groundwater Observation Well Network

​​​British Columbia Groundwater Observation Well Network can show the general groundwater trends in this area.
If you click the top line  Select an observation well from the list
There are 20 relevant wells that are updated on a regular basis.
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Please click drip to link to network
British Columbia Groundwater Observation Well Network


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Well #287   COOMBS   (BURGOYNE ROAD)
Well #303   QUALICUM BEACH  (YAMBURY RD.)
Well #304   PARKSVILLE   (DESPARD RD)
Well #310   BOWSER   ( GAINSBURG RD.)
Well #314   PARKSVILLE   (SPRINGHILL RD.)
Well #321   QUALICUM   (LEEWARD WAY)
Well #389   QUALICUM BEACH  (W. ISLAND HWY)
Well #391   LITTLE QUALICUM  (MEADOWOOD WAY)
Well #392   NANOOSE   (DAWSON RD DEEP)
Well #393   NANOOSE   (DAWSON RD SHALLOW)
Well #394   NANOOSE   (NUTTAL DR.)
Well #395   NANOOSE   (RIVER'S EDGE DR.
Well #396   NANOOSE   (BALLENAS RD.)
Well #397   NANOOSE   (NORTHWEST BAY RD.)
Well #398   PARKSVILLE   (TRILL ROAD)
Well #425   QUALICUM                (SPIDER LAKE RD. DEEP)
Well #426   QUALICUM   (SPIDER LAKE RD. SHALLOW)
Well #427   QUALICUM   (COCHRANE RD. SHALLOW)
Well #433   QUALICUM   (GARDEN RD. E. DEEP)
Well #434   QUALICUM   (GARDEN RD. E. SHALLOW)



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​Vancouver Island Water Resource Vulnerability Mapping Project.     
This in depth, well researched report provide a technical explanation on the likelihood of groundwater becoming contaminated.
https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/acat/public/viewReport.do?reportId=19413
Most of this area's geology is described as sand and gravel mixes at lower elevations.
Sedimentary rock transitions to volcanic rock at higher levels. The amount of precipitation that actually infiltrated into ground is estimated at between 10 -18 cms near the coast to 18 - 25+ at higher elevations.
https://www.cvrd.bc.ca/DocumentCenter/View/7838/Guide-to-use-of-intrinsic-aquifer-vulnerability-m?bidId=

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Written by Trevor Wicks