Shannon MacDonald

Groundwater is an essential resource in Nova Scotia, used by over half of the province's population for domestic purposes. In order to manage this resource effectively, it is important to understand if and how groundwater levels are changing over time and if possible, determine the cause of these changes. In an attempt to advance this understanding, this report analyses the long and short term trends and fluctuations of groundwater levels at three sites in Nova Scotia. Data from monitoring wells at Lawrencetown, Halifax County and Durham, Pictou County suggests that slight increases in groundwater levels are occurring over the long term, in conjunction with slight increases in total precipitation. Seasonal trends are also apparent at these two sites, as well as at a third site on McNabs Island, Halifax County. Tidal effect is very apparent on groundwater levels at the Lawrenctown site, which is located approximately 150 feet from the shoreline of the Cole Harbour Estuary. Tidal effect was not found at the Durham site, likely due to its distance from the shoreline, nor was is found at the McNabs Island site, likely due to its elevation above sea level. Temperature is inversely related to groundwater level changes at all three sites, as is barometric pressure, which was found to have little effect on water levels at the Lawrencetown and Durham sites.

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Pages: 108
Supervisor: Heather Cross