Manzer Roadside Artesian Well EarthCache
Hidden : 4/9/2009
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

This EarthCache features an artesian well located next to Manzer Street. I met a gentleman at this location that said people have been coming to this location for decades to collect water.

Aquifers in British Columbia

Ground water provides 23 percent of the province's population with drinking water, comprises 9 percent of total water consumption in the province and represents 25 percent of the ground water use in the nation. It has been recognized for a number of years that a greater understanding of the existence and characteristics of aquifers in British Columbia is essential.

The Fraser River watershed is almost as large as California and accounts for over 25% of the land in British Columbia. It extends from its headwaters on Mount Robson high in the Rocky Mountains to the world-renowned estuary and the "plume" of the river that reaches out across Georgia Strait to the Gulf Islands. This vast watershed has 13 main sub-watersheds, each with uncounted small rivers, streams, creeks, marshes, bogs, swamps, sloughs and waterways.

The Lower Fraser watershed has a number of smaller watersheds. Stave Lake and River drain into the Fraser at Mission. Alouette Lake and River flow into the Pitt River at Haney. The Pitt River drains south from Garibaldi Provincial Park through Pitt Lake, emptying into the Fraser River at Port Coquitlam.

In some areas ground water is the only viable and economic source of water supply for individual and community water supply systems as well as augmenting agricultural and industrial uses. Ground water often maintains base flows in rivers and streams during periods of drought and is critical to fisheries habitat and spawning areas.


Some basics on Artesian wells and artesian aquifers:

Artesian wells were named after the former province of Artois in France, where many artesian wells were drilled by Carthusian monks since 1126. The technique was also known much earlier in Syria and Egypt, although whether the monks of Artois learned of it from outside sources or discovered it independently is unknown.

An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater that will flow upwards out of a well without the need for pumping. An aquifer provides the water for an artesian well. An aquifer is a layer of soft rock, like limestone or sandstone, that absorbs water from an inlet path. Porous stone is crushed between impermeable rocks or clay. This keeps the pressure high, so when the water finds a hole, it overcomes gravity and goes up instead of down.



Why is a well Artesian?
In recharging aquifers, this happens because the water table at its recharge zone is at a higher elevation than the head of the well.

Pascal's law predicts the theoretical hydrostatic pressure P:



where ? (rho) is the density of the fluid, g the acceleration due to gravity, and z is the elevation. In practical terms the pressure is expressed as metres water column (zr - zw).

"Fossil water" aquifers can also be artesian if they are under sufficient pressure from the surrounding rocks. This is similar to how many newly tapped oil wells are pressurized.

To log this cache, you will first have to fullfill a few requirements.

1) Take a photo of you or your group at the EarthCache location, and post it with your log.

2) Take a close up photo of your GPSr and the artesian well together. Your latitude and longitude must be readable in the photo. Post it with your log.

3) Measure the flow rate of the well. Do this by filling a small container of known volume and timing how long it takes to fill it. Then convert your time into minutes to tell me approximately how much water is flowing out per minute.

4)Identify 2 different species of plants, trees, and/or wildlife you saw at the location. Email me their common and scientific names. (I know this has nothing to do with a geoscience feature, but it is a good way to learn something new)

5)Optional requirement is to taste the water and tell me if you enjoyed it.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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