Comments Off on LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Now, with the passage of time, we can state the obvious. The Comox Valley experiment is a success. The collaborative spirit has taken root,” stated Derek Richmond, Partnership for Water Sustainability Director and Comox Valley resident
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on May 30, 2023 featured the story behind the story of the “experiment in collaboration” involving the four local governments in the Comox Valley over the past two decades. The Partnership’s hope is that having this record of their oral history will serve to inform and inspire future generations of local government staffs.
Comox Valley is an experiment in collaboration
Everyone learns through stories, and this is how the Partnership hopes to inspire readers. The Partnership for Water Sustainability is releasing a series of comprehensive “stories behind the stories” of inter-regional collaboration among local governments along the east coast of Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia.
The second in the series features the four Comox Valley local governments. The Partnership describes the regional team approach in the Comox Valley as an “experiment in collaboration”.
“When I moved to Vancouver Island, I carried on what I brought with me from my legacy at Alberta Environment,” states Derek Richmond, Partnership Director and Comox Valley resident. “And that was to go beyond your localized boundaries and find out who was doing what and where. Somebody, somewhere, had found a solution to something. And it was through meetings, contacts, and a regular forum that you found those answers.”
Derek Richmond’s experience with Alberta Environment was foundational to what he brought to the City of Courtenay and CAVI. In Alberta, he was responsible for the maintenance and operation of all provincial water resource projects, with the exception of irrigation.
Story of the Comox Valley journey is a legacy resource for local government collaboration
“Knowledge is passed on verbally and we learn through stories. This is the big picture context for the Partnership for Water Sustainability initiative in creating this legacy resource. Thus, this story behind the story of the region’s journey through time is the Partnership’s gift to the four Comox Valley local governments,” explains Derek Richmond.
“It is our hope that having this record of their oral history – because that is what it is – will serve to inform and inspire future generations of local government staffs. At the end of the day, there are three takeaway messages from this successful experiment in collaboration.”
Message #1 – Each local government has contributed something of value to the big picture
“Everyone cannot do everything. What really stands out about the Comox Valley is that each local government has developed an area of expertise or strength that is provincially significant. The combination is potentially quite powerful in terms of shaping the future of the valley. But only if there is an enduring commitment to walk the talk.”
Message #2 – Collaboration is the gift that keeps on giving over time
“Collaboration helps everyone better deliver on policy goals and outcomes. But one has to believe, truly believe, in collaboration to make it so. Lip service does not cut it. What this means is that collaboration must be embedded in an organization’s culture. There is no other way. It must be a commitment, a guiding principle.”
Message #3 – Understand the WHY!
“Collaboration is all well and good as a desire. But it must be founded on an understanding of oral history in order to pass the baton. For lack of a better phrase, it means successive generations of local government staffs must understand the WHY. Learn from these words of wisdom by G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) who said:
Comments Off on 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
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on May 23, 2023 featured the story behind the story of the BC Rural Centre. It has a mission to act as a catalyst organization that sustains and advances rural wellbeing and development in British Columbia.
Rural constituencies want a voice
“The readership of Waterbucket eNews encompasses local government elected representatives in every part of British Columbia. This edition is dedicated to those in ‘smalltown BC’. Barry Janyk provides us with a window into their world, their issues, their concerns,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“About six months ago, Barry Janyk made an observation that stuck with me. He described three main groups moving to the really small communities in BC. He characterized them as digital nomads, amenity migrants, and retirees. Barry talked about the unforeseen consequences.”
“That conversation is the context for the two-part ‘story behind the story’ that follows. Part One is about the Keeping It Rural Conference that is bringing together community leaders in Kelowna.”
“Part Two is a short essay by Barry Janyk, He wrote it because I asked if he would reconstruct what he told me about the influx of digital nomads, amenity migrants, and retirees into smalltown BC. The essay is short but compelling.”
Flashback to the SmartStorm Forums
“A lifetime ago, when Barry Janyk was the mayor of Gibsons, he was a driving force and our moderator for the series of SMARTSTORM Forums that an intergovernmental partnership held in Nanaimo, Sechelt, Abbotsford and Pitt Meadows between 1999 and 2001.”
“In 1999, it was Barry Janyk who coined the term ‘Smart Development’ to clearly differentiate the BC approach from the Low Impact Development terminology then being used in the United States.”
“The Forum Chair, Surrey Councillor Marvin Hunt, stated in his closing remarks that the presentation ‘showed how to make the 100-year vision real to BC’s elected representatives. The take-away message is clear: If communities design with nature, the 100-year vision will become a self-fulfilling prophecy’.”
“That is what Barry Janyk is striving to do with the BC Rural Centre’s idea for a Rural Mayors, Chairs and Chairs Caucus. Create a self-fulfilling prophecy!”
Comments Off on 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
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on May 16, 2023 featured Nancy Gothard of the City of Courtenay and her “story behind the story” about collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries in the Comox Valley. She is the only person still with the city who was part of the regional team experience as an “experiment in collaboration” under the umbrella of theGeorgia Basin Inter-Regional Education Initiative (IREI).
Trust is the currency of collaboration in the Comox Valley
“The Partnership describes the Comox Valley as an experiment in collaboration and collaborative leadership because there was no way to guarantee the outcome in 2008. At the outset, it was a leap of faith on the part of all the players that four local governments would be successful in collaborating as a regional team,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“In recent months, I have interviewed more than a dozen individuals who have been part of the journey. Nancy Gothard is one of those folks. In our conversations, each person stepped back to take stock. They reflected on what interorganizational collaboration means to them and how their past experience has primed them for further collaboration.”
“In a matter of weeks, the Partnership will be releasing the story of the Comox Valley Water Journey. It is a legacy resource and weaves quotable quotes into a storyline much like a news magazine would. The key message is that collaborative leadership delivers results across organizational boundaries.
In this edition of Waterbucket eNews, we feature Nancy Gothard and her “story behind the story”. Nancy joined the City of Courtenay soon after graduating from the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning in 2009 with her master’s degree. She was immediately part of the “experiment in collaboration” under the IREI umbrella.”
“This experience has influenced the arc of Nancy’s career evolution. In 2014, Nancy wrote an essay wherein she observed that: Everyone who has gone through the IREI has been ‘seasoned’ to be nimble and open-minded, and to genuinely be of assistance to others.”
“Readers will learn that collaboration in the Comox Valley is enduring and there is no end to the journey. Collaboration has built trust. With trust, anything is possible.”
Comments Off on 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
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on May 9, 2023 featured the Healthy Waters Program, an initiative of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the vision of Dr. Peter Ross.
This a new community-oriented water pollution monitoring initiative,” announced Peter Ross. “This program will complement existing initiatives, transcend jurisdictional silos, and bring high resolution analysis of contaminant classes of concern to BC watersheds, beginning in the Fraser River and Salish Sea watershed region.”
Healthy Waters Program for salmon, whales, and people
“My first contact with Peter Ross was in 2015 at a meeting of Metro Vancouver local governments. In recent years, we have had periodic contact as he worked hard to bring his vision for the Healthy Waters initiative to fruition. Peter Ross is passionate about his mission. Uncovering bad news is empowering, he says, because it enables us to create good news,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“Structured in three parts, the story behind the story that emerged during my “conversational interview” with Peter is compelling. First, he paints a picture of present-day conditions, and why water is under threat from a half-million chemicals and another 1000 each year.”
“Peter then explains why killer whales are demonstrating the fundamental failure of our regulatory system to have an early warning system. But do not despair because Peter concludes with a framework for community-based action.”
“People have their eyes on the streams and waterways now. There is a lot more community interest. There is a lot more watershed-based focus for community organizations and municipalities,” observed Peter Ross.
“We must cast a wide net for pollution monitoring to basically understand what we might run into. And then, when we start to uncover some awkward, embarrassing truths, we can actually act on them,” he added.
Comments Off on 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
NOTE TO READER:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on May 2nd 2023 featured the late Erik Karlsen (1945-2020) and highlighted his contributions to streamside protection in British Columbia. Erik Karlsen developed a matrix that integrated the work of Ian McHarg, Daniel Pauly, Richard Horner and Chris May to provide local governments with a decision tool for riparian area protection.
Erik Karlsen and the Streamside Protection Regulation
“Erik Karlsen and I met in October 1997 at a UBCM consultation workshop when he was the Director of Regional Growth Strategies with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Erik was the provincial lead for the inter-ministry working group that developed the Streamside Protection Regulation which operationalized the Fish Protection Act,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“Erik retired early from government, in 2002. For the balance of his life, he was the Partnership’s eminence grise and my mentor. His last contribution before his health declined was the integrating matrix (above). It is a significant piece of work and is an element of Erik Karlsen’s legacy as a thought leader in BC.”
An example of what the Shifting Baseline looks like
“A stream in a natural condition is supported by a riparian ecosystem. In urban, suburban and rural settings around BC, however, riparian ecosystems have been reduced to riparian zones.”
“A riparian zone is a fragmented portion of the riparian ecosystem in developed areas. Diminution due to fragmentation results in a loss of a riparian network’s ecological services.”
“This has become the norm because the intent of the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation has been compromised over time. This loss is what Daniel Pauly describes as a ‘failure to notice change’.”
“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’.”
“Investigative Update: Striking a Balance (2022) states that ‘many of the issues we identified remain as pressing as they were in 2014; there is work ahead to ensure that the systemic issues are fully addressed‘.”
Erik Karlsen was concerned about the Ombudsperson’s findings. With development of EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, the Partnership honours Erik’s memory and legacy by providing local governments with a path forward to tackle the Riparian Deficit.
Comments Off on 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.
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition publishedon on April 25, 2023 featured Peter Law, Past-President of the Mid Vancouver Habitat Enhancement Society. Under his leadership, MVIHES has established a series of provincially significant precedents on a wide front, from community-based social marketing to water balance analysis. This sets a high bar for “citizen science in action”.
Shelly Creek in Parksville is a “living laboratory”
“Peter Law and I met in October 1997 at a UBCM consultation workshop when he was an ecosystem biologist with the Ministry of Environment. Our long history of collaboration provides me with context and perspective for judging his accomplishments, both with the Ministry and with MVIHES,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“Few people realize that Peter Law was chair of the inter-governmental steering committee responsible for Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, released in June 2002. In addition, he was a member of the inter-ministry team led by the late Erik Karlsen which developed the original Streamside Protection Regulation, passed in 2001.”
“This background is important for readers to know and appreciate. It is in small streams such as Shelly Creek where the impacts of changes in the seasonal water balance and on riparian integrity are being felt most. Peter Law’s experience informs his science-based approach to developing solutions.”
“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.”
Look beyond the channel to understand the stream as a system
According to Peter, the intent of the current Riparian Protection Areas Regulation was to provide flexibility based on the expected scientific outcomes. “Instead,” he says,” we have ended up with simple and minimal-type measures of the level of riparian protection on behalf of fish.”
“Looking beyond the stream to understand the stream as a system is put on the shoulders of others, and those ‘others’ are not typically brought in. So, what is the consequence? The system context is lost. Small streams on Vancouver Island have minimal levels of riparian protection and are now going dry.”
“In contrast,” Peter points out, “enhanced riparian greenways like Shelly Creek Park allow fish to survive in natural conditions without encroachment issues. That 1990s decision to create a greenway showed great foresight. The proof of the pudding is that it saved the resident Cutthroat trout population during the heat dome and extreme drought of 2021.”
Comments Off on 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
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition publishedon April 18, 2023 featured Joan Sawicki, former provincial cabinet minister, and drew attention to the 50th anniversary of British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Reserve.
