“In talking about the Climate Change Module in the Water Balance Model, I explained that the team of Chris Jensen, Dr. Charles Rowney and Jim Dumont have taken the complex science of global climate modeling and have incorporated it in a way that we believe makes it easy for engineers, planners and others to understand and apply,” states Ted van der Gulik.
“Asset management usually commences after something is built. The challenge is to think about what asset management entails BEFORE the asset is built. Cost-avoidance is a driver for this ‘new business as usual’. This paradigm-shift starts with land use and watershed-based planning, to determine what services can be provided affordably,” states Glen Brown.
“The RDN and municipalities of Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum Beach and Lantzville are fully committed to implementation of the region’s Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Plan. Recognition of the relationship between land development practices and watershed health is a foundation piece for this provincially significant initiative. Use of the Water Balance Model would help everyone be consistent in implementing green infrastructure practices that are effective in mimicking the natural water balance,” concludes John Finnie.
“Moving to a watershed-focused program will allow the CRD to support the municipalities and electoral areas with new strategies for environmental protection, including an increased focus on dealing with watershed stressors near the source rather than at the infrastructure or receiving environment level,” states Dale Green.
“If a tree on an urban lot is cut down, how big is the net loss on that lot? Or if a tree is planted, how big is the benefit? If a tree overshadows grass on one side and a rooftop on the other, how does it compare to a tree simply spreading over a lawn? The unfortunate situation is that until now, answering these kinds of questions was largely based on what we might call informed guesswork – if they were answered at all,” states Yeganeh Asadian.
“We applied a unique methodology for measuring rain/throughfall under different urban trees using a system of PVC pipes hung beneath the canopy to capture the throughfall where it drained into a rain gauge attached to a data logger,” states Yeganeh Asadian,
“Interception loss plays an important role in controlling the water balance of a watershed, especially where urban development has taken place. The aim of the Urban Forest Research Project was to illustrate the importance of urban trees as a form of ‘green infrastructure’ where they reduce rainwater runoff and rainwater intensity. In addition, trees cause a delay in precipitation reaching the ground,” states Dr. Markus Weiler.
“We are impressed by the innovative and easy-to-install system that Dr. Markus Weiler of UBC and Richard Boase of North Vancouver District have developed for capturing rain that makes it through the tree canopy. The community volunteers are excited to play a part in this project,” stated Paddy Sherman.
“In 2006, a precedent-setting initiative was undertaken to enhance the capabilities of the Water Balance Model. The purpose of the Urban Forest Research Project was to quantify the proportion of rainfall intercepted by the tree canopy in an urban forest.,” stated Dr. Hans Schreier.
“The unique nature of the project equipment led the District to partner with an association that provides practical woodworking and warehousing skills to persons with developmental disabilities to build 60 monitoring stations to capture and measure rainfall that penetrates the tree canopy,” stated Richard Boase.
