Why Protecting Aquifer Watersheds Matters

Aquifers are underground layers of unconsolidated materials, such as gravel and sand, which become saturated with fresh water when rain and snowmelt are absorbed into the earth and infiltrate these layers. The process of freshwater filling the aquifers is known as "recharge."

The forested ecosystem on the southeast slopes of Mount Elphinstone in West Howe Sound - also known as the "Mountain Block" - serves as the main recharge area for two prolific aquifers: the Elphinstone-Gibsons-Granthams Aquifer (560) and the Langdale-Hopkins Aquifer (552). 

These aquifers are critical drinking water sources for the Sunshine Coast. 

The forests in the recharge area are crucial for moderating the aquifer system. The land cover supports the development of a rich understory, which includes roots, soils, and mycorrhiza. This understory acts like a sponge, gradually absorbing and releasing water. It slows the release of snowmelt, supports soil structure and slope stability, and helps mitigate the effects of drought and flooding.

The removal of forest cover in the aquifer recharge area (through industrial logging and gravel mining) dramatically disrupts the recharge process, results in less water entering the system, increases erosion, water turbidity, slope instability, and landslides, and can destroy the water system.

Consequently, protecting the recharge areas on Mount Elphinstone is paramount to ensuring a sustainable water supply system for the Sunshine Coast. 

The problem is that although the Community Watersheds in the major urban centres of Vancouver and Victoria are protected, drinking water source areas in rural communities are not.

The Sunshine Coast, like many rural regions in BC, faces ongoing and increasing pressures from forestry within its drinking watersheds. The impacts of forestry on species and downstream communities are mounting, particularly due to the growing effects of climate change.

Clearcut logging in Mount Elphinstone watersheds must end. 

To solve this problem, the SCCA has been working with community groups, provincial NGOs, academia, local governments and First Nations to pursue watershed protection and governance solutions on the Sunshine Coast.

The primary goal of this project is to establish a Water Sustainability Plan for the Átl'ḵa7tsem West Howe Sound Watershed.