Southern Gulf Island Projects
Southern Islands Groundwater Sustainability Strategy Project
This project will develop information and data as part of a phased ecological approach to groundwater management and aquifer protection in the Southern Gulf Islands of the Islands Trust Area.
Project Charter
Master Project Charter - July 4, 2019
Project Initialization Report
February 28, 2019 - Staff Report to North Pender Local Trust Committee
Project Purpose
Identifying evidence-based adaptation measures is imperative to protecting aquifers and preserving groundwater dependent communities and ecosystems in a changing climate. With vulnerabilities of seasonal precipitation changes, evapotranspiration forcing, recharge alterations, and saltwater intrusion, groundwater resources are a metric of climate change. Protection of aquifer recharge areas is identified in the Policy Statement and this project advances that commitment.
Project Background
Groundwater is a unique amenity supporting ecosystem health and overall hydrological function of watersheds. Southern Gulf Island Local Trust Committees have identified groundwater resources as a priority in their Official Community Plans and as part of land-use applications over the past decades. In March 2019 the Islands Trust Council declared a climate emergency in the Islands Trust Area, directing staff to include a central focus on equitable climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience into strategic planning. Actions with respect to an ecosystem vulnerability approach to groundwater sustainability strategy have been recommended by previous researchers, and the Province of BC supports deep collaboration in groundwater focused projects at the Local Government level, expressing interest as an external partner in this sustainability strategy.
Project Contact
William Shulba, P.Geo
Senior Freshwater Specialist
Licensed Science Officer
Islands Trust
Phone: 250.405.5162
Email: wshulba@islandstrust.bc.ca
