FAQ: Freshwater Footprint Project Gabriola Island Pilot
· Gabriola Island · 2025
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Topics: Climate & environment · First Nations & reconciliation · Governance & budget · Fresh water & aquifers — our classification, not the Trust's.
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[[page 1]] Islands Trust Freshwater Footprint Project CB] Gabriola Island Pilot Islands Trust Frequently Asked Questions about the Freshwater Footprint Project 1. What is the Freshwater Footprint Project and why is it being done? The Islands Trust initiated the Freshwater Footprint Project in December 2024. The purpose of the project is to develop methods to determine water availability on islands in the Trust area, and to understand how water quality and quantity are impacted by land use, climate change and other hazards. The pilot program is being undertaken on Gabriola Island and is intended to be applied in future to other islands in the Trust Area. Water is critical for quality of life and a healthy environment. However we often lack the understanding and tools to integrate water knowledge into planning and actions. The project is intended to answer key questions about the current state of water resources on the island, and to develop realistic measures of iy a“ sustainability —- the community's “water footprint", that can help guide land use planning, assist with resource decisions, influence behavioural adaptation, and guide monitoring strategies and other initiatives. 2. What will the Gabriola Island Water Footprint project involve? Project scope & timeline Technical Components ° Gather and integrate existing data (monitoring, water quality, mapping, previous studies) * Develop hydrogeologic model ° Prepare gridded water balance model (water availability vs water demand, climate modelling) * Evaluate aquifer vulnerability and hazards (e.g., sea water intrusion, land use) December 2024 — May 2025 Freshwater Footprint Methods Communications, Workshops & Tools ¢ Advisory roundtable committee * Community water use survey * Community workshop series ¢ Freshwater Monitoring Network ¢ Defining Freshwater Footprint ¢ Gabriola Freshwater Footprint ¢ Freshwater Dashboard ¢ Review and summarize freshwater footprint methods * Develop water footprint approach for Islands Trust area (key hazards and objectives) ¢ Apply method to assess Gabriola Island Freshwater Footprint ¢ Develop policies linked to Footprint results and goals February — June 2025 A series of workshops facilitated during the project will gather input from the community and key representatives from First Nations, regional and provincial governments. Data and analyses created during the project will be presented in a Dashboard tool. The project will not include drilling of new wells, or collection of water samples. [[page 2]] 3. What is the source of funding for the project? The project is funded by the Islands Trust through the Gabriola OCP and LUB revision project budget. 4. Should | register my well in the Groundwater and Wells and Aquifers database. The provincial Groundwater Wells and Aquifers (GVWELLS) database records the locations and construction information for wells in BC. The database is an essential resource to understand the locations and source
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