The ALR is a testament to the incredible foresight demonstrated in 1973. Without the ALR, there would be no prospect for food security. With the ALR, as Ted van der Gulik states below, food security is achievable but only if BC also secures the water supplies needed to irrigate the land that would then provide food security.
BC’s path to food security is thru water security
April 18th 2013 is the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Land Commission Act in 1973 and subsequent creation of Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) boundaries.
Most British Columbians do not know a British Columbia without the ALR. We take it for granted and that could be a problem because threats to food security do remain. In addition, we have new challenges such as climate change and water supply sustainability that were not even on the radar screen 50 years ago.
So, what was the rationale and justification for this unprecedented intrusion into rural land use planning? And why is the ALR a testament to the foresight of 1973?
For answers to those questions, we turn to Joan Sawicki, an original employee of the Land Commission, a career land use consultant, and a former provincial cabinet minister.
Keeping the Options Open
“With only about 5% of BC’s land area capable of agricultural use, 50 years ago it was estimated we were losing 6000 hectares per year to non-farm uses. It was clear that local governments could not withstand development pressures upon this scarce provincial resource,” recalls Joan Sawicki.
“With high reliance upon imported food from places like California and Mexico – and the increasing risks related to those sources – BC needed to safeguard its food security by ensuring our limited amount of agricultural land was available for present and future generations.”
“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 I submit we would not still have the option for viable agricultural sectors in high growth areas like the Lower Mainland or the Okanagan without the ALR.”
“The ALR has been doing exactly what it was designed to do. It is protecting the lands that can grow food and keeping our options open. That was the title of the first Land Commission brochure, Keeping the Options Open. Thanks to the ALR, we still have land use options moving forward.”
SOURCE: presentation by Commission Chair Jennifer Dyson and CEO Kim Grout
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER
“The guest Editor’s Perspective for this edition of Waterbucket eNews is contributed by Ted van der Gulik, Partnership President. Two decades ago, he had a vision for a science-based approach to management of irrigation water demand in BC. As the Senior Engineer in the BC Ministry of Agriculture, he had a mandate that allowed him to put his ideas into practice with province-wide implementation of the Agriculture Water Demand Model. He continues to provide guidance, training, and oversight for program delivery,” states Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director and Waterbucket eNews Editor.
BC’s path to food security is through water security
Look back to see ahead. The 50th anniversary of the ALR is an opportunity for reflection followed by action. As Joan Sawicki accurately concludes in her story behind the story, this will require equally good policy and political courage.
The ALR saved the land. Without the ALR, there would be no prospect for food security. Will today’s decision makers rise to the moment and secure the water supply necessary to irrigate the land needed for food security?
In terms of risks and opportunities, the situation in the Fraser Basin illustrates what is at stake for British Columbians.
A Changing Climate Threatens Food Security
Home to two-thirds of British Columbians, the mighty Fraser River is the lifeblood of a vast watershed that stretches from the Rockies to the Pacific. The lower Fraser Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in Canada, is vital to BC’s long-term food security.
The Fraser drains one of the most diverse watersheds in North America – for example, its vast lands contain ten of BC’s fourteen biogeoclimatic zones. Yet many of the Fraser’s 34 tributaries, or riversheds, have been damaged by human activity.
Meanwhile, climate change is no longer a future scenario
It is here. At the mouth of the Fraser, for example, the consequences of summer droughts and rising sea levels combine to impact river water quality while at the same time increasing the need for irrigation water.
The critical issue, or impact, is the salt wedge and the shrinking window of opportunity for pumping fresh water from the Fraser River. This is a double whammy for agriculture.
An increase in sea levels combined with a drought flow on the Fraser River would allow ocean salt water to move farther upriver in the future. This would shut down current water supply intakes for a longer period of time. Thus, it could become challenging to extract sufficient good quality irrigation water for agricultural use in Richmond and Delta.
What does this mean, really?
Gee-whiz facts!
