“We are working to better match rainwater and stormwater management to the development context through the integration of rainwater into all planning scales, from the region to the building,” states Paul Crabtree.
“More than a decade into the 21st century, the idea of collaborative watershed management has come of age, and watershed groups across the province are eager to participate. It is all about learning to think like a watershed. That is our vision,” emphasizes Oliver Brandes.
“Outcome-oriented planning is a problem-solving PROCESS. It is not a procedure. It is not a matter of applying a regulation or a checklist. Participants have to be committed to the outcome. Going through a process becomes talent development. Participants have to be committed to the outcome,” stated Tim Pringle.
“Experience gained in East Clayton and South Newton was then applied in Fergus Creek. The Beyond the Guidebook methodology was formalized as the Stream Health Methodology, and subsequently incorporated in the Water Balance Model when it was integrated with the QUALHYMO engine. The Stream Health Methodology is a function of flow duration, and hence stream erosion,” explains Jim Dumont.
“Perhaps, if we make enough estimates of enough factors, the errors in estimation, high and low, will average out to the right answer. This is where voodoo really comes in handy. The good news is that, as Dr. Debo says, ‘Who can prove you are wrong?’ Well, the Omniscient Being can, but is probably busy elsewhere,” writes Andy Reese.
“Watershed and drainage models are not a ‘one size fits all’ item. These tools each have pluses and minuses, and tend to reflect the regulatory and physical context for which they were first developed. So the challenge we face is to find modeling technologies that are right for our needs, the solutions we prefer, and the processes we have developed,” states Dr. Charles Rowney.
“The volume-based approach that is being implemented in British Columbia picks up the baton that Dr. Ray Linsley started more than a generation ago. As a professor at StanfordUniversity, Linsley pioneered the development of continuous hydrologic simulation as the foundation for water balance management,” writes Tom Debo. “Linsley fought a difficult war to replace the established procedures that had been used for many years, and that continue to be used in most urban hydrologic analyses throughout North America and in other locations around the world.”
“While considerable research has been undertaken in forest stands in the natural environment, very little has been done in an urban setting anywhere in North America”, stated Dr. Markus Weiler.
“Local governments need to understand how the rainfall volume and distribution might be impacted over time by a changing climate. Then they will be in a position to implement an appropriate adaptation strategy for maintaining a ‘water balance’ that will be effective in protecting stream health,” stated Ted van der Gulik.
“Erosion is a key factor in water resources management. A principal result of increased volumes and rates of flow associated with urbanization is the consequent increase in stream erosion,” states states Jim Dumont
