CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PERIOD FROM 1997 THRU 2005: “The iconic salmon is much like the canary in the coal mine in that the decline of the fish population is an early warning sign of danger to or potential failure of aquatic habit in streams,” stated Robert Hicks, Senior Engineer with the Greater Vancouver Regional District
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story.
The edition published on October 28, 2025 featured the third installment of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver. Part C covers the period 1997 through 2005. It tells the story of what led up to publication of Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia in 2002, and the impact of what followed in the wake of publication.
Ninety-eight pages long, Part C is a sweeping narrative weaves quotable quote to bring to life an era. It is included as an attachment to of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Leaps of faith and calculated risks – convening for action in Metro Vancouver.
Fish Protection Act Changed the Game
“The Fish Protection Act was a response to the Coho salmon crisis. When it was enacted, it established a North American first because it did what nobody else had done…establish a provincial regulation to protect stream corridors in urban areas,” wrote Kim Stephens, author of the Green Infrastructure Chronicle and Executive Director with the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC.
“But it was what we learned through cross-border collaboration with the Puget Sound region that actually changed the game. The University of Washington produced the seminal research that correlated land use changes with impacts on stream system condition.”
Stormwater component of the first LWMP was the vehicle for driving changes in practice
“‘The combination of streamside regulation and Washington State research directly influenced the stormwater component of the region’s first Liquid Waste Management Plan,” states Robert Hicks.
Timeline and Milestones
The TIMELINE presented in Part C of the Chronicle (see below) identifies 21 milestones in the building blocks process for inter-regional collaboration within the Georgia Basin during the years 1997 through 2005.
To Learn More:
Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Leaps of faith and calculated risks – convening for action in Metro Vancouver.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/10/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Leaps-of-Faith-and-Calculated-Risks-Part-C_2025.pdf