ABSTRACT: The mapping and evaluation of groundwater resources in Ontario, Canada.

CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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To delineate and assess Ontario's overburden and bedrock aquifers the Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) has established a multifaceted groundwater mapping program to support sustainable resource development and effective watershed planning. The mapping program consists of five inter-related themes: GIS-based geoscience compilations; watershed-scale inventories; bedrock and surficial aquifer mapping; regional-scale data compilation; and thematic (research) investigations. Historic and/or previously existing geoscience mapping data has been digitized and integrated to form the foundation for additional work by the OGS and other public and private agencies. On-going components of the program involve the integrated use of geologic mapping, stratigraphic investigations, geochemical/geophysical surveys and numeric modelling. Primary thrusts of the program include: determining the regional extent and character of aquifers; identification of new potable groundwater sources; and understanding controls on water quality and quantity. The products and information generated by the program are fundamental to the implementation of provincial water management polices and strategies in that they directly contribute to the management of groundwater resources and an understanding of the physical environment. Outcomes of the groundwater program include: knowledge of aquifer-aquitard relationships allowing realistic vulnerability assessments and thus influencing land-use planning decisions; determination of groundwater withdrawals on the ability of aquifers to sustain production; and population growth centres targeting aquifers discovered by geologic investigations and modeling. Further, the geochemical survey components of the program are establishing regional ambient groundwater/stream sediment parameters to determine anthropogenic influences and delineate areas of potential health concerns and environmental impact. In order to maximize the value of the program and enable the information to be widely used, new products geared to non-geoscientists were developed. These products use limited technical language and several present spatial data on a Google Earth base.

Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology