“The Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO is currently in public Beta Trial mode,” announced Ted van der Gulik. “The Inter-Governmental Partnership (IGP) anticipates that it will be September when the QA/QC process will be completed and the Beta Trail designation removed. During the interim period, the IGP is posting weekly status reports so that users are kept informed.”
“Rather than think of rain gardens primarily as wet environments, we should design them as dry environments that experience only brief wet periods. This shift in thinking increases opportunities for ornamental planting without sacrificing environmental performance,” writes Kevin Burrell in the October 2008 issue of Stormwater Magazine.
The Cottages at Cultus Lake is a 230 single-family home resort community set on 60-forested acres, a 10-minute walk from the lake.
The City of Langford was an early proponent of rainwater infiltration – in fact, its Subdivision Bylaw calls for 100% on-site rainwater management. The Langford experience serves as a case study application of how to implement Adaptive Management as envisioned in Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia.
2008 Cowichan WBM Forum
In October 2008, the Cowichan Valley forum was delivered to a “by invitation” target audience comprised primarily of developers and consultants.
Representatives of the British Columbia Inter-Governmental Partnership, Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership, and the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority met in Calgary on October 31, 2007 to define the framework for an Inter-Provincial Partnership.
Inspired by the City of Portland experience, Angela Evans developed three bicycle routes with the aid of a local cycling guru so that interested professionals and lay people could see firsthand examples of rainwater management on-the-ground.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District is proceeding with development of a master drainage plan for Busy Place Creek south of the City of Duncan. The plan is serving as a pilot process to inform a water-centric approach to land use planning.
The West Glendover Stormwater Improvement Project in Lexington, Kentucky is an unusal project that resulted from extraordinary cooperation on the part of all parties involved. Locating a rainwater/stormwater project in an arboretum stopped flooding to nearby homes, enhanced the arboretum's collection of plants, and allowed the public to see a large-scale rain garden.
Rain gardens sound exotic, but they are really a low-tech way to help rain soak in where it falls, replenishing water supplies and reducing pollution in waterways. Roof gardens, on the other hand, have the same goals, but are something you should not try at home without the help of experts. Marcus de la fleur has installed both on his property in the City of Elmhurst, a Chicago suburb.
