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“In the absence of a regulatory requirement, the process to adopt, change or evolve accepted practices is painfully slow. Reinvigoration of the provincial oversight function is essential to help local governments be effective in moving B.C. towards restorative land development,” wrote Kim Stephens. “The good news is that – starting with ‘Living Water Smart, B.C.’s Water Plan’ in 2008 – a provincial policy, program and regulatory framework is in place to achieve this desired outcome.”

Flood, drought, fire, wind and cold – extreme events are the New Normal. British Columbia is at a tipping point. When will communities adapt, and how? “Hydrology is the engine that powers ecological services. Thus, integration of the Partnership’s work within the BC Framework should accelerate implementation of the whole-system, water balance approach at the heart of the Partnership’s ‘Sustainable Watershed Systems, through Asset Management’ program,” stated Peter Law.

“The BC Framework sets a strategic direction that refocuses business processes on outcomes that reduce life-cycle costs and risks. The program goals for the Georgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative (IREI) are aligned with this strategic direction,” stated the Hon. Peter Fassbender when he announced (in March 2017) funding for the IREI program through 2018. The vision for implementation of a whole-system, water balance approach is to protect and/or restore stream health

“At the dawn of 2017, the purpose of this article was two-fold: take stock of our progress in 2016 to inform and educate; and foreshadow where we may be at year-end,” stated Kim Stephens. “Early uptake of the vision for Sustainable Watershed Systems has exceeded our expectations. There is clearly interest and an appetite to learn more. It is an idea whose time has come. The desired outcome that would flow from Sustainable Watershed Systems is a water-resilient future.”

“In his article, Kim Stephens draws parallels between made-in-BC solutions and those ‘Down Under’, noting cultural differences but the common need to adapt,” explained Julie Schooling, issue editor. He introduced Australians to three ‘big ideas’ that underpin where we are heading in BC, namely: Primacy of Hydrology, Shifting Baseline Syndrome, and Cathedral Thinking. The three are interconnected. The outcome would be Sustainable Watershed Systems.

“Work needs to be done today to ensure we see a secure water future. Benefits are long-term,” wrote Kim Stephens. “Successful programs that are politically supported would ensure we restore the water balance and have sustainable watershed systems. This approach has the potential to re-set the ecological baseline along the east coast of Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland. Success would be abundant salmon in urban streams.”

“Communities would benefit from shifting their definitions of community infrastructure to include entire watersheds. Including the components and pathways of a watershed system among infrastructure assets, and both managing them as integrated systems to maintain the natural water balance within communities and protecting them, would help communities avoid incurring expensive fixes and unfunded liability,” wrote Brian Bedford.

“A key message in the Primer is the necessity of ‘staying true to the science’ IF communities are to achieve a vision for sustainable watershed systems,” wrote Kim Stephens. “Achieving sustainable watershed systems through asset management will require long-term commitment by communities, successive municipal councils and regional boards, and generations of land and water professionals.”