Rainwater Management

“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.”

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”.

“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.

“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.

“Achieving sustainable service delivery is the primary objective of asset management,” stated Minister Peter Fassbender. “No longer is asset management only about hard engineered assets such as watermains, sewers and roads. The BC Framework encourages local governments to manage their natural assets in the same way they manage their hard engineered assets. Benefits are long term.”

Puget Sound research correlated land use changes with impacts on streams. Hydrology and riparian integrity are of equal importance. “There are many factors that influence stream degradation. There is not a single smoking gun. Impervious area is the main culprit. But you can trash a stream just as badly by deforestation of the riparian zone as you can by paving over the headwaters with a mall,” says Chris May.

“Members of the Partnership team would have an idea around a research theme. And as often happened, I was the arm that had the energy and willingness to take on the research, apply new science in North Vancouver, and get the work done. There is a lot to be proud of in terms of all that research that we produced in pursuit of making changes to the fabric of our urbanized areas,” stated Richard Boase.

Many factors influence stream degradation. “So many studies manipulate a single variable out of context with the whole and its many additional variables. We, on the other hand, investigated whole systems in place, tying together measures of the landscape, stream habitat, and aquatic life,” stated Richard Horner. “If we get the hydrology right, water quality typically takes care of itself.”

“I really like what Kim Stephens and his British Columbia team did in developing the water balance methodology, and I told him that after he pinch-hit for me in delivering the conference keynote in Chicago in February 2003. That was shortly after the Guidebook was published. Too often we see a cookie-cutter approach when guidebooks and manuals are replicated across the United States,” stated Tom Schueler.

“Metro Vancouver contributed $50,000 towards development of the Water Balance Express because widespread use of this decision tool will help Metro Vancouver and members fulfil our regulatory commitments. The region and members have committed to protecting stream and watershed health,” stated Greg Moore. The Express helps property owners meet pre-set watershed targets for volume, infiltration, and flow.