Edwin Welles (Deltares USA), Bennie Minnema (Deltares), Dan Palombi (Alberta Geological Survey), Steve Wallace (Alberta Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development), Brent Welsh (Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board), Amandeep Singh (Alberta Geological Survey), Rolf Farrell (Environment Agency), Mark Whiteman (Environment Agency)
2014
Abstract
Groundwater regulators in Alberta have identified cumulative effects associated with groundwater pumping, through time and across multiple wells, as an additional impact they need to assess when authorizing groundwater use. These cumulative effects are likely best evaluated by a numerical groundwater flow model with well-defined boundary conditions. Therefore, the responsible agencies are exploring technical and policy requirements to move from pump test based authorizations to an enhanced framework utilizing numerical groundwater models. Through workshops and pilot projects, groundwater modelers at the Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) and model users within Alberta’s regulatory agency (Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development [AESRD]) have determined that a successful transition must involve interactive model development. During implementation, model users may identify anomalies when new data becomes available through an application for a groundwater authorization. As a result, the users subsequently provide feedback to the modelers to make updates and improvements to the model. To implement this process, the developers and users need a system or an operational framework which enables updated models to be easily loaded into the user environment (with consistent displays and controls). In this paper we will provide a description of the model development and implementation process which supports easy exchange between the various stakeholders. This framework may be useful for other regulatory agencies considering a similar transition.