Ground Water Resources of British Columbia
Chapter 9 — Ground Water Resources of the Basins, Lowlands and Plains
9.1.7 HECATE LOWLAND
by
J. C. Foweraker
Hecate Lowland consists of a strip of low-lying country including both the mainland coast and adjacent islands which extends along the eastern side of the coastal trough southward from Prince Rupert to Sayward (see Chapter 8, Figure 8.4). The eastern boundary of the lowland is arbitrarily taken as a generalized line along the 610 m contour (Holland, 1964). Many of the low areas display numerous well marked lineaments and are occupied by large expanses of muskeg where drainage is poorly established. The lowland has been heavily glaciated and bare bedrock everywhere shows the sculpturing effects of ice erosion (Holland, 1964).
There is little information available on ground water potential except for the Prince Rupert area. Limited ground water supplies for domestic requirements could be expected to be developed in fractured bedrock and in shallow surficial deposits where there is sufficient recharge potential. Saltwater intrusion could be a problem in deeper bedrock wells.
On Digby Island west of Prince Rupert a well drilled to 36 m for the Metlakatia Indian Band yielded less than 4.5 L/min from fractures in the bedrock. Ground water flows were encountered in some permeable shallow surficial deposits above clay. At Diana Lake Provincial Park south of Prudhomme Lake a 34 m deep well has been constructed for the Park and obtained a reported 1.1 L/s from fractures in the bedrock.
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