Simply put, the water supply window for Richmond and Delta could be reduced from between 15 and 24 hours per day for present-day normal river flows, to less than 3 hours per day in the foreseeable future – due to the combination of sea level rise and drought flows.
What else do decision makers need to know?
Facts and figures help paint a picture
The Agriculture Water Demand Model is a foundation piece for food security. The model utilizes detailed land use inventories and incorporates a 500 m gridded climate data set – the only one in North America. The Agriculture Water Demand Model quantifies what we have versus what we need with respect to land and water:
Fact – BC’s farmers currently produce less than 50 percent of our provincial food requirements.
Fact – The ALR is over 4 million hectares.
Fact – To achieve food security in the Year 2025, for example, BC would require ~2.8 million ha of agricultural land in production of which over 300,000 ha must be irrigated.
Fact – This means that a 50 percent increase in irrigated farmland would be required – from 200,000 to 300,000 hectares.
Fact – Increased production would be concentrated on lands with access to irrigation – typically close to urban centers.
Fact – The amount of irrigated agricultural area in the Fraser Valley is already substantial and is about 1.4 times that in the Okanagan. Few people know this.
Fact – Also, the potential buildout for irrigated farmland in the Fraser Valley is about 2.4 times the area currently irrigated.
Fact – This means that the Fraser Valley alone could provide two-thirds of the additional irrigated land area that British Columbia needs for food security. Think about that!
Fact – The Fraser River would be able to supply much of the water required. But delivering the water would require a huge investment in infrastructure.
Fact – The Fraser Basin has more than 50% of the total provincial ALR area. And the ALR accounts for close to 10% of the basin drainage area.
Given the facts, what will today’s decision makers do? Fifty years from now, will future generations be praising the foresight demonstrated in 2023?
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Fifty Years – and miraculously still here: BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve – conversational interview with Joan Sawicki
“In August 1973, I walked into the Land Commission office in Burnaby for my first day of work, four months after the April 18 passage of the Land Commission Act,” recalls Joan Sawicki.
“A 5-member Commission had already been appointed and my soon-to-be husband, Gary Runka, a soil scientist with the BC Department of Agriculture in Kelowna, had already been seconded to serve as General Manager.”
“Our task was clear. We were to establish Agricultural Land Reserve boundaries across the province based on agriculture land capability mapping already completed under the national Canada Land Inventory (CLI) program.
“Fifty years later, I ask myself what made the ALR different and why did it last? And beyond its fundamental purpose to protect farmland, has it had a broader impact in BC?”
What makes the ALR different?
“The Land Commission Act came in the middle of the 1960s debate about land as a commodity that you buy and sell for the ‘highest and best use’ versus land as a resource to be managed in the greater public interest.”
“The legislation made it clear that BC’s scarce amount of farmland was not just a private commodity of the landowner, it was also an important provincial resource. And that provincial resource needed to be protected within a provincial zone.”
“Furthermore, that protected zone would be defined on a biophysical basis – the soil/climate capability of the land to grow food. Within the ALR, food production and compatible uses would be considered ‘the highest and best use’. Full stop. In my opinion, that is what makes the ALR different and is one of the main reasons why I believe it has lasted for 50 years.”
Fast forward to the present day
“While sometimes it may not feel like it, our thinking has actually changed quite a lot over the past 50 years. In the 1970s and 1980s, land as a resource continued to gain prominence – but resources were still seen in human terms. i.e., we use pieces and parts of the natural system to meet human needs. If we want or need it, then we see it as a ‘resource’.”
“In the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, there was a growing recognition that there are some ecosystems that should be valued in their own right, quite apart from humans. This was the era when BC dramatically increased parks and protected areas.”
“Then we get to today. All of a sudden, (but not without warning), the realities of climate change are upon us. And we need to change our thinking yet again to recognize that, not only do ecosystems have a value unto themselves, but we also actually NEED healthy functioning ecosystems for human survival.”
“That brings us back to whole foundation of the ALR – that we need to ensure the availability and health of productive lands in order to feed ourselves, now and in the future.”
