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LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “We have raised expectations that communities can do a better job of managing land and water. But what happens if knowledge, experience and the lessons we are learning are not passed on or are lost?" - a question posed in 2007 by Jay Bradley, Chair of the Vancouver Island Coordinating Team
This edition brings to a close the current season (January through June 2023) of the Waterbucket eNews weekly newsletter series. We celebrate the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. During the past 5-month period, the Partnership for Water Sustainability ...
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “It is obvious that the rural constituencies want to have a voice. And one of the ways we may end up doing that is by creating a Rural Mayors, Chairs and Chiefs Caucus. That is one aspect of what the conversation will be about," stated Barry Janyk, Executive Director of the BC Rural Centre
“There is NO organization out there that is actually undertaking the work that the BC Rural Centre is doing. None. What organization serves only local governments, community leaders and First Nations? We see the role being created. And it has to be inclusive of everybody that considers themselves ...
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “The Official Community Plan is part of our journey. It is a picture of the future. We used the branding of a compass because we are using this idea to chart our change and course correct," stated Nancy Gothard, Manager of Community and Sustainability Planning with the City of Courtenay
“The City’s Official Community Plan is something that I have poured my life into over the past two years. It is very progressive. We intend to apply for an award for it. Climate, reconciliation, equity, and community wellbeing are the cardinal directions of it. Running through that, naturally, is ...
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “We are trying to envision a program where we acknowledge that we are part of fish habitat. We are part of the water cycle. This allows us to really look at our place on the water pollution file," stated Dr. Peter Ross of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation
“Right now, I find myself trying to simplify the pollution file because the world has become so complicated. We have a staggering half million chemicals on the high-volume production marketplace. When I as a scientist who has been practicing for decades try to understand what the consequences are for ...
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “In the integrating matrix, I set out to capture three ‘states of play’ as row headings: naturally functioning, degraded through lack of awareness, and going forward with science-based understanding,' stated the late Erik Karlsen (1945-2020) when he presented a path forward to tackle the Riparian Deficit
Circa 2000, legendary civil servant Erik Karlsen had the lead role in developing the language that operationalized British Columbia's Streamside Protection Regulation. In 2015, his last contribution before his health declined and he passed was creation of a matrix to explain how to integrate two foundational concepts that provide ...
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: Peter Law has put his time and energy into Shelly Creek, as do many other stream stewards in their watersheds around BC, such that Shelly Creek has become a "living laboratory" for the local Parksville community to enjoy.
Peter Law's experience informs his science-based approach to developing solutions. “The folks responsible for land development need to understand the risks and consequences associated with loss of riparian integrity. So protect it! Do what Parksville did with the enhanced riparian area for Shelly Creek Park. Look beyond the ...
BC's PATH TO FOOD SECURITY IS THRU WATER SECURITY: “When we think of all the changes in thinking that we have gone through in the last 50 years, the Land Commission Act really is a testament to the incredible foresight demonstrated in 1973," stated Joan Sawicki, former MLA
"At a time when most other jurisdictions continue to lose their food lands, BC’s ALR remains the most successful agricultural land preservation program in North America. With food security now becoming a top-of-mind public issue, thanks to the foresight demonstrated in 1973 we still have “the land” – and ...
LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “We have raised expectations that communities can do a better job of managing land and water. But what happens if knowledge, experience and the lessons we are learning are not passed on or are lost?" - a question posed in 2007 by Jay Bradley, Chair of the Vancouver Island Coordinating Team
This edition brings to a close the current season (January through June 2023) of the Waterbucket eNews weekly newsletter series. We celebrate the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. During the past 5-month period, the Partnership for Water Sustainability ...
EXPERIMENT IN COLLABORATION: Comox Valley was an early adopter when the region embraced the vision for Sustainable Service Delivery for infrastructure asset management
“Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery is much more than just about the physical infrastructure. It is more than just about setting some money aside for infrastructure replacement. It must be a comprehensive and integrated approach that links the past, present and future.," stated Geoff Garbutt, City of ...
HEALTHY WATERS PROGRAM FOR SALMON, WHALES, AND PEOPLE: “I think what is happening now is that we have lost touch with our watersheds," stated Dr. Peter Ross of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation
“For Healthy Waters, we basically said, we would like to set up a community-oriented water pollution monitoring program for salmon, whales and people. Every conversation that I am having with watershed folks revolves around people wanting to know more so that they are empowered to do more. There is ...
