“In terms of educational dollars per unit of knowledge, I found the Water Balance Model workshop to be astounding value,” reports Michelle Sorensen. “The graphical results allow me to communicate relevant information about the effectiveness of rainwater capture options.”
“A number of tools, in particular the Water Balance Model, have been created to help municipalities adapt to climate change. The Okanagan Basin Water Board will be hosting a workshop to get these tools in the hands of the people that need them by bringing in the experts to answer questions and provide hands-on training,” announces Anna Warwick Sears
“The evolution of the capabilities of the web-based Water Balance Model has arisen in response to the need to embrace adaptive management in the creation of watershed objectives and to quickly test alternative green infrastructure techniques prior to implementation,” stated Jim Dumont.
“The City of Kelowna assisted with the rollout of the Guidebook and pre-launch of the WBM in Spring 2003 in communities such as Penticton and Prince George. The participation of the City’s Alan Newcombe (Drainage Manager) in our road show added credibility,” recalls Ted van der Gulik. “In 2005, the City of Kelowna (John Vos) was the catalyst for a series of events that broadened the reach of the WBM
“UBC-Okanagan provided the venue for this application of sustainability-on-the-ground. This was an outcome of a meeting with the Inter-Governmental Partnership, at which time we realized that UBC-Okanagan and the IGP shared a common objective in advancing the state-of-the-art for water management in the Okanagan,” stated Bernard Bauer
“It is a way of having some fun at the start of the workshop. It loosens the group up. It gets them thinking about real things, on the ground, so that they can begin to see how use of the Water Balance Model will help them in their day jobs. We have them work in teams,” explained Richard Boase.
“Stormwater management is a priority for the Ministry in the Okanagan because of the water quality and fisheries consequences for Okanagan Lake and tributaries when land is developed for urban purposes. Local governments now have direction so that land-use planning will be integrated with rainwater management strategies,” stated Conrad Pryce.