Where do we need to go next?
“How many British Columbians have even considered that the ALR has probably been the single greatest influence on community planning in BC over the past half century? “
“There were several government initiatives implemented in parallel with the ALR in the 1970s through 1990s that were about good community planning. A prime example was the Georgia Basin Initiative. The ALR was the catalyst. We had the ALR, but we still had to accommodate other uses, like residential, industrial and transportation corridors. The ALR meant we had to plan our settled areas better.“
“During the early 2000s, however, there was an emphasis on smaller government and reduced budgets. The loss of planning capacity within local and regional governments has had consequences for community planning, especially in the rural areas of the province.”
Importance of keeping our options open
There are new issues that were not even on the radar screen in 1973, like climate change, biodiversity and Indigenous Reconciliation. All are complex and all demand a much broader understanding of agricultural use and ecological sustainability.”
“We don’t know what will face us in the future. But surely, the message of the last 50 years and the ALR is that we need to hedge our bets and keep our options open for the next 50 years too.” “
“In 1973, the Agricultural Land Reserve not only preserved the land for food production for present and future generations, but it preserved the option, our one last chance, to plan our settled communities to be more resilient and sustainable, to provide adequate housing, commercial, industrial and all the other land uses that people need.”
“When we think of the changes in thinking that have occurred over the past 50 years, the ALR really is a testament to the incredible foresight that was demonstrated in 1973. With all the challenges we now face, it will require equally good public policy, political courage – and foresight – to guide BC through the coming decades,” concludes Joan Sawicki.
Did you enjoy this article? Would you like a PDF document version?Click on the image below to download your copy.
BONUS! As an appendix, the downloadable document includes a copy of the article that Joan Sawicki wrote for Orders of the Day, the newsletter of the Association of Former MLAs of British Columbia. This is an enlightening narrative of defining moments in the 50-year history of BC’s ALR.
Comments Off on LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “We would have to increase irrigated land area by 50% to attain food security in British Columbia. The Fraser Valley alone could provide 2/3 of the area needed!” stated Ted van der Gulik, President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition publishedon April 18, 2023 featured Joan Sawicki, former provincial cabinet minister, and drew attention to the 50th anniversary of British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Reserve.
According to Joan Sawicki, the ALR is a testament to the incredible foresight demonstrated in 1973. “The ALR saved the land and kept the options open for future generations,” she says. Without the ALR, then, there would be no prospect for food security. With the ALR, as Ted van der Gulik states in the article below, food security is achievable but only if BC also secures the water supplies needed to irrigate the land that would then provide food security.
Fifty Years – and miraculously still here: BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve
“The guest Editor’s Perspective for the April 18, 2003 edition of Waterbucket eNews was contributed by Ted van der Gulik, President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC. Two decades ago, he had a vision for a science-based approach to management of irrigation water demand in BC. As the Senior Engineer in the BC Ministry of Agriculture, he had a mandate that allowed him to put his ideas into practice with province-wide implementation of the Agriculture Water Demand Model. He continues to provide guidance, training, and oversight for program delivery,” states Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director and Waterbucket eNews Editor.
BC’s path to food security is through water security
Look back to see ahead. The 50th anniversary of the ALR is an opportunity for reflection followed by action. As Joan Sawicki accurately concludes in her story behind the story, this will require equally good policy and political courage.
The ALR saved the land. Without the ALR, there would be no prospect for food security. Will today’s decision makers rise to the moment and secure the water supply necessary to irrigate the land needed for food security?
In terms of risks and opportunities, the situation in the Fraser Basin illustrates what is at stake for British Columbians.
A Changing Climate Threatens Food Security
Home to two-thirds of British Columbians, the mighty Fraser River is the lifeblood of a vast watershed that stretches from the Rockies to the Pacific. The lower Fraser Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in Canada, is vital to BC’s long-term food security.
