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“There is an emerging discourse and practice around cultural flows, that is, water that can contribute to the meanings and practices of Traditional Lore. A greater emphasis on restoring and protecting cultural flows would be a leading innovation in water management,” Bruce Lindsay says. “The Indigenous connection to waterscapes is not just about the water itself. It is about the whole landscape and country and the obligations up and down the rivers.” In the state of Victoria, new water policy approaches have engaged Traditional Owner groups in developing management plans for catchments and major waterways

“Planning for capacity is proving especially important as the Roundtable looks forward to implementation of its Lower Coquitlam River Watershed plan over the coming years. The logistics of actually implementing watershed-wide initiatives spanning multiple jurisdictions make for uncharted territory in this watershed, however the Roundtable looks forward to taking on this new challenge and building the capacity needed to effectively do so,” states Marni Turek.

Kevin Lorette – CVRD (120p)
When the Comox Valley Regional District was established in February 2008, the provincial government required that it develop a comprehensive regional water supply strategy.

The Council provides balanced and considered advice to the Water Board on basin-wide water issues and works on solutions that reflect the best available science, innovative policy, and consensus approaches.

The issue of how to accommodate a doubling of the population in the high growth regions of British Columbia is the driver for implementing changes in the way we develop land and use water. Conversations with elected officials are yielding insights that are shaping implementation of Convening for Action pilot programs in three regions of British Columbia, namely: the Okanagan, Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) was formed in the mid-seventies to provide a basin-wide perspective on water resource management in the valley. The main focus of the board over the past thirty years has been milfoil management in area lakes and providing grants to local municipalities for sewage treatment infrastructure. Recently, the OBWB has undertaken the most significant change in its thirty-year history.

The five major water utilities serving the west side of Okanagan Lake near Kelowna are working together to ensure a sustainable, affordable, and high-quality water resource for future generations.