“Water-centric planning means planning with a view to water – whether for a single site or the entire province. At the core of the approach is a water balance way-of-thinking and acting. The underpinning premise is that resource, land use and community design decisions will be made with an eye towards their potential impact on the watershed,” explains Kim Stephens. Read More
Published in March 2002 by the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the “Watershed / Landscape-Based Approach to Community Planning” was developed by an interdisciplinary working group and is the genesis of “water-centric planning”. Read More
“To continue enjoying the quality of drinking water we all want and need, Canadians must understand that it’s a finite resource. A dripping faucet might not seem like a big deal, but it takes a lot of energy for municipalities to clean, treat and deliver water to most Canadian households,” stated Bob Sandford. Read More
“For the past twenty years, the City of Dawson Creek has taken upon itself to better understand and manage its source water supply. Its experience may be of value to other communities – both urban, rural and First Nations – around the province that have yet to prepare a Surface Water Protection Plan,” states Reg Whiten. Read More
“A new report — Water Sensitive Urban Design in the UK — reinterprets the WSUD concept for the UK and its conclusions might best be summed up simply as: for too long, we have been designing water out of our cities when we should have been designing it in,” writes Jonathan Nettler. Read More
“While the B.C. government continues to act on ‘Living Water Smart’ – which is our vision and plan for keeping our water healthy and secure for the future – what the Province does is only part of the solution. Local and regional groups like the Okanagan Water Stewardship Council are stepping up and demonstrating leadership throughout the province,” stated Environment Minister Terry Lake. Read More
“The Provincial Government’s Living Water Smart Plan and the modernization of the BC Water Act provide significant potential to improve water management and protect water resources in British Columbia,” wrote Jack Wong. Read More
“We must continue to invest in protecting and restoring our nation’s streams and rivers as they are vital sources of our drinking water, provide many recreational opportunities, and play a critical role in the economy,” stated Nancy Stoner. Read More
“All the impermeable surfaces in cities create the ideal condition for excess water to overwhelm our already strained municipal stormwater systems. Municipalities, property developers and homeowners must work together to better manage stormwater,” stated Bob Sandford. Read More
“Climate change is not the driver; rather, it is a variable. Furthermore, climate change is only one factor to consider when we talk about sustainable infrastructure. The key is to focus on what you want to do. Because many factors are in play, the objective is to build in resiliency to address risk,” stated Kim Stephens. Read More
“There are two responses to climate change: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation is alleviating the effects of climate change through reducing greenhouse gases. Adaptation is responding to the changes that will inevitably occur. If migation is about CARBON, then adaptation is about WATER,” stated Jim Mattison. Read More
“While there may be general consensus on climate change predictions at the global scale, real discussion of climate change impacts in our own “backyard” – be it a city, a watershed, or a particular project site – is just getting started. In most cases, the emergence of “best practices” – or even “standard practices” – is still on the horizon,” stated Eric Bonham. Read More
A scenario comparison tool to assess green infrastructure effectiveness, achieve a lighter 'water footprint' and protect stream health. Learn More
The Water Conservation Calculator illustrates how specific water conservation measures can yield both fiscal and physical water savings for communities. Learn More
This Landscape Irrigation Scheduling Calculator uses real-time daily evapotranspiration (ET) rates determined from climate stations located within British Columbia. Learn More
This Agricultural Irrigation Scheduling Calculator uses real-time daily evapotranspiration (ET) rates determined from climate stations located within British Columbia. Learn More
