Water Science Series
Last updated on September 24, 2025The Water Science Series is a technical publication focusing on scientific reports that relate to the understanding and management of B.C.’s water resources. The series communicates scientific knowledge gained through water science programs across B.C. government, as well as scientific partners working in collaboration with provincial staff.
2025 Publications
WSS 2025-01: French Creek Area Hydraulic Connectivity and Aquifer Mapping Study
WSS 2025-02: Aquifer Mapping and Monthly Water Balances, Nicomekl-Serpentine Watersheds, Lower Mainland B.C.
WSS 2025-03: Environmental Flow Needs Determination, Nicomekl-Serpentine Watersheds, Lower Mainland B.C.
WSS 2025-04: Impact of Cumulative Groundwater Withdrawal on Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction in the Stoney Creek Watershed
WSS 2025-05: Hydrogeological Mapping and Analysis, Bertrand and Fishtrap Creek Watersheds
WSS 2025-06: Assessment of Groundwater – Surface Water Interactions on the Vaseux Creek Alluvial Fan, Oliver, B.C.
WSS 2025-07: An Overview of LiDAR for Watershed Applications in British Columbia
WSS 2025-08: Compendium of Provincial Groundwater Science and Monitoring Projects: 2024-25
2024 Publications
WSS 2024-01: Surficial Mapping British Columbia's Landforms to Support Groundwater Understanding, Phase 1: Vanderhoof Study Area
WSS 2024-02: Fort Nelson Aquifer Mapping and Hydrostratigraphic Characterization
WSS 2024-03: Analysis of Licensed Water Use in British Columbia
WSS 2024-04: Desktop Watershed Characterization Resources and Methods for British Columbia
WSS 2024-05: Aquifer Mapping in the Kootenay/Boundary Region of British Columbia: Creston, Rossland, Castlegar, and Salmo
WSS 2024-06: Comparison of Two Methods for Determining Long-Term Well Yield in British Columbia
WSS 2024-07: Updated Water Budget for Salmon River Valley Aquifers Upstream of Falkland
WSS 2024-08: Compendium of Provincial Groundwater Science and Monitoring Projects: 2023-24
WSS 2024-09: Preliminary Assessment of Hydraulic Connection for the Chilliwack Area
WSS 2024-10: Aquifers 178 & 1287 Complex, Cowichan Valley, B.C. Stratigraphy and Characterization
WSS 2024-11: Hydroecological Assessment of Hydraulic Connectivity: Phase 3 Field Investigation at Otter Park, Langley
WSS 2024-12: Watershed Modelling to Support Water Allocation and Planning in the Shawnigan Creek Watershed, Vancouver Island, B.C.
WSS 2024-13: Exploring Methods for Setting Groundwater Allocation Extraction Limits and Improving Understanding of Hydraulic Connection in B.C.
WSS 2024-14: Surficial Mapping British Columbia’s Landforms to Support Groundwater Understanding: Phase 2 Southern Interior Study Area Pilot
2023 Publications
WSS 2023-01: Indicators of Groundwater Drought in British Columbia
WSS 2023-02: Integrated Hydrological Model for Windermere Creek Watershed: Groundwater Dynamics and Connectivity with Surface Water
WSS 2023-03: Oyster River and Black Creek Watersheds: Preliminary Assessment of Hydraulic Connection
WSS 2023-04: Kiskatinaw-Peace Aquifer Mapping and Hydrostratigraphic Characterization
WSS 2023-05: Compendium of Provincial Groundwater Science and Monitoring Projects: 2022-23
WSS 2023-06: Correlating Wells to Mapped Aquifers, Township of Langley, British Columbia
WSS 2023-07: Mapping the Snow Sensitive Zone in the Upper Columbia River Basin, Canada
2022 Publications
WSS 2022-01: Chemainus and Bonsall Watersheds: Preliminary Desktop Assessment of Hydraulic Connection
WSS 2022-02: Assessing the "Snow Sensitive Zone" at Multiple Scales in the Kettle River Watershed, Southern British Columbia
WSS 2022-03: Mapping the Likelihood of Flowing Artesian Conditions in the Okanagan Basin and Fraser Valley, British Columbia
WSS 2022-04: Peace-Beatton Aquifer Mapping and Hydrostratigraphic Characterization
WSS 2022-05: Hydrogeologic Interpretation and Updated Aquifer Mapping in the Cariboo Area
WSS 2022-06: Aquifer Mapping in the Clinton Creek Watershed
WSS 2022-07: Compendium of Provincial Groundwater Science and Monitoring Projects: 2021-22
WSS 2022-08: Evaluating the Use of Electrical Resistivity Sounding to Characterize Aquifers in the Beaufort Watershed, B.C
2021 Publications
WSS 2021-01: Analysis of Current Groundwater Use in the West Coast Region
WSS 2021-02: Hydrogeology and Environmental Flow Needs Assessment of a Groundwater Licence Application near Lumby, B.C.
