Rainwater Management

“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.”

“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.

“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.

“Looking at the length of the list of milestones and reflecting on the array of initiatives, it is amazing how much we were able to pack into such a short period of time. A phrase that best describes this era is commitment to collaboration. Senior government, regional government, municipalities. We were all in the room learning together, working together, sharing. It truly was a team approach. We were outcome-oriented. Our mantra was create livable communities and protect stream health,” explained Richard Boase, a principal player for event delivery during the period 2006 through 2011.

“The Water Balance Model and Green Infrastructure partnerships were formed within a year of each other, in 2002 and 2003. The Water Balance Model Partnership came first because this scenario modelling tool was developed as an extension of the Stormwater Guidebook. Our initial successes raised awareness and interest such that the UBCM leadership gave us a platform at their 2003 UBCM convention. This resulted from the advocacy of Gibson Mayor Barry Janyk. Kim Stephens asked Chilliwack’s Dipak Basu to help tell our WBM story,” stated Ted van der Gulik.

Premier Gordon Campbell was a ‘water champion’. His interests encompassed the vision for the Water Sustainability Action Plan and greener communities. “Look long term. Think about what is best for the future. Not for you, but for those who will follow you. Think about how we can create a better environment that others can live in and benefit from. We get to make our own choices. We get to make our own future. We just have to have the vision to imagine, and the tenacity to pursue it. Collaboration is essential. We also have to bring people together,” he stated.

The third installment of the Chronicle of Green Infrastructure Innovation in Metro Vancouver covers the period 1997 through 2005. This sweeping narrative weaves quotable quote to tell the story of what led up to publication of BC’s Stormwater Planning Guidebook in 2002, and the impact of what followed in the wake of publication. “Transformation is often fraught with danger. How does one dance with the tiger? You do it carefully, skillfully, courageously, in tune to the same music, advancing step by natural step,” wrote co-authors Mary Altomare and Brian Nattrass.

In a magazine article titled Stormwater Paradigms, Andy Reese insightfully looked back at why we pursued stormwater management in ways which unknowingly – at the time – foreclosed opportunities for more sustainable, livable communities. Andy Reese traced nine such shifts against the backdrop of social change. “We only reluctantly change our ways and agree with someone else’s paradigm,” observed Andy Reese. The article inspired the BC team of Erik Karlsen, Robert Hicks and Kim Stephens to collaborate with Andy Reese to introduce a tenth paradigm.

“It is the modern science of causation which imposes the probabilistic framework for investigating the causal relationship between the climate and/or land use coverage change. The cause-effect relationship is the only way to put to the forefront the desperate need for an understanding of cumulative effects. And thinking about the headwaters when we are making decisions downstream. Cause-effect. The climate is the cause. The effect is the hydrological response. The land use, land cover changes are the cause…and the hydrological response is the effect,” stated Younes Alila.

The story behind the story is about Younes Alila’s Flood Risk Methodology for flood protection. A complementary methodology is Jim Dumont’s Stream Health Methodology for habitat protection. Together they support holistic thinking. “The Stream Health Methodology starts with the stream and ends with the stream. The cornerstone is the flow duration relationship. Engineers routinely extrapolate way, way beyond the limits of the data and then argue fiercely about which curve fitting technique is most accurate,” stated Jim Dumont.

“A unifying theme in conversations with 13 green infrastructure influencers is that staff champions in local government can only carry things so far. Only when someone who is elected takes the lead, and is the champion, does something happen. In the 2000s, everything was in alignment. The right people were in the right place at the right time. There was energy, there was passion. The regional team approach to municipal collaboration brought all the players together for a shared mission. They learned from each other; they moved forward in tandem,” stated Kim Stephens.

Voodoo Hydrology has been an industry staple ever since Andy Reese published his article. “Urban hydrology is stormwater management’s dirty little secret. It has been estimated that one out of every three design plan submittals has significant errors in hydrology estimates but only one in twenty is caught.” says Andy Reese. “The truth is: urban hydrology—including newer Green Infrastructure sizing approaches and even detailed modeling approaches—as commonly practiced, is an inexact science at best. We can just now make the same mistakes at near light speed! “

When Erik Karlsen brought people together, he would cast a magic spell. When he asked you to get involved in an initiative, of course you said yes! A thought leader and change agent, Erik Karlsen turned networking skills into an art form. He had an unparalleled network of connection with Georgia Basin communities – and most importantly, a high degree of trust with those communities. He has a special place in the history of the Partnership for Water Sustainability. was a mover and a shaker in the public service. His legacy is embodied in the continuing work of the Partnership.