Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable: Learning from the experience of other regions in British Columbia
Note to Reader:
The Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable came about as the successful outcome of a multi-phase watershed strategy (2007-2011) aimed at improving collaboration and problem-solving amongst the many stakeholders in the watershed. The Roundtable was launched in February 2011 at an inaugural meeting of watershed partners and the community.
On June 10, 2017, the Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable convened a Community Meeting at which a proposed Business Proposal was shared with the public for the first time.
Exploring sustainable funding mechanisms for watershed initiatives
The Roundtable’s draft Business Proposal draws on examples of successful implementation and delivery of sustainable funding mechanisms in other watersheds, such as:
- Drinking Water & Watershed Protection (DWWP) program in the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) – funded by a parcel tax.
- Shuswap Watershed Council in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) – funded by a parcel tax.
- Shawnigan Basin Society in the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) -receives funds annually which are earmarked from water utility fees.
“The Roundtable is seeking to secure core funding to cover ongoing costs and to support the leverage of additional funds,” states Melissa Dick, Coordinator. “The Community Roundtable meeting will be an opportunity to hear from experts on successes and challenges in regions across BC.
“We want to hear what Roundtable participants think of our draft Business Proposal and what they see as being feasible in our local Coquitlam River watershed. What works here will not be the same as what works in another watershed.”
A Reliable Source of Funding
“In the Nanaimo region, our parcel tax function provides us with a reliable long-term funding source to enable our work related to water sustainability education/outreach, data-collection/monitoring, and planning/policy development for our region,” states Julie Pisani, Coordinator of the DWWP at the Regional District of Nanaimo.
“This in turn magnetizes other partners and resources, to collaborate on watershed initiatives with us, as we are recognized as an equipped, dependable and long-term player,” continues Pisani.
To Learn More:
A 2016 Progress Update captures highlights of the strategies for action ahead.
Download the Community Roundtable Meeting Agenda.