Karst

Karst formations are found in areas along the Niagara Escarpment, including the Bruce Peninsula, the Guelph/Rockwood/Elora area of Wellington County and in portions of eastern Ontario.

Karst formations, in which there are undetected sinkholes, trenches and caverns, are dangerous. There is no one formula for defining a hazardous area associated with karst formations. Defining the “area of provincial interest” is a site-specific process. The size, extent and severity of the hazards depend on local conditions.

· as significant recharge zones for municipal supply aquifers (e.g., the City of Guelph, whose drinking water supply is wholly groundwater, is known to be a direct recipient of significant recharge through the areas karst formations).

The addition of water to ground water by natural or artificial processes.

The infiltration and movement of surface water into the soil, past the vegetation root zone, to the zone of saturation or water table.

Layer of rock or soil that holds or transmits water.

The water below the surface, and typically below the groundwater table.