“Topsoil Primer Set” connects the dots between rainwater management and drought management

March 17, 2010 - Posted in 2010, British Columbia's Green Infrastructure Partnership (2003-2010) - oral history allows communities to look back to see ahead, Uncategorised

 

Topsoil Importance

“An absorbent topsoil layer has emerged as a fundamental building block for achieving water sustainability outcomes through implementation of green infrastructure practices,” states Raymond Fung, Chair of the Green Infrastructure Partnership.

“Topsoil is the interface between rainwater management and drought management. Soil depth creates a sponge…. which can limit runoff during wet-weather periods; and reduce water need during dry-weather periods.”

 

The Primer Set

The ‘Topsoil  Primer Set’ synthesizes the pioneering experience of the City of Courtenay, City of Surrey and District of North Vancouver. To download copies of the two Primers, click on:

• A Law and Policy Primer for Municipal Staff and Designers; and
• Technical Primer for Municipal Staff and Designers.

“If we can show how to get the topsoil part right, then other parts of the water sustainability equation are more likely to follow,” observes Raymond Fung.

 

Water Bucket Stories

A series of stories have been published on the Water Bucket website. These tell the story of the development, launching and application of the Topsoil Primer Set. To learn more, click on the links below:

1. Green Infrastructure Community-of-Interest: To read the First Announcement posted in November 2009 by the Green Infrastructure Partnership, click on Topsoil: Just How Do You Obtain a Performing Topsoil Layer, to Advance Rainwater Management and Water Conservation Goals? —- Green Infrastructure Partnership develops primers to provide municipal staff and designers with a starting point for law, policy and technical decisions
2. Green Infrastructure Community-of-Interest: To read about a preview presentation published in December 2009, click on Topsoil: Just How Do You Obtain a Topsoil Layer, to Advance Rainwater Management and Water Conservation Goals? — Susan Rutherford introduces “Topsoil Law and Policy and Technical Primer Set” at 2009 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series
3. Green Infrastructure Community-of-Interest: To read a story published in February as part of the Bowker Creek Forum preview series of articles, click on Green Infrastructure Partnership launches ‘Topsoil Primer Set’ at Bowker Creek Forum — Just How Do You Obtain a Performing Topsoil Layer, to Advance Rainwater Management and Water Conservation Goals?
4. Green Infrastructure Community-of-Interest: To read a story published in March about the co-presentation by Susan Rutherford and Rémi Dubé at the Bowker Creek Forum, click on Green Infrastructure Partnership launched ‘Topsoil Primer Set’ at Bowker Creek Forum in Victoria, British Columbia — Topsoil connects the dots between rainwater management and drought management
5. Green Infrastructure Community-of-Interest: Further to the above #4, and to read a story that elaborates on what Susan Rutherford talked about, click on British Columbia’s “Topsoil Law & Policy Primer” – Bowker Creek Forum in Victoria was the venue for provincial launch — An example of how to move from green infrastructure policy objective to action on the ground
6. Rainwater Management Community-of-Interest: Further to the above #4, and to read a story that elaborates on what Rémi Dubé talked about, click on British Columbia’s “Topsoil Technical Primer” – Bowker Creek Forum in Victoria was the venue for the provincial launch — An example of how to move from green infrastructure policy objective to action on the ground
7. Rainwater Management Community-of-Interest: Further to the above #4, and to read a story that further elaborates on what Rémi Dubé talked about, click on Performing Topsoil: Morgan Heights in the City of Surrey illustrates a developer’s commitment to “shared responsibility” — British Columbia’s Topsoil Primer Set launched at Bowker Creek Forum in February 2010
8. Rainwater Management Community-of-Interest: To read a story that elaborates on the link between single family backyards and stream health, click on Capturing Rain Where It Falls: Water Balance Model and Topsoil Primer Set are complementary tools — Green Infrastructure Partnership provides law, policy and technical guidance for municipal staff and designers
9. Green Infrastructure Community-of-Interest: To read a story that provides examples of how awareness is being raised about the Topsoil Primer Set, click on Just How Do You Obtain a Performing Topsoil Layer, to Advance Rainwater Management and Water Conservation Goals? — To assist local governments, CivicInfoBC website adds link to the “Topsoil Primer Set” on its Toolkits & Microsites page

 

 

Posted March 2010