SASKATCHEWAN

Water Security Agency

WSA Goodale Farm 009

Observation well WSA Goodale Farm 009 was constructed in 1974 to a depth of 10.06 metres in a surficial aquifer.  The well was completed in fine grained sand of a surficial glacio-lacustrine deposit overlying till. The observation well is used to observe natural groundwater level fluctuations and to relate these variations to change in climate and to the water levels in nearby wetlands.  The direction of the groundwater flow in the aquifer is controlled by the topography and the water levels in the numerous sloughs in the area.  The well is believed to be hydraulically connected to a slough just to the east.  WSA Goodale Farm 009 is on property owned by the University of Saskatchewan.

Seasonal minimums in WSA Goodale Farm 009 typically occur in March-April with maximums in June-July. Within two years of the start of monitoring in 1974, water levels went into a long term decline lasting until 2003, which saw water levels drop from just over 507 metres to a record low of just over 503.5 metres.  However, following that decline water levels began to increase dramatically, reaching a record high of about 508.5 metres in 2012. The reason for this decline and recovery is related to the water levels in the nearby sloughs which have gone from being mostly dry in the two decades before 2004 to very high water levels in recent years. These water level changes are typical of the interaction between shallow groundwater and the water in nearby depressions, commonly referred to as “depression-focused” groundwater recharge and discharge.  

Water from the well is of the calcium-bicarbonate/sulphate type with a Total Dissolved Solids of approximately 453 mg/L.

Project
Land Location
Goodale Farm 009
SW01-04-36-04 W3