Our Regional Aquifers

Bedrock aquifers and sand and gravel aquifers behave differently and it is important to monitor both. Bedrock aquifers in our region are generally lower yielding and more vulnerable to drought. In sand and gravel aquifers, productivity and seasonal impacts are variable – some are high yielding with lots of storage; others are more moderate yielding and more susceptible to overpumping and drought. Groundwater levels can vary across an aquifer depending on connectivity or the movement of water between aquifers or to a surface water source.

The table attached shows water level trends in aquifers across the region. Of the 22 aquifers mapped and monitored in the region for groundwater levels in 2024, longer term trends indicate that:

• five show increasing trends where groundwaters levels are observed to be closer to the surface,
• four have stable water levels where no significant changes are seen,
• five sites have declining trends where water levels are moving deeper, and
• eight of the aquifers have variable results where long-term trends are inconsistent across the monitoring sites of an aquifer.