World Water Day is next Friday, March 22! 🌎
This years theme is “Water for Peace”, more details can be found on the United Nations Website.
Come join us from 1:30-3:30pm in the Adams Atrium, School of Engineering for three engaging presentations and student posters.
All are welcome!
We are excited to be hosting Dr. Matt Becker, who is the Conrey Chair in hydrogeology and professor of Earth sciences at California State University, Long Beach, USA, and this years Darcy Lecturer.
Please join us on Tuesday March 5, from 2:00-3:00pm in Richards 3504, University of Guelph to hear Dr. Becker talk about “How Groundwater Impacts the People and Ecosystems of the South Pacific Islands”.
Dr. Becker will be presenting his other talk, on “Fiber Optic Distributed Sensing as a Window on Subsurface Flow” at the University of Waterloo, on Wednesday March 6th from 2:00-3:00pm for those who are interested.
All are welcome, we hope to see you there!
More information about the Darcy Lecture Series can be found on the National Groundwater Associations Website.
Dr. Ben Rostron is a Professor Emeritus of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta and the President of Isobrine Solutions Inc. He has been selected by the Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division as this years Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer. More information can be found on the GSA website, here.
We are pleased to share that Dr. Rostron will be joining us at the University of Guelph, Richards 3504 on Friday February 16th from 11:00-12:00pm to present his talk on “Geology and hydrogeology at AQUISTORE: Canada’s first CO2 storage project associated with a commercial-scale coal-fired power plant”
All are welcome and there is no fee for attendance, more details below:
Morwick G360 is happy to announce a new project, created in partnership with the City of Guelph, AECOM, WSP (previously Golder Associates), Solinst Canada Ltd., and Aardvark Drilling Inc., to better understand the bedrock flow system in the City of Guelph near the Dolime Quarry. The project was awarded an NSERC Alliance Grant (ALLRP 568604 – 21) in March 2022 and will span an approximately 4-year period.
The City of Guelph proudly relies almost exclusively on groundwater for its municipal water supply, but rapid growth in population and industry are placing higher demands on the local dolostone aquifer. Part of the City’s strategy to meet this demand involves increasing the pumping rates of certain existing supply wells if feasible. This requires a detailed understanding of the bedrock aquifer, and potential risks associated with the increased pumping rates in terms of water quantity and quality. One area requiring more information includes the flow system around the Dolime Quarry, which is a large bedrock excavation situated near the western edge of the city. The bedrock quarry has operated for over 150 years, providing important building material and local jobs, but the quarrying process dug deep into the ground where the aquitard lies, raising concerns about the potential for future impacts to the aquifer that provides Guelph’s drinking water. The City has initiated a multi-year program to assess the flow system and pumping responses around the quarry to help maximize supply while mitigating potential risk to groundwater quality by maintaining a groundwater divide between the quarry and the supply wells. To complement this study, the collaborative partnership led by the Morwick G360 Institute under the NSERC Alliance Grant aims to accomplish the following objectives:
This project makes use of many innovative and high-resolution field methods, many of which have been developed at the Morwick G360 Institute. These datasets will be collected in 8 new boreholes drilled within and around the quarry, 6 of which have been drilled and 2 schedule to be drilled in Fall of 2023. G360 multilevel monitoring wells have been installed in the 6 existing boreholes, each equipped with telemetry systems to provide real-time head data to guide the pumping regimes. Presently, large-scale pumping tests led by the City are underway using the municipal supply wells. The project will also involve hands-on research and education for several graduate students as they train to become future groundwater professionals.
We are excited to expand the City’s award-winning monitoring infrastructure and advance our understanding of this complex aquifer. By doing so, we aim to ensure a sustained supply of clean drinking water for the community.
Acknowledgements:
Funding for this work is provided from a NSERC Alliance Grant (ALLRP 568604-21) with Jonathan Munn as the PI and cash and in-kind contributions from our partners: the City of Guelph, WSP/Golder, AECOM, Solinst Canada and Aardvark Drilling Inc. We would also like to acknowledge River Valley Developments (RVD), the owners of the quarry for their support and engagement of their peer review consultant, GHD Limited, to help build our understanding of this important bedrock aquifer.
Morwick G360 Team:
On Thursday November 9th, 2023, we celebrated the construction of our new Morwick Groundwater Research Centre (MGRC) located at 360 College Avenue E, Guelph, Ontario.
This research center, nestled within the Grand River watershed, is built on the same footprint as our previous facility, the Bedrock Aquifer Field Facility (BAFF), minimizing environmental impact, and will be constructed in two phases, starting with the classrooms. Â
In June 2021, Edward (Ted) Morwick generously donated $10M to our Institute, which significantly supported the development of this new research centre. When complete, this facility will feature:
Our new research centre will allow us to engage on a deeper level with the community, providing workshops and short courses to professionals, increase attraction, retention and the quality of hands-on education for our graduate students, and provide a global hub for groundwater research. We are committed to training the next generation of groundwater science professionals, ensuring we have the expertise to address the world’s water quality challenges. Â
President & Vice-Chancellor of University of Guelph Dr. Charlotte Yates, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Interim Dean Dr. Richard Zytner and the Interim Vice-President of Research Dr. Rene Van Acker spoke on behalf of the importance of this new research facility and the substantial impact it will have on not only our local community, but globally.
The Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute is already an internationally recognized leader in groundwater research, and this state-of-the-art facility is poised to elevate it even further. The MGRC will be a cornerstone for experiential learning and research; however, we need your help to raise the remaining funds to realize the full potential of this facility.
With the remaining funds raised, we will be able to incorporate state of the art, sustainable features such as:
If you know of someone or a group that is seeking to support advances in hydrologic and hydrogeologic characterization and monitoring given the immediate challenges for safe and sustainable freshwater needs, then please consider directing them to our Morwick G360 fundraising campaign.
Sponsorship Opportunities
To donate or sponsor, please contact us at mg360@uoguelph.ca or contact Jennifer Hurley directly at hurley@uoguelph.ca Â
It was a great turn out, thank you to everyone who made it out to celebrate this exciting new journey for the Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute!
