Beyond the Guidebook 2010: Road Map for Moving from Awareness to Action in BC to Protect Watershed Health
BC local government is among the most autonomous in Canada, and BC is perhaps the least prescriptive province. Historically, the Province has enabled local government by providing policy and legal tools in response to requests from local government. The future desired by all will be created through alignment of federal, provincial, regional and local policies and actions. Major breakthroughs happen when decision makers in government work with grass-roots visionaries in the community to create desired outcomes. “Everyone needs to agree on expectations and how they will work together, and after that each community can reach its goals in its own way,” stated Eric Bonham.
OKANAGAN RAIN TO RESOURCE WORKSHOP: The Bowker Creek Blueprint demonstrates what can be accomplished through a vision, alignment and collaboration – Jody Watson
“The Bowker Creek Urban Watershed Renewal Initiative, known by the acronym BCI, is a multi-jurisdictional collaborative effort between local government, community groups, post-secondary institutions and private citizens to improve the health of Bowker Creek and its watershed. The BCI has developed a 100-year action plan to restore the Bowker Creek Watershed,” stated Jody Watson.
Inter-departmental integration in the City of Campbell River facilitates ‘green’ development
At the 2009 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Series, Rob Buchan explained how the Development Review Committee is helping to achieve the City’s sustainability vision.
UBCM Annual Convention provides platform for rollout of ‘Beyond the Guidebook 2010’
“We will use this coming together of BC's local leaders to share and learn from each other's experiences, and gain ideas to move our own communities forward. Without action, we cannot move our communities forward. This year’s UBCM Convention will offer an opportunity to take our goals, and forge them into tangible outcomes and continue to build gold medal standard communities,” stated Harry Nyce. Beyond the Guidebook 2010 is about implementing a new culture for urban watershed protection and restoration. It speaks to the convention theme.
OKANAGAN RAIN TO RESOURCE WORKSHOP: Topsoil Technical Primer provides framework for implementation, enforcement and long-term viability of absorbent landscape features – Rémi Dubé
“The Green Infrastructure Partnership published two primers to assist local government staff and designers in developing absorbent landscape regulations and design standards and ensuring their proper implementation. The Technical Primer provides design steps and highlights implementation issues that will help lead to the successful application of an ‘on the ground’ low impact development strategy,” stated Remo Dube.
Rainwater Management in Central Saanich: Surface Water Management Bylaw requires rainwater runoff capture to reduce the ‘hydrologic footprint’
“It was redevelopment of a site with a large paved area that led us to re-think our approach. We said let’s try to do something. This led us to create the Bylaw which now gives us the means to restore the water balance when properties redevelop,” stated Nirmal Bhattacharya.
OKANAGAN RAIN TO RESOURCE WORKSHOP: East Clayton ‘Green’ Development in Surrey established BC precedent for implementation of ‘Low Impact Development’ techniques and facilities
Looking back, application of the water balance methodology to East Clayton can now be seen as the genesis for the Stream Health Methodology that is embedded in the Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO. “With hindsight, the significance of East Clayton is two-fold. It was an early application of performance targets at a neighbourhood scale. Also, and most importantly the analysis combined mass balance and flow duration to test the achievability of performance targets,” stated Jim Dumont.
Rainwater Management in Sooke: District develops BC’s first ‘Liquid Waste Management Plan for Rainwater’
“Because Sooke is a small municipality with limited financial resources, we have had to pare down and make the plans practical in order to be affordable. Again, networking and collaboration are making it possible for us to do this effectively. Rainwater Management Plans provide a framework for the development of on-the-ground solutions for the management of rainwater at a watershed scale,” reported Laura Byrne.
OKANAGAN RAIN TO RESOURCE WORKSHOP: District of North Vancouver experience in applying the Water Balance Model to develop a watershed restoration vision – Richard Boase
“We saw the Water Balance Model as an important tool that would help us to work within our developed community to restore function and value based on the premise that developed land can contribute to watershed restoration. “Using the Mackay Creek Watershed as a case study, we have demonstrated to Council that the importance of hydrologic function associated with lands removed from the stream corridors is not only being overlooked but is contributing to the erosion of stream health,” stated Richard Boase.
Released in 2002, ‘Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia’ has proven to be a catalyst for action
“The Guidebook applied a science-based understanding. The premise underpinning the Guidebook was that land development and watershed protection can be compatible. The basis for this premise was that municipalities exert control over runoff volume through their land development and infrastructure policies, practices and action,” said Peter Law.