Erik Karlsen and the Streamside Protection Regulation
With release of the Water Sustainability Action Plan in 2004, a "design with nature" philosophy became an integral part of the branding for green infrastructure, rainwater management and water sustainability in BC. In 2015, the legendary Erik Karlsen created a matrix to explain how to integrate two ...
BC's PATH TO FOOD SECURITY IS THRU WATER SECURITY: “When we think of all the changes in thinking that we have gone through in the last 50 years, the Land Commission Act really is a testament to the incredible foresight demonstrated in 1973," stated Joan Sawicki, former MLA
"At a time when most other jurisdictions continue to lose their food lands, BC’s ALR remains the most successful agricultural land preservation program in North America. With food security now becoming a top-of-mind public issue, thanks to the foresight demonstrated in 1973 we still have “the land” – and ...
Local governments invest in youth at Vancouver Island University as part of 3-year transition strategy to embed EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process
“There are lots of partnerships that exist for selfish reasons. But the EAP Partnership is selfless; and from all angles. It is a leap of faith for member local governments. Partnership for Water Sustainability commitment to passing the baton is unwavering. Vancouver Island University is all-in because EAP is ...
EDUCATIONAL PROCESS BRIDGES GAP IN UNDERSTANDING IN ENGINEERING COMMUNITY: “The result is an approach where assumptions and simplifications are understood by both parties and where there is mutual agreement as to their applicability to development site characteristics and the rainwater management objectives," stated Shelley Ashfield, Director of Operations with the Town of Comox
Comox is a beacon of inspiration for the Town's water balance approach to land development. Their experience illustrates what it takes to successfully move the land development industry and engineering profession in a new direction. “Opening minds to accept changes in practice is challenging, especially when there is ...
ASSET MANAGEMENT BC NEWSLETTER (January 2011):"Actions and targets in Living Water Smart encourage ‘green choices’ that will foster a holistic approach to infrastructure asset management. Protection of a community’s natural resources is emerging as an important piece in Sustainable Service Delivery," foreshadowed Glen Brown
Glen Brown is the visionary and thought leader who coined the term "sustainable service delivery". This way of viewing the local government sphere of responsibility changes everything about how local governments do business in an era of rapid change. "Level-of-Service is the integrator for everything that local governments do. ...
ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DRAINAGE SERVICE DELIVERY: “Township staff are working on a long-term Ecological Services Initiative program. The Ecological Accounting Process analysis will be used to establish the baseline funding for payment to farmers,” stated Melisa Gunn, Agricultural Planner with the Township of Langley
"To move the Ecological Services Initiative project forward, the Township of Langley was looking for a process that used real numbers to understand how to develop fair and equitable payments to farmers to enhance areas on their properties. Through the EAP work, the concept of ‘Riparian Deficit’ in the ...
ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DRAINAGE SERVICE DELIVERY: “Nature appears more fragmented because we have to slice it into categories and dice those categories into bits before we can value bits of those bits,” stated John Henneberry (1952-2021) Professor of Property Development Studies, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
John Henneberry's pioneering work serves as validation of how EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, looks at streams and water assets as a system. His eclecticism produced real insights into the operation of land and property markets, enabling all involved to see things more clearly and differently. “An industry has ...
ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DRAINAGE SERVICE DELIVERY: “The BC Framework points the way to integration of natural systems and climate change thinking into asset management," stated stated Liam Edwards, a former Executive Director with BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs, in 2015
‘Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery: A BC Framework’ makes the link between local government services, the infrastructure that supports the delivery of those services, and watershed health. The BC Framework provides context for EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process. “By accounting for and integrating the services that nature provides, ...
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 ...
BEYOND THE GUIDEBOOK 2022 / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: If we know how to do a much better job of protecting ecological features and stream systems in our communities and on our landscape, then why aren’t we doing a better job? Why are streams still degrading?
The process is in motion to operationalize a transition strategy over a 3-year period and initially embed the Ecological Accounting Process (EAP) program in the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute (MABRRI). “We believe that incorporating students from Vancouver Island University and other universities will support understanding and experience ...