The Fraser drains one of the most diverse watersheds in North America – for example, its vast lands contain ten of BC’s fourteen biogeoclimatic zones. Yet many of the Fraser’s 34 tributaries, or riversheds, have been damaged by human activity.
Meanwhile, climate change is no longer a future scenario
It is here. At the mouth of the Fraser, for example, the consequences of summer droughts and rising sea levels combine to impact river water quality while at the same time increasing the need for irrigation water.
The critical issue, or impact, is the salt wedge and the shrinking window of opportunity for pumping fresh water from the Fraser River. This is a double whammy for agriculture.
An increase in sea levels combined with a drought flow on the Fraser River would allow ocean salt water to move farther upriver in the future. This would shut down current water supply intakes for a longer period of time. Thus, it could become challenging to extract sufficient good quality irrigation water for agricultural use in Richmond and Delta.
What does this mean, really?
Gee-whiz facts!
Simply put, the water supply window for Richmond and Delta could be reduced from between 15 and 24 hours per day for present-day normal river flows, to less than 3 hours per day in the foreseeable future – due to the combination of sea level rise and drought flows.
What else do decision makers need to know?
Facts and figures help paint a picture
The Agriculture Water Demand Model is a foundation piece for food security. The model utilizes detailed land use inventories and incorporates a 500 m gridded climate data set – the only one in North America. The Agriculture Water Demand Model quantifies what we have versus what we need with respect to land and water:
Fact – BC’s farmers currently produce less than 50 percent of our provincial food requirements.
Fact – The ALR is over 4 million hectares.
Fact – To achieve food security in the Year 2025, for example, BC would require ~2.8 million ha of agricultural land in production of which over 300,000 ha must be irrigated.
Fact – This means that a 50 percent increase in irrigated farmland would be required – from 200,000 to 300,000 hectares.
Fact – Increased production would be concentrated on lands with access to irrigation – typically close to urban centers.
Fact – The amount of irrigated agricultural area in the Fraser Valley is already substantial and is about 1.4 times that in the Okanagan. Few people know this.
Fact – Also, the potential buildout for irrigated farmland in the Fraser Valley is about 2.4 times the area currently irrigated.
Fact – This means that the Fraser Valley alone could provide two-thirds of the additional irrigated land area that British Columbia needs for food security. Think about that!
Fact – The Fraser River would be able to supply much of the water required. But delivering the water would require a huge investment in infrastructure.
Fact – The Fraser Basin has more than 50% of the total provincial ALR area. And the ALR accounts for close to 10% of the basin drainage area.
Given the facts, what will today’s decision makers do? Fifty years from now, will future generations be praising the foresight demonstrated in 2023?
Comments Off on LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “I had an epiphany. What if we capture the rainwater and put it in a cavity under the green roof, and then feed the green roof?” stated Harvy Takhar, Utilities Engineer with the City of Delta
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on April 11, 2023 featured Harvy Takhar, an enthusiastic young professional who is the Utilities Engineer with the City of Delta. Harvy is following his passion in unexpected ways because it was happenstance that led him down the green roof pathway to international recognition.
Looking at green roofs through a water balance lens: “How much better does a ‘blue-green connected’ roof perform?”
“When I first met Harvy Takhar in late 2021, my takeaway impression was his enthusiasm. This guy is going places, I thought. At the time, he was working full-time for Delta while completing his master’s degree on green roofs in his spare time. Clearly, he is highly motivated,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“What I like and appreciate about Harvy is the context he provides for his green roof research. “Buildings are designed with little connection to the actual site and their surroundings, and vice versa, urban environments are environmentally disconnected from buildings,” he says.”
“The connected blue-green roof research,” Harvy continues, “aims to create a platform to train students and investigate about how to support the design of more comfortable and healthier outdoor environments, as well as how to design stronger environmental connections between buildings and their surroundings.”
“Harvy approached his research with a water balance lens. That is what caught my attention. Twenty years ago we had quantified the potential rainwater capture benefits of green roofs in Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia. What I learned from Harvy, however, is that neither the science nor practice of green roofs in BC had progressed since then.”
