New water research program to gather scientific and indigenous knowledge – Energeticcity.ca

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – A new water research program from Geoscience BC will be gathering Western science and Indigenous Knowledge data to grasp a better understanding of the quality and quantity of water within the Peace Region.

The Pilot Collaborative Water Monitoring Program, Northeast BC will install co-located surface water monitoring stations, groundwater wells, and climate monitoring stations. Baseline water quantity, water quality, and climate data will also be collected at several sites and assessed for watershed water balances, surface water flows, and groundwater-surface water interactions.

The program team will also be working with Treaty 8 First Nations to help coordinate scientific findings and Indigenous Knowledge. In 2019, a scientific review of hydraulic fracturing in BC was released regarding Treaty 8 First Nations’ concerns of water quality and quantity.