BEYOND THE GUIDEBOOK 2022 / PART A: "John Henneberry's pioneering work in the United Kingdom serves as validation of how EAP looks at streams and water assets as a system," stated Tim Pringle, Chair of the Ecological Accounting Process initiative, a BC strategy for community investment in stream systems
John Henneberry was a source of inspiration to Tim Pringle during the early years of the Ecological Accounting Process program. John’s pioneering work in the United Kingdom validated the whole-system philosophy that guides use of EAP. His interests lay at the interface between planning and property; and focused on ...
RURAL CONSITUENCIES WANT A VOICE: “Zoom towns made possible by high-speed internet in rural communities have allowed vast numbers of people to vacate their city condo for a family home in a rural setting," stated Barry Janyk, Executive Director of the BC Rural Centre
"For the past decade rural communities had been devising clever population attraction strategies and finding occasional success in achieving incremental growth. Coincidental with the expansion of broadband communications, the global COVID pandemic and the predicted demographic upheaval, living in urban areas became less attractive. Many folks who had ...
DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Healthy Waters Program for salmon, whales, and people” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in May 2023
"The new Healthy Waters program will support sampling and analysis for a variety of contaminants of concern at up to 12 flagship BC watersheds. We will engage, share and train Indigenous community members, conservation teams and local authorities, thereby leveraging capacity in support of water quality monitoring and stewardship. ...
DOWNLOAD A COPY OF: “Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Looking at green roofs through a water balance lens” – released by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in April 2023
Given how our climate is changing - with longer, drier summers being BC's new reality - communities must adapt to a changing seasonal water balance. Harvy Takhar's connected blue-green roof (BGR) may well prove to be an important piece in a long-term strategy for water balance management. "BGR systems ...
RIPARIAN AREA REGULATION IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: With development of EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, the Partnership for Water Sustainability honours the memory and legacy of the late Erik Karlsen who did so much for streamside protection in British Columbia
The 2014 investigation and Striking a Balance report by the BC Ombudsperson identified “significant gaps between the process the provincial government had established when the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation was enacted and the level of oversight that was actually in place.” Erik Karlsen was concerned about the Ombudsperson's findings. ...
THE MISSION IS TO DEVELOP NEXT GENERATIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFFS: “The partnership between local governments and the MABRRI research institute at Vancouver Island University is the pilot for upscaling EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process," stated Murray Walters, Manager of Water Services, Regional District of Nanaimo
A theme dominating the news these days is the shortage of skilled, trained or qualified people. The EAP Partnership is part of the solution in the local government setting. Investing in people takes patience, commitment and time. There is no shortcut to build in-house capacity. The partners have ...
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS INVEST IN YOUTH AT VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY: “Partnerships with local governments and others are essential. They allow students to work on collaborative projects. Everyone benefits," stated Graham Sakaki, Manager, Mount Arrowsmith Regional Research Institute
“There are lots of partnerships that exist for selfish reasons. But the EAP Partnership is selfless; and from all angles. It is a leap of faith for member local governments. Partnership for Water Sustainability commitment to passing the baton is unwavering. Vancouver Island University is all-in because EAP is ...
ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY: "Projects have a beginning, a middle, and an end. But the asset management parade never ends – it is cyclic," stated Bill Sims (Winter 2023 issue of Asset Management BC Newsletter)
"A key consideration is intergenerational equity. This is finding the right balance between spreading the cost of services over citizens who benefit now and in the future without burdening future generations with the inability to sustain services. It is a core responsibility of a Council – enshrined in BC’s ...
ROAD MAP FOR STREAM SYSTEM INTEGRITY: The enduring legacy of Richard Horner and Chris May is that they applied systems thinking, investigated whole systems in place, identified four limiting factors, and definitively established their order-of-priority
In the 1990s, Puget Sound research correlated land use changes with impacts on stream system condition. “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, ...
CHALLENGES OF USING A PROFESSIONAL RELIANCE MODEL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: "The requirement that local governments have an Asset Management Plan addresses the disconnect between land use oversight and direct responsibility for maintenance and management of stream corridor condition," stated Tim Pringle, Chair of the Ecological Accounting Process (EAP) program
“Why do we still see policies and practices that compromise the integrity of stream corridor systems and impose a downstream financial liability upon communities? How do we change that? The 2014 investigation and Striking a Balance report by the BC Ombudsperson identified significant gaps between the process the provincial ...
ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY: "Asset management is not new. What is new are the accounting standards around asset management and the attention being paid to a long-term financial strategy to support it," wrote Khalie Genereaux, Deputy Director of Finance with the City of Terrace (Winter 2023 issue of Asset Management BC Newsletter)
"The Public Service Accounting Board. PSAB 3150 requires local governments to amortize their tangible capital assets over their expected useful life. Prior to 2009, there were no standards in place for the valuation and deterioration of the local government assets. Consequently, the funding for renewal and replacement has not ...
COMMUNICATION TOOLS FOR VISUALIZATION OF FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS: A clear and compelling takeaway message is that communities need annual budgets to tackle the Riparian Deficit along streams
"How concepts are explained is crucial to creating awareness, building understanding, and inspiring action through a commitment to shared responsibility to make things right. In this case, restoring riparian integrity in streamside protection zones. If we know how to do a much better job of protecting ecological features ...
SALMON-SAFE IN THE TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL: “This is a joyful moment. It’s the reason we have the Salmon-Safe program ― to encourage land and water stewardship that help wild salmon thrive,” said Theresa Fresco, program manager at Fraser Basin Council
“The View Royal site that BC Transit is redeveloping was previously an old, degraded industrial property with a badly damaged waterway. The stream restoration, and now the fish, show that sound management and community stewardship can have amazing results," stated Theresa Fresco. The new stream has riffles and pools, ...
Watershed Moments Team Award honours legacy of Rob Lawrance, former Environmental Planner with the City of Nanaimo
Rob Lawrance grew up in the Cowichan Valley where he began his stewardship journey. In his time with the City of Nanaimo, he grew the responsibilities of Environmental Planner to include community collaboration. He played a key role in almost every major waterway stewardship initiative in Nanaimo and connected ...
STORIES OF INTER-REGIONAL COLLABORATION: “Our focus in the 'story behind the story' series is on how learning from each other has influenced, as well as been influenced by, initiatives and outcomes in all five regions surrounding the Salish Sea," stated Kim Stephens, Executive Director, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC
“In early 2023, the Partnership will begin rolling out the stories of inter-regional collaboration. These ‘stories behind the stories’ are weaved from conversational interviews. Comprehensive in scope, the stories document a shared history. They are not technical reports, although they are founded on technical concepts and understanding. Everyone learns ...
NEW REALITY IN METRO VANCOUVER: "Climate change is now the most significant risk to the water supply," wrote Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun newspaper columnist (April 2023)
"Despite continued population growth and climate change, Metro Vancouver Water District has taken only baby steps toward expanding its storage and supply capacity. For the past two decades, its directors — councillors and mayors appointed by their various councils — have had conservation as the primary strategy. Up until ...
BRITISH COLUMBIA'S DROUGHT RESPONSE PLAN / 2021 UPDATE: “Expanding the existing drought levels from a four to six-level scale more accurately describes stream flow drought and water scarcity conditions in B.C," stated Julia Berardinucci, Director of Water Strategies and Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (May 2021)
“Drought severity in B.C. has previously been communicated through four 'drought levels'. These categories are broad. Desired outcomes in going to a 6-level system include better understanding of current conditions, advance warning of extreme drought, and better alignment with other jurisdictions in North America. A new ...
LOOMING GROUNDWATER LICENSING DEADLINE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: "As deadline looms, thousands of BC groundwater users risk losing access to water, but not most water bottling, fracking and mining companies," wrote resource analyst Ben Parfitt after doing investigative research into who has applied, and who has not (May 2021)
“If the March 2022 deadline passes and thousands of (historical) groundwater users fail to apply, there could be big trouble ahead for the government and groundwater users alike. If existing historical users—some of whom can trace their use of specific water wells back generations—fail to apply before the deadline, ...
FLASHBACK TO 2004: “The vision for the waterbucket.ca website is to provide a resource rich 'destination location’ for water sustainability in British Columbia," stated Mike Tanner, Waterbucket Chair, at the Penticton Drought Forum hosted by the Province of British Columbia (July 2004)
"Integrated water management involves consideration of land, water, air and living organisms – including humans – as well as the interactions among them. Through partnerships, the Water Sustainability Action Plan is promoting the watershed as a fundamental planning unit. The waterbucket.ca will connect all six Action Plan Elements to provide the ...