WSS 2021-03: Classification of Groundwater Response Mechanisms in Provincial Observation Wells Across British Columbia
WSS 2021-04: Applying the Extended Drawdown Method to Interpret Pumping Tests in British Columbia
WSS 2021-05: Assessment of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Potential in British Columbia: Regional Opportunities and Regulatory Approaches
WSS 2021-06: GIS Modelling of Sea Water Intrusion Risk along British Columbia’s Coast
WSS 2021-07: Estimating Groundwater Availability for Allocation in British Columbia
WSS 2021-08: Compendium of Provincial Groundwater Science and Monitoring Projects: 2020-21
2020 Publications
WSS 2020-01: Guidance for Technical Assessment Requirements in Support of an Application for Groundwater Use in British Columbia (Version 2)
WSS 2020-02: Water Use and Management in the Koksilah River Watershed
WSS 2020-03: Assessment of Aquifer-Stream Connectivity Related to Groundwater Abstraction in the Lower Fraser Valley: Phase 2 Field Investigation at Otter Park, Langley
WSS 2020-04: West Coast Region Foundational and Detailed Aquifer Mapping Studies
WSS 2020-05: Compendium of Provincial Groundwater Science and Monitoring Projects: 2019-20
WSS 2020-06: Quantifying Aquifer-Stream Exchanges Along Bertrand Creek, British Columbia and Washington State, Using a Numerical Groundwater Flow Model
WSS 2020-07: Vanderhoof and Houston Aquifer Mapping and Hydrostratigraphic Characterization
2019 Publications
WSS 2019-01: Aquifer Mapping and Monthly Groundwater Budget Analysis for Aquifers on Salt Spring Island
WSS 2019-02: Detailed Aquifer Mapping Study, Shawnigan Lake Area, Vancouver Island, BC
WSS 2019-03: North Okanagan Aquifer Mapping & Geologic Modelling Phase III: Okanagan Valley Aquifer Update
WSS 2019-04: Chilliwack Hydrostratigraphic Interpretation and Aquifer Mapping
WSS 2019-05: Koksilah River Watershed: Preliminary Assessment of Hydraulic Connection
WSS 2019-06: Groundwater Quality Assessment and Proposed Objectives for the Osoyoos Aquifer
WSS 2019-07: Improving Statistical Methods for Modeling Species Sensitivity Distributions
WSS 2019-08: Compendium of Provincial Groundwater Science and Monitoring Projects: 2018-19
WSS 2019-09: Groundwater Quality Survey of Aquifers in South Cowichan, Vancouver Island
2018 Publications
WSS 2018-01: Liard and Petitot Sub Basins Transboundary Groundwater Resources Assessment
WSS 2018-02: North Okanagan aquifer mapping and geologic modelling Phase II: Tappen, Westwold and Coldstream Areas
WSS 2018-03: A revised geological model and hydrostratigraphic framework for the Kelowna-Mission Aquifers
WSS 2018-04: Mapping aquifer stress, groundwater recharge, groundwater use, and the contribution of groundwater to environmental flows for unconfined aquifers across British Columbia
WSS 2018-05: Compendium of Provincial Groundwater Science and Monitoring Projects: 2017-18
WSS 2018-06: Mission Creek Groundwater - Surface Water Interactions Project: Analysis of Discharge and Water Level Records
2017 Publications
WSS 2017-01: Preliminary Groundwater Budgets, Cobble Hill / Mill Bay Area, Vancouver Island, B.C.
WSS 2017-02: Assessment of Aquifer-Stream Connectivity Related to Groundwater Abstraction in the Lower Fraser Valley: Phase 1 Field Investigation
WSS 2017-03: North Okanagan aquifer mapping and geologic modelling: Summary of results and 3D interpretation
WSS 2017-04: Assessment of Aquifer-Stream Connectivity Related to Groundwater Abstraction in the Lower Fraser Valley: Stream vulnerability mapping
WSS 2017-05: Cowichan River: A Summary of Historical Disturbances, Water Use Pressures and Streamflow Trends
2016 Publications
WSS 2016-01: Determining the Likelihood of Hydraulic Connection - Guidance for Determining the Effect of Diversion of Groundwater on Specific Streams
WSS 2016-02: Screening Tool for Guiding Short-Term Groundwater Curtailment during Water Scarcity
WSS 2016-03: Monthly Water Budget for the Similkameen Valley Aquifer, British Columbia
WSS 2016-04: Hydrostratigraphic, Hydraulic and Hydrogeochemical Descriptions of Dawson Creek-Groundbirch Areas, Northeast BC
WSS 2016-05: Groundwater Quality Survey of Aquifers in South Wellington, Cassidy and North Oyster, Vancouver Island
WSS 2016-06: Monthly Groundwater Budget for the Hopington Aquifer – Salmon River Area, BC
WSS 2016-07: Monthly Water Budgets for Aquifers in the Oliver, B.C. Area (Aquifers 254, 255 and 256)
WSS 2016-08: Guidance for Technical Assessment Requirements in Support of an Application for Groundwater Use in British Columbia (Revised August 2020)
WSS 2016-09: Modelling Tools for Estimating Effects of Groundwater Pumping on Surface Waters
WSS 2016-10: Monthly Groundwater Budget for the Aquifers in the Kelowna BC Area
Contact information
For more information about how to get a report published in the Water Science Series, please email Klaus.Rathfelder@gov.bc.ca or Robin.G.Pike@gov.bc.ca.