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Rainwater Management

Download British Columbia guidance documents. Learn about the guiding philosophy and tools for implementing ‘sustainable watershed systems, through asset management’. Be inspired by success stories. Understand why it is necessary to manage the complete spectrum of ‘rainfall days’ in a year, preserve or replicate the pathways by which water reaches streams, and so mimic flow-duration distribution. The emphasis herein is on the drainage runoff side of the Water Balance distribution.

Latest Posts

DOWNLOAD: Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia


“Released in 2002, the Guidebook provides a framework for effective rainwater management throughout the province. This tool for local governments presents a methodology for moving from planning to action that focuses on implementing early action where it is most needed,” states Laura Maclean. “The Guidebook approach is designed to eliminate the root cause of negative ecological and property impacts of rainwater runoff by addressing the complete spectrum of rainfall events. The Guidebook approach contrasts with conventional ‘flows-and-pipes’ stormwater management.”

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DOWNLOAD BEYOND THE GUIDEBOOK 2022: “Because local governments need real numbers to deliver outcomes, we landed on a concept which we call the Riparian Deficit. This is a measure of land use intrusion into the streamside protection zone,” stated Tim Pringle, Chair of the Ecological Accounting Process (released June 2022)


“Now that we have landed on the Riparian Deficit concept, we are able to reflect on the two issues which provided context for the journey: first, engineering measures are insufficient for stream and riparian protection; and secondly, the link to municipal asset management has not been clear. To reach the destination, we had to address and show how to overcome four challenges: one, a lack of measurable metrics; two, confusion over what is an asset versus a service; three, ignorance about how to quantify the financial value of natural assets with real numbers; and four, numerous one-off projects that fail to build improved asset management practice,” stated Tim Pringle.

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Water Balance Model – On Tour!


“Have a look at some of the Water Balance Model slideshow presentations that have been made to industry and government groups starting in 2001. This includes some of the early presentations on the Water Balance Methodology that helped pave the way for the paradigm-shift from 'peak flow thinking' to 'volume-based thinking'. The many presentations created awareness and influenced expectations,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “Once per decade, there is an opportunity to look back to see ahead. The streams and trees component of the region’s third Liquid Waste Management Plan is a window of opportunity to reverse past failures and get it right this time,” stated Kim Stephens, Partnership for Water Sustainability


“The stream systems component of the region’s first two LWMPs drove changes in practice through the 2000s. The ecosystem-based approach emerged because of the need to remedy stream channel and corridor erosion and flooding. The unintended consequences and costs of land use practices were unfunded liabilities. Once the Minister of Environment approves an LWMP, it is legally binding. Thus, the LWMP is potentially an effective mechanism for influencing what we do within watersheds. The third LWMP is a window of opportunity to get it right,” stated Kim Stephens.

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “Many of the issues we identified remain as pressing as they were in 2014; there is work ahead to ensure that the systemic issues are fully addressed,” wrote BC Ombudsperson Jay Chalke in his 2022 update report on the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation


Between 2014 and 2022, the BC Ombudsperson published the Striking a Balance series of reports on riparian enforcement. Jay Chalke linked loss of riparian integrity to failure by local governments to employ adequate oversight of stream systems. In the late 2000s, the hollowing out of the environmental agencies meant they withdrew from former oversight and enforcement roles.

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “The needs of BC communities closely align with the other west coast areas that suffer from adverse stream flows rather than the degradation of water quality which is the case on the east coast,” stated Jim Dumont, water balance and engineering applications advisor


“Advances in science led to different paths along the west coast for British Columbia, California, Oregon and Washington. West Coast experience is a counterweight to those who lean to Ontario and northeast USA for their experience. But many in BC do not understand why mimicking flow duration is risk management. It baffles me why it is that way. Risk management is a really big deal,” states Jim Dumont.

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “The productiveness of the dialogues during the years 1997-2005 inspired a lot of professionals to dig deeper and find solutions and learn,” stated Susan Haid, adjunct assistant professor at the University of BC


“The 1990s was a very instrumental time of policy and regulation development. And municipal dialogue too. You felt like you were part of a movement. Those were such fantastic discussions and collegiality between municipalities. There was a really good alignment and call to action on making streamside regulation work. It was a major advancement but a lot of stress as well,” stated Susan Haid.

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “We saw rainwater management as something positive. We could grab onto and run with it. And this helped create champions and build committee support for green infrastructure,” stated Darrell Mussatto, former mayor of North Vancouver City


“Managing our water resources better is one of the most important things that local government elected representatives can champion. There is no political downside. Now is the time to act,” stated Darrell Mussatto, former mayor of North Vancouver City. His time in office (1993-2018) coincides with the timeline for the early adopter and leading by example phases of the Metro region’s green infrastructure journey.

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “Metro Vancouver and member municipalities are encouraged to consider how the degree, type and location of land development affects watershed health,” wrote Environment Minister Terry Lake in his approval letter for the region’s Liquid Waste Management Plan


What went wrong with the stream systems component after Minister of Environment Terry Lake approved the Liquid Waste Management Plan in 2011? Failure to follow through and build on work done up to 2011 to deal with requirements in his ministerial approval is an unintended outcome. Failure to follow through reflected scant understanding of a stream system context.

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “You can bend the hydrology of a watershed over decades just because of the housing redevelopment cycle,” stated Robert Hicks, a career engineer-planner in local government in the Metro Vancouver region


“You can bend the hydrology of a watershed over decades just because of the housing redevelopment cycle. But you get just one chance every 50 years,” stated Robert Hicks. “In the 2000s, Metro Vancouver had the budget to fund work on the Water Balance Methodology and bridge the source control information gap. Use the water balance approach and green infrastructure to bend the hydrograph down.”

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “Storytelling is among the oldest forms of communication,” stated Professor Rives Collins, author of ‘The Power of Story: Teaching Through Storytelling’


We share our world view through our stories and storytelling This is how we pass on our oral history. Storytelling is the way we share intergenerational knowledge, experience and wisdom. “Storytelling is the commonality of all human beings, in all places, in all times,” stated Professor Rives Collins, Northwestern University, author of “The Power of Story: Teaching Through Storytelling”.

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “In the 1990s, there was trouble in paradise. All communities knew they had to do something about it. That was the context for the Georgia Basin Initiative,” stated Joan Sawicki, land and resource management champion, and former provincial cabinet minister


“The 1990s was a very heady time in government in terms of land use planning and natural resource management. There are initiatives and programs flourishing today that had their beginnings in the Georgia Basin Initiative. And isn’t that how turning that supertanker of thinking happens? Just incrementally, then by gosh, we end up going in a whole different direction than we were when we started,” stated Joan Sawicki.

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CHRONICLE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION IN METRO VANCOUVER: “Through sharing and learning, ensure that where we are going is indeed the right way,” stated Jody Watson, Capital Regional District representative on the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative


“The multi-jurisdictional nature of our watersheds requires the collective commitment of local and senior government agencies, First Nations, and communities to improve the health of our watersheds. Utilizing a ‘Design with Nature’ approach, we are changing the way we develop our land by attempting to re-engineer the hydrological function back into our urban landscape,” stated Jody Watson.

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