Groundwater is the lifeblood of our planet, yet because it remains hidden beneath our feet, its critical role in ecosystems and human survival is frequently overlooked. In a recent episode of the Groundwater Project (GW-Project) interview series, host Everton de Oliveira sat down with a group from KGS Group, Bert Smith, Founding Principal, Jason Mann, Principal – Environment and Bonnie Hoffensetz, Associate Principal & Environmental Department Head, to discuss their legacy of engineering excellence, their work on Winnipeg’s legendary flood protection system, and why they choose to invest in the global democratization of hydrogeological knowledge.

Winnipeg Floodway Expansion: A Masterclass in Groundwater-Conscious Engineering

One of the highlights of the discussion was KGS Group’s work on the Winnipeg Floodway Expansion Project, a massive, multi-year, $560 million infrastructure initiative designed to protect the City of Winnipeg from catastrophic flooding. Stretching over 50 kilometers, the floodway bypasses Winnipeg to redirect the Red River’s high flows safely around the city. 

However, expanding the channel presented severe subsurface challenges. The team had to balance budget efficiency with the protection of a highly sensitive carbonate rock aquifer lying directly beneath the floodway, which is a primary source of water for local domestic and industrial users.

The Decision: Wide over Deep

The most cost-effective engineering approach on paper was to deepen the existing channel. However, KGS Group’s hydrogeological assessment revealed that a deeper channel would compromise the protective clay layer and directly impact the underlying confined carbonate aquifer, along with exacerbating existing long-term groundwater interconnections to the floodway where the original channel construction in the 1960’s had locally interconnected the channel to underlying groundwater resources. To protect local water quality and supply, the decision was made to construct a wider, shallower channel.

Managing Subsurface Construction and Community Trust

To execute this massive project, KGS Group implemented several pioneering strategies:

• 24/7 Emergency Response Line: To address local concerns, the Manitoba Floodway Authority established a round-the-clock emergency line with support from KGS Group. If any local resident noticed a drop in well water pressure or quality during dewatering activities, a response team was on-site within a few hours to assess the situation, to provide backup water if required and to resolve the issue as appropriate. 
• Extensive 2D and 3D Subsurface Modeling: The team modeled 50 kilometers of the regional confined carbonate aquifer and a separate local surficial unconfined glacial sand and gravel aquifer. Modeling simulated how high-pressure floodwaters could infiltrate surface water contaminants and migrate within the bedrock drinking water aquifer and then recover after the flood passed. Sentinel wells were established along the floodway channel at priority locations based on modeling to monitor for potential impacts in the bedrock aquifer.

Out-of-the-Box Engineering: Two Real-World Case Studies

Everton de Oliveira pointed out that textbook hydrogeology often differs from real-world execution. To bridge this gap, Bert Smith shared two ingenious, field-tested engineering solutions designed during the Winnipeg Floodway project:

1. The Reverse Sand Filter System

During floods, the natural groundwater flow gradient reverses – instead of groundwater discharging into the channel at spring sites during non-flood periods, high-pressure surface floodwaters are forced down into the bedrock aquifer as the floodway channel stages with floodwaters. To protect against mud, silt, and pathogens from contaminating the drinking water, KGS Group designed and installed custom reverse sand filters at critical existing spring discharge zones along the channel base. These systems filtered the incoming floodwater before it entered the aquifer, a success verified by specialized monitoring ports placed directly beneath the sand filters. The filters allow for groundwater discharge to the channel to continue in a controlled manner during non-flood stages.

2. The Million-Dollar Cutoff Wall

At the floodway’s outfall structure near Lockport, a massive concrete spillway structure required bedrock foundation excavation and associated deep aquifer dewatering during construction. Pumping the bedrock would have drained local domestic wells and risked long-term contamination impacts from interactions with adjacent river floodwaters.  KGS Group designed a –concrete-bentonite cutoff wall that extended through the highly fractured upper 3 to 4 meters of limestone bedrock aquifer (where the highest groundwater flows occurred) and anchored into the underlying, competent, lower-permeability limestone. This custom, $1 million solution successfully cut-off groundwater inflow to the bedrock construction excavation zone and permanently protected the regional aquifer at the outlet structure without lowering the local water table.  

A separate, bentonite slurry wall was similarly constructed on the bedrock, at a smaller scale, to isolate an overburden sand and gravel aquifer from the floodway channel at Bird’s Hill.

Why KGS Group Sponsors the Groundwater Project

Sponsoring the Groundwater Project is not about a traditional, corporate return on investment (ROI). For KGS Group, it is a deeply personal and professional commitment.

Mentorship and the John Cherry Legacy

Bert Smith’s hydrogeological career began under the mentorship of Dr. John Cherry (co-author of the seminal textbook Freeze & Cherry and leader of the Groundwater Project) at both the University of Manitoba and the University of Waterloo. For KGS Group, supporting the Groundwater Project is a way to honor that legacy of mentorship and pass it on to the next generation of engineers.

A Duty to Educate the Public

Jason Mann highlighted that as licensed geoscientists and engineers, their primary duty is the protection of the public. With climate change, rapid development, and resource extraction (such as mining for critical minerals) putting unprecedented pressure on water resources, public education is crucial. 

“We need to develop resources and build infrastructure, but we must do so without trading one resource for another—without degrading our groundwater to build a project.” — Jason Mann, Principal – Environment, KGS Group

Giving Back to the Global Community

In addition to the GW-Project, KGS Group actively supports Lifewater Canada, a volunteer organization that drills wells and installs clean water and sanitation systems in developing nations like Haiti and countries across Africa. Sponsoring free translated books for hydrogeologists, students, and regulators worldwide aligns perfectly with this humanitarian mission.

Watch the Full Interview

To hear the full story of Winnipeg’s floodway, KGS Group’s thoughts on the future of the hydrogeology industry, and the lessons learned from decades of field experience, watch the complete interview on our YouTube channel.

👉 Watch the full interview on YouTube
👉 Download free hydrogeology textbooks on the Groundwater Project Platform