BC's PATH TO FOOD SECURITY IS THRU WATER SECURITY: “When we think of all the changes in thinking that we have gone through in the last 50 years, the Land Commission Act really is a testament to the incredible foresight demonstrated in 1973," stated Joan Sawicki, former MLA
"At a time when most other jurisdictions continue to lose their food lands, BC’s ALR remains the most successful agricultural land preservation program in North America. With food security now becoming a top-of-mind public issue, thanks to the foresight demonstrated in 1973 we still have “the land” – and ...
FACT SHEETS FOR AGRICULTURE: Partnership for Water Sustainability assists governments of Canada and British Columbia to develop guidance documents for water licensing and storage (January 2022)
“Farmers in British Columbia often need storage facilities to supply farmstead water or to support water licences from surface or groundwater sources that do not provide sufficient flow during summer months. Water storages can be on either private or crown land, but a licence will be required to store ...
ACCESS AND DOWNLOAD A SET OF REPORTS ON: British Columbia's Agriculture Water Demand Model - learn about province-wide application and results
"This water management planning tool calculates current and future agriculture water demands in British Columbia, and accounts for climate change. Inputs for the AWDM include land use, soil and climate information. The field component of the AWDM program centres on compilation of land use inventories for all regions of ...
OP-ED ARTICLE: Kim Stephens - Celebrating a decade of living water smart in B.C., but where to from here? (published in the Vancouver Sun in June 2018)
"A game-changer flowing from Living Water Smart is the B.C. Agricultural Water Demand Model. It accounts for climate change, is applied to establish future needs for Agricultural Water Reserves, and is the engine for the online B.C. Agriculture Water Licence Calculator. Developed to support implementation of the B.C. Groundwater ...
Water Licensing Calculator: Managing Water as One Resource in British Columbia
Passed by the British Columbia Legislature in Spring 2014, the Water Sustainability Act and new regulations were brought into effect on February 29, 2016. It is a game-changer because it recognizes the connection between land use actions and the implications for the both the water cycle and watershed sustainability. "The Water ...
British Columbia's Irrigation Scheduling Calculator
- The Irrigation Industry Association of British Columbia (IIABC), with funding from the National Water Supply Expansion Program, has developed a new agriculture irrigation scheduling calculator. The calculator will determine an irrigation schedule for all types of agricultural irrigation systems and crop types. ...
- The Irrigation Industry Association of British Columbia (IIABC), with funding from the National Water Supply Expansion Program, has developed a new agriculture irrigation scheduling calculator. The calculator will determine an irrigation schedule for all types of agricultural irrigation systems and crop types. ...
2022 Annual Report for the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia
"A Partnership strength is the real-world experience we bring because of our multiple initiatives under Living Water Smart Actions. Under that vision, various building blocks processes have evolved over the decades. The Watershed Security Strategy and Fund, an initiative of the current provincial government, is the obvious mechanism ...
About the Lifetime Category of Membership in the Partnership
"The Lifetime Members category recognizes the contributions of key individuals who have played a pivotal role in the genesis and/or evolution of the Partnership. The Directors created the Lifetime Membership category to achieve two outcomes. First, we believe this is a material way to recognize the valued contributions of those who ...
About the Champion Supporter Category of Membership
"The Champion Supporters category of membership in the Partnership is our way of formally recognizing agencies and organizations that provide the Partnership with substantial financial and/or in-kind support. Their support is vitally important because that is what enables the Partnership to develop tools and deliver programs under the umbrella of Convening for Action in British Columbia. ...
2021 Annual Report for the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia
"Looking back, 2021 is an extraordinary year of accomplishment for the Partnership. We continued to elevate our game and in so doing demonstrated what is possible. We provided leadership for a range of initiatives of provincial importance. Successes were achieved through the power of collaborative leadership. The process involves ...
CHAMPION SUPPORTER: recognition of the City of Abbotsford (October 2021)
The City of Abbotsford was a founding member of the original inter-governmental Water Balance Model Partnership that morphed into the Partnership, a legal entity. Beginning in 2002, a succession of City staff has supported and/or contributed to the work of the Partnership. Most recently, the City of Abbotsford stepped ...
CHAMPION SUPPORTER: recognition of eVision Media for design and enhancement of waterbucket.ca website to showcase success stories and celebrate champions who lead by example (October 2021)
The Partnership for Water Sustainability values everything that Susan Friesen and her staff have done for the past decade to help us ensure the success of the waterbucket.ca website. “Knowing the waterbucket.ca user-base was wanting to find information easily, we redesigned the home page with not only a ...