“The good news is that Harvy Takhar came along and re-energized an aspect of green roof research that had lain dormant for two decades. The takeaway is that it takes a champion, someone with passion and inspiration, to open minds to the possibilities of what could be. Well done, Harvy Takar!”
“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.”
“To quote Harvy, BGR systems are a novel nature-based solution for climate change adaptation and mitigation that provides multiple benefits to the urban environment.”
Comments Off on LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Vancouver Island University is all-in because EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, is an idea that can change the game with respect to protection or restoration of riparian integrity along streams. And students are excited to contribute to the change,” stated Graham Sakaki, Manager, Mount Arrowsmith Regional Research Institute
Note to Reader:
Waterbucket eNewscelebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. 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. The edition published on April 4, 2023 shared the story behind the story of local governments investing in university youth.
This is the third in a series of articles about tackling the Riparian Deficit. The first introduces the Nested Concepts graphic and the second features Dr. Chris May of Washington State in a conversational interview about his ground-breaking Puget Sound research in the 1990s that correlated land use changes and the consequences for stream and riparian health.
Local governments invest in youth at Vancouver Island University
“It took a 6-year program of applied research to evolve the methodology and metrics so that local governments can tackle the Riparian Deficit. EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, is the synthesis of Tim Pringle and my knowledge and experience, and reflects what we have learned through a local government blocking blocks process,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.
“Between 2016 and 2022, we completed 9 case studies in collaboration with13 local government partners in 5 regions of southwest BC. We also built a relationship with MABRRI and involved students in the program. In fact, we relied on students.
“With release of the EAP Synthesis Report in June 2022, the timing was right to embed EAP at MABRRI. Within a matter of months, the EAP Partnership came together. The inaugural meeting was on October 27, 2022. That is the moment when Tim Pringle and I figuratively handed the baton to Graham Sakaki to lead the next phase of EAP evolution.”
Third in a series about the Riparian Deficit
“Two editions ago (March 21, 2023), we drew attention to decade-long investigations by the BC Ombudsperson into failure by local government to employ adequate oversight of stream systems. The consequence is the Riparian Deficit.”
“One edition ago (March 28, 2023), we shone the spotlight on seminal research in the 1990s. Rich Horner and Chris May correlated land use changes and the consequences for stream and riparian health. The EAP Partnership is building on this foundation.”
“This edition about the EAP Partnership offers hope for the future. There is work to be done by local government, university students can do it, and they are excited by the opportunity to make a difference.”
EAP Partnership: Program Context / Goals
“View EAP implementation through the lenses of collaboration, applied research, and a combined annual budget to ‘get the best bang for the buck’.”
“Continue evolving EAP to meet the needs of local governments with a methodology and metrics that result in affordable and effective solutions.”
“Build capacity, pass on oral history, and continuously train next generations of local government staffs to get the job done.”
“There is no room for expensive consultants. With the perspective of time, it is evident that out-sourcing has not served communities well.”
“The staff report to Nanaimo Council put it this way: This collaboration will help ensure that training and expertise is retained within the university, and can be continually developed. It also supports local governments with internal capacity, rather than exporting knowledge to consultants.”
EAP Partnership is a network
“In addition to the “founding three” local governments, other case study partners are “mentor members”. Everyone wants to stay involved with the EAP program, understand what other members of the EAP Partnership are doing, and look for opportunities to either help or support each other.”
“The EAP Partnership also includes UBCM and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. They are co-funders. In 2019, they formalized an expectation that local governments applying for provincial grants would integrate “natural assets” into their asset management processes.”
“EAP shows local governments how to do it through an annual budget for maintenance and management of stream systems and wetlands.”
“The EAP message is timely and local government audiences are receptive to hearing it.”
Everyone learns through stories, and this is how the Partnership hopes to inspire readers. The Partnership for Water Sustainability is releasing a series of comprehensive “stories behind the stories” of inter-regional collaboration among local governments along the east coast of Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia.
