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While the Maritimes experienced a lengthy drought this year, Sable Island had no such problem.
This is due to the fact that the island, located 290 kilometers southeast of Halifax, has large underground reserves of fresh water.
“Iimagine a giant inverted dome of fresh water floating above the denser salt water of the ocean,” said Audrey Levesque, visitor experience coordinator for Parks Canada on Sable Island. Information morning This week.
“The sand underneath the island is completely permeable and acts like a massive sponge.”
Levesque says the island regularly receives a little more rain and snow than the Halifax area, and the water goes underground almost instantly, so there are no streams on the island.
Over time, this fresh water forms a thick layer of groundwater that can be up to 30 meters deep, and some studies suggest it may be deeper.
“You have to imagine this soft, rounded amount of water underneath the island, highest in the middle and gradually thinning towards the beaches,” Levesque said.
Levesque said this is not unique to Sable Island. This occurs on many islands and coastal areas where large amounts of water are trapped in wet sand.
This phenomenon means that wildlife on Sable Island have access to 21 permanent ponds and water available year-round.
But according to Levesque, the island's famous horses have also begun digging for water.
“In places where pond water is not available, wells are dug in the sand,” she says.
For the few people who are on the island, there is a well that supplies them with their own fresh water. According to Levesque, this water supply is better than the water consumed by mainland residents.
“You don’t bring water, we will provide it,” she said. “And it will taste much better.”
While the rest of Nova Scotia struggled with crop failure and drying out, Sable Island did not have this problem despite a dry spring.
“WWe had normal rainfall,” Levesque said. “We checked the water level in the well. We kept an eye on him, but he never reached the threshold of concern.”
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