Name
GIS Modelling of Seawater Intrusion Risk along the Coast of British Columbia, Canada
Date & Time
Monday, May 25, 2026, 2:15 PM - 2:30 PM
Description
Increasing groundwater demand in coastal regions heighten the risk of seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers. Proactive identification of seawater intrusion risk is therefore critical for sustainable coastal water resource planning. This study presents a geographic information system (GIS)–based assessment of seawater intrusion risk along the coast of British Columbia (BC), Canada. Building on the methodology developed by Klassen and Allen (2016) for fractured sedimentary bedrock aquifers in BC’s Gulf Islands, the approach was expanded to encompass the full diversity of coastal hydrogeologic settings, groundwater use types, and new groundwater licensing requirements enacted in 2016. The assessment integrates aquifer susceptibility, pumping threat, coastal hazards, and potential resource loss to map overall seawater intrusion risk for unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers. Aquifer susceptibility was evaluated using distance from the coastline, groundwater elevation, slope, and aquifer type. Pumping threat and loss were quantified using well records, licensed groundwater use, and analysis of pumping volumes. Where available, coastal hazards derived from flood hazard mapping and coastal morphology using LiDAR data were incorporated to refine vulnerability estimates. Results indicate that low-lying fluvial, alluvial, and deltaic aquifers exhibit high susceptibility extending inland, while bedrock aquifer susceptibility is generally confined to near-shore zones, especially within low-relief peninsulas and islets. Areas of high groundwater use show elevated pumping threat and increased vulnerability, with observed correlations to elevated total dissolved solids and known areas of seawater intrusion concern. The risk maps provide a decision-support tool for groundwater licensing, land-use planning, monitoring prioritization, and climate change adaptation in coastal environments.
Location Name
DSU 307
Full Address
Dalhousie University
Halifax NS
Canada
Session Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract ID
96
Speaker Organization
Hydro Geo Logic
Session Name
IAH-2 (2 of 2)
Co-authors
Tim Sivak, P. Geo., Western Water Associates Ltd. (Senior author)
Presenting Author
Mike Wei, P. Eng., Hydro Geo Logic (Junior author)