Access a selection of British Columbia documents that provide communities and land use professionals with guidance for implementing watershed-based planning, rainwater management, green infrastructure, and water sustainability.
Released in 1998, this foundation document marks the shift from a WHY change to HOW to change mind-set. Recognized local government leadership. Provided a framework to guide and encourage efficient and cost-effective water use throughout the province
Released in 2002, formalized the Water Balance Methodology; catalyst for action to establish performance targets for watershed protection and restoration; Guidebook premise is that land development and watershed protection can be compatible
Released in 2004, encouraged province-wide implementation of fully integrated water sustainability policies, plans and programs through a ‘top-down & bottom-up’ approach to collaboration
Released in 2008, constituted a call to action on the part of local governments; established expectations and targets that influence the form and function of the built environment, so that stream and watershed health are protected and/or restored
A focus on the Built Environment provides an opportunity to look at environmental protection from perspective of land use, and get out in front of issues. Promotes ways to retain and create environmental function and resilience as communities grow
Released in 2014, recognizes the diversity of BC communities and local governments. Focuses on desired outcomes rather than prescribing specific methodologies. Allows an approach tailored to needs and capacity. The term Sustainable Service Delivery integrates financial accountability, infrastructure sustainability and service delivery
Provides a broad-brush picture of what is in the Guidebook, with an emphasis on core concepts; and is written for expert and non-expert audiences. Supports the curriculum for peer-based education
Initiated paradigm-shift for defining water sustainability as an outcome of green infrastructure policies and practices
Provides guidance for aligning local actions with provincial and regional goals to ‘design with nature’
Showcases how inter-regional collaboration in the Georgia Basin will create a legacy by restoring water balance integrity
Released in 2011. Builds on experience to synthesize guiding principles for an integrated and watershed-based approach to rainwater management
Released in 2011. Provides an understanding of how a science-based approach has evolved since mid-1990s to achieve stream and watershed health protection through adaptive management
Released in 2011. Provides guidance in three areas: setting performance targets, defining levels-of-service, and application of screening / scenario tools to make effective decisions
Released in 2012. Supports implementation of Living Water Smart principles in the local government setting to protect the Water Balance
Released in 2013. This ‘bridging document’ illustrates how to seamlessly integrate legal and administrative parts of the Land Development Process through the designing with nature and rainwater management lenses
Released in 2014. Provides guidance on how to apply a logical and straightforward way to assess impacts and establish performance targets that link site, watershed, stream and aquifer, namely: storage volume, infiltration area and flow release rate
Released in 2016.Explains the science that underpins approach to Sustainable Watershed Systems. Helps audience asks right questions to implement practices that restore the hydrologic integrity of watersheds.
Released in 2019. Methodology looks through a social lens to establish metrics for what the community think its ecological assets and services are worth
Released in 2018. Showcases three demonstration applications of the Water Balance Methodology that illustrate how to apply science-based understanding and downscale watershed-based performance targets to the site scale
Released in 2008. Provides practical advice and ideas for green communities in making land use decisions
Released in 2008. Shares tools and collective wisdom gained as a result of implementation experiences
Released in 2009. Offers suggestions for making municipal infrastructure more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable
Released in 2009. Analysis and practical guidance regarding how local governments may use available legal tools to build more sustainable communities
Released in 2011. Helps local governments make strategic choices about using DPA authority effectively. Intended primarily for planning staff
Released in 2012. Identifies the tools that local governments can use to implement climate change adaptation strategies. Provides concrete examples. Draws on growing local experience
Released in 2009. 19 recommendations of the advisory Reference Panel are reflected in the strategies and actions that constitute the regulatory document. It is reader-friendly, and is complete with on-the-ground examples
Released in 2010.Provides framework for moving beyond regulatory compliance to achieve the Sustainable Region Vision. The strategies and actions in the plan reflect and/or incorporate the Reference Panel recommendations
Released in 2010. Documents how ‘green’ rainwater management has been adopted across North America
16 recommendations from 2010 Kelowna Workshop are organized under five categories
Released in 2007. Guidance on how local governments and developers can safeguard the environment
Released in 2009. Helps local governments protect quality and quantity of groundwater within their geographic and legislative jurisdictions
Presents basic principles of topsoil science and management, and provides sample policy and bylaw language. Evolved from two primers developed by Green Infrastructure Partnership
Released by the Okanagan Basin Water Board in 2011. This shows homeowners how they can easily capture and re-use the water that falls on their property
Released by Regional District of Nanaimo in 2012. Provides pragmatic how-to guidance for design, installation and maintenance of residential rainwater harvesting systems to suit West Coast conditions
Go-to source on how flow duration requirements (for mimicking Water Balance) are being implemented in California, effective 2015
A searchable, online database of research articles, stormwater and watershed manuals and plans, assessment tools, regulatory information, and other watershed-related resources