Groundwater Research
Community-Based Groundwater Protection and Monitoring.
About CERRI's Groundwater Project
The Chisasibi Groundwater Project is a collaborative effort between the Cree Nation of Chisasibi, UQAT, and regional partners to better understand and protect natural springs and groundwater systems across Eeyou Istchee. The project studies groundwater flow, aquifers, and water quality within the Chisasibi territory to support long-term water security.
Building on the Eastmain Groundwater Project under PACES, this initiative expands hydrogeological research northward, addressing a major knowledge gap in a region affected by hydroelectric development and increasing reliance on groundwater for drinking water. By improving our understanding of local aquifers, the project supports informed water management and strengthens community resilience in the face of environmental change.
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Using advanced tools—such as GIS mapping, ground-penetrating radar, YSI probes, and Guelph permeameters—the team identifies groundwater sources and analyzes their characteristics and potential contaminants. These findings help show how aquifers respond to factors like snowmelt and climate variation.
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Community involvement is central to the project. Cree youth and local technicians take part in fieldwork, sampling, and digital mapping, gaining hands-on skills in groundwater science and helping build long-term local expertise.
By bringing together traditional Cree knowledge and modern hydrogeology, the Chisasibi Groundwater Project offers a holistic understanding of land and water. Its results will guide land-use planning, groundwater protection, and community decision-making to safeguard clean water for future generations.
Project Structure
Phase 1:
Phase 1 of the Chisasibi Groundwater Project has been successfully completed. During this stage, existing data on groundwater, geology, and water quality were collected and organized into a comprehensive georeferenced database. Preliminary hydrogeological maps were produced, laying the groundwork for identifying potential aquifers and supporting sustainable water management in the community.
Phase 2:
Phase 2 Adaptation and application of the approaches developed within the framework of the Eastmain project for the protection of aquifers and groundwater dependent ecosystems in the territory of Chisasibi and Eastmain;
Phase 3:
Phase 2 Development of numerical simulations for evaluating the inertia of the Eastmain and Chisasibi aquifers in the context of climate change (2021-2051 horizon)
The work of step 1 of the project concerns the collection of pre-existing data and the creation of an exhaustive georeferenced hydrogeological database over the entire territory of the community of Chisasibi. Activities associated with step 2 of the project will focus on the application of approaches targeting the protection of aquifers as part of land use planning. The activities associated with step 3 concern the development of quantitative approaches based on geographic information systems (GIS) and numerical modeling for evaluating the sensitivity of the territory's aquifers to climate instabilities. The work will be done to promote knowledge transfer between the community of Eastmain, the community of Chisasibi, the MELCC and UQAT. Table 1 provides a summary of the activities and deliverables associated with each step of the project. In addition, Table 2 presents a summary of the timelines for each activity.