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“There are many reasons for changing our approach to rainwater,” states Anna Warwick Sears. “Making simple shifts to what we do around the house can save on irrigation water, and keep our streams and lakes clean and healthy. This saves money and energy for water treatment. It’s funny, but something as ordinary as mulching your yard is a progressive, personal way to make a difference for water in your community. I encourage other regions to adapt this guide and customize it for their areas. We are distributing them to the public at the front counter of building departments, and they are going like hotcakes!”

“Given the huge knowledge bases that the sciences have built up around the hydrology of urban watersheds, it can come as a surprise when we realize how little is known about some of the basics. The urban tree canopy is an example,” stated Dr. Charles Rowney. “Tree canopy interception of rainfall is a technical area where the fundamentals are well understood, but the empirical basis, the availability of actual observations, is still in its infancy. When it comes to the urban canopy, we just don’t have a lot to go on. Considering the importance of urban trees, we’re not sure why this knowledge gap has persisted.”

“Local government plans and policies typically state that land use and infrastructure planning will consider climate change adaptation. Hence, being able to quickly and effectively model how the ‘water balance’ may change over time is a critical input to local government decision processes,” states Chris Jensen. “The Climate Change Module will support two provincial initiatives: Living Water Smart; and Preparing for Climate Change: British Columbia’s Adaptation Strategy.”

“The Primer introduces the issue of the ‘unfunded infrastructure liability’. Viewing the watershed through an asset management lens provides local governments with a driver to require that development practices mimic the Water Balance,” states Craig Wightman.

“Urban trees have popular appeal and are also highly regulated. Most cities have bylaws that protect mature trees from being cut down and dictate how many trees must accompany new development. There is also increasing research and awareness around the role trees play in urban ecosystems and infrastructure,” wrote Wendy Stueck.

“While its primary purpose is to provide province-wide guidelines, Develop with Care 2012 also emphasizes how environmental protection and stewardship can benefit the community, the property owner and the developer, as well as the natural environment,” states Marlene Caskey.

“VIEA collaboration with CAVI created an opportunity for early success in moving forward and the ‘CAVI Forum within the 2011 Summit’ provided a springboard to Island-wide action. Together we can achieve much…just imagine the strength of committed individuals all working towards a common focus,” stated Dave Willie.

“Effective change in the way we develop land and respect water will result from collaboration of business, local government and community. A desired outcome is that local governments will view watersheds through a ‘sustainable service delivery’ lens,” writes Kim Stephens.

“It’s important now that we realize that water policy and eff ective improvement of the way we manage water is not merely a government strategy anymore— it has to be a broader societal commitment which includes the average citizen who has an interest in what’s happening in his or her watershed,” says Bob Sandford.

“In February 2012, we were pleased to draw attention to the great work of the Partnership for Water Sustainability. The Partnership connects water, land and people. It is demonstrating the effectiveness of a top-down and bottom-up approach to leading change in the local government setting,” states Pia Nagpal.