DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Measure streamflow and close a data gap in community planning” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in February 2023
NOTE TO READER:
Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on on February 21, 2023 featured a provincial government initiative to mobilize stewardship groups and community volunteers to collect streamflow data in small creek systems where flow data are sparse to non-existent.
Measure streamflow and close a data gap in community planning
“Understanding the complex interactions of whole-system, water balance processes that lead to water availability in and on the ground, and all the values that depend on it, is critical to effective water resource allocation or management to support land use and community planning that also sustains stream systems,” explained Kim Stephens, Executive Director, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
“The provincial government leads the way at the macro-scale with collection, storage and dissemination of surface and groundwater data for resource management. A federal agreement provides for larger scale data collection on major sources (rivers and lakes). However, there is a gap at the local scale where water-centric land planning depends on having reliable streamflow data.”
“First Nations and stewardship groups have intimate knowledge about local water resources. They are the most invested and most connected to the land base. Involvement of stream stewards in streamflow data collection is a way to educate them about creekshed hydrology, in particular correct data collection and processing techniques.”
“Building stewardship sector capacity to support local and provincial planning and resource management processes would enhance the effectiveness of stream stewards as champions for reconnecting hydrology and ecology in settled areas. It would also fill a gap in small creek systems where flow data are sparse to non-existent.”
Closing the Data Gap: Water Stewards, the Key to the Future
“A provincial government initiative led by Neil Goeller is mobilizing stewardship groups and community volunteers to collect such data. This self-fulfilling prophecy is an idea that was seeded as a workshop module within the Parksville 2019 program, the second in the Watershed Moments Symposia Series on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate. The program also reaches out to First Nations communities.”
“It requires a long-term commitment to build stewardship sector capacity to do flow measurement,” says Neil Goeller. “It is also a word-of-mouth process to expand participation in the initiative. That was the value of the Parksville 2019 Symposium – it raised awareness and encouraged volunteers to get involved. I see this as a slow and steady, organic process to grow the collaboration.”
TO LEARN MORE:
To read the complete story published on February 14th 2023, download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Measure streamflow and close a data gap in community planning.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/02/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_close-data-gap-at-local-scale_2023.pdf