Capturing Rain Where It Falls: Water Balance Model and Topsoil Primer Set are complementary tools
Why Capture Rain Where It Falls
Conserving the existing, improving or adding ‘topsoil’ to a site is one means of achieving on-site source control of rainwater. Furthermore, a ‘performing topsoil’ has many benefits. In addition to limiting runoff during wet-weather periods, a ‘performing topsoil’ reduces water need during dry-weather periods.
Primarily for these reasons, an absorbent topsoil layer has emerged as a fundamental building block for achieving water sustainability outcomes through implementation of green infrastructure practices.
To Learn More:
Developed by the Green Infrastructure Partnership, the ‘Topsoil Primer Set’ synthesizes the pioneering experience of the City of Surrey, City of Courtenay and District of North Vancouver.
Restore the Urban Landscape
The Topsoil Primer Set resulted from a collaboration of the Green Infrastructure Partnership and the Inter-Governmental Partnership. The latter developed and maintains the Water Balance Model for British Columbia.
“The Topsoil Primer Set and Water Balance Model are complementary tools,” states Richard Boase, IGP Co-Chair. In his day-job, he is the Environmental Protection Officer with the District of North Vancouver.
“The Water Balance Model is a scenario comparison tool. It allows the user to evaluate options for capturing rain where it falls. An absorbent landscape is one of the best ways to accomplish this objective.”
“Once a community has made the decision to protect or restore an absorbent landscape, the Topsoil Primer Set provides guidance on how to make this happen.”
Vision for North Vancouver
The District of North Vancouver has a bold vision to systematically retrofit individual properties as they come up for redevelopment. The catalyst for pending action is the current incremental impact of property redevelopment on stream health.
“The message for local governments is clear: single family properties hold an important key to unlocking benefits to watershed health; we have to do a better job of educating residents about the link between their back yards and stream health; and we need to work directly with homeowners if we are to restore the rainfall capture capacity of the urban landscape,” states Richard Boase.
To learn more: