A Regional Initiative for the Efficient Transfer of Groundwater Knowledge Between Experts and Stakeholders

Recent hydrogeological mapping throughout the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region in Quebec, Canada, has yielded a very comprehensive geodatabase (GDB) on groundwater and aquifer systems, designed to fulfil the requirements of groundwater management at the regional level. The high density of observed hydrogeological data points also makes the GDB useful for many local or sub-regional applications. Recently acquired data from continuing geotechnical or groundwater-related activities must be integrated into the GDB in order to maintain its relevance for a variety of problems concerning groundwater quality, its management and its protection. When it is consistently updated, such a hydrogeological (HG) GDB also stands as a critical and constantly evolving link between the scientific community, government agencies, regional and municipal authorities, and ultimately the population who draw upon the groundwater resource. The HG-GDB represents a central hub of effective collaboration between scientists and data users, and the intent is that it may lead to more appropriate decision-making when faced with different issues and/or when taking actions that may include applied groundwater research projects. Groundwater data transfer becomes an information exchange process, an essential tool facilitating the sustainable management of groundwater resources.