Waterloo Moraine facts for kids

The Waterloo Moraine is a special natural landform in the Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. It's like a huge pile of sand and gravel left behind by ancient glaciers. This moraine covers big parts of cities like Waterloo and Kitchener.

The Waterloo Moraine is super important because it holds most of the drinking water for the Waterloo Region. About 90% of the water people drink here comes from underground water stored in this moraine. It's the biggest of 14 moraines in the area, covering about 400 square kilometers (154 square miles).

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, some of the underground water in Elmira got dirty. This meant the Region had to close some water wells. Because of this, new rules were made to protect the land and the water.

How the Waterloo Moraine Formed

The Waterloo Moraine was created a very long time ago by huge sheets of ice called glaciers. These glaciers were part of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. They slowly moved across what is now the Waterloo Region. As the ice moved, it picked up giant rocks, sand, gravel, and other bits of earth.

When the climate got warmer, the ice began to melt and disappear. All the material the glaciers carried was left behind. This created the Waterloo Moraine, which is a thick layer of glacial dirt. It can be from 30 meters (98 feet) to over 100 meters (328 feet) thick! Meltwater streams from the melting ice also carried a lot of sand and gravel, adding to the moraine.

This huge pile of glacial material sits on top of older rock layers. These rock layers are made of carbonate, a type of rock that dissolves in water.

Why the Moraine is Important

The Waterloo Moraine provides drinking water for over 300,000 people in the Waterloo Region. About 75% of all the clean water they use comes from this moraine. It's like a giant natural water filter and storage tank.

Even though it's so important, the Waterloo Moraine doesn't have special protection laws from the province. Many people in the community want to see it protected. Some citizens have even used a special law called the Environmental Bill of Rights to ask for a "Waterloo Moraine Protection Act." This led to a long study about how to protect the water in the moraine.

How the Moraine Works: Water Recharge

The moraine has special areas called "recharge areas." This is where rainwater and melted snow soak into the ground. It's how the underground water supply gets refilled. How fast the water soaks in depends on the type of ground.

• Aquifers are layers of sand, gravel, and silt. Water can filter through these layers pretty quickly. Shallow aquifers feed local creeks and streams. Deeper aquifers send water down to refill the main underground water supply.
• Aquitards are protective layers, often made of clay. Water filters through these very slowly. They help protect the main water source from getting dirty.

When left alone, the moraine is a natural way to get fresh drinking water. It's a renewable resource, meaning it can refill itself.

Where Water Recharge Happens

The moraine covers a lot of land in the Waterloo Region. This includes parts of Waterloo, Kitchener, Wellesley, Wilmot, and North Dumfries.

Almost half of all the underground water refilling happens on only 15% of the land in the Grand River watershed. Most of this important recharge area is in the western part of the Waterloo Region. This includes the townships of Wilmot and Wellesley.

Threats to the Moraine's Water

The underground water in the moraine flows from west to east. This means it feeds water wells all across the region. New housing developments in the west could cause problems.

• More Paved Surfaces: New buildings and roads create "impervious surfaces." This means water can't soak into the ground there. Instead, rainwater runs off into sewage systems. This stops the water from refilling the underground supply.
• Less Water, More Pollution: If less water goes into the ground, the amount of water in the wells will decrease. This could make any pollution in the water more concentrated. It would also cost more to clean the water for drinking.
• Road Salt: More traffic from new developments also means more road salt. Road salt is used to melt ice on roads. However, it's a known toxic substance. It can harm fish and pollute creeks and streams. This salt can also soak into the ground and contaminate the drinking water.