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In the June 2016 issue of Sitelines magazine, nine articles showcase the breadth of program elements delivered by the Partnership under the umbrella of the Water Sustainability Action Plan for BC. In 2016, the Partnership delivered the keynote address at the BCSLA Annual Conference and gave examples of How the Water Sustainability Act is Already Influencing Water Management in British Columbia. “The set of articles introduces readers to concepts such as ‘water as a form-maker’. This means watersheds are defining landscapes,” stated Tim Pringle. “In many ways, the built environment has to adapt to watershed features and water movements to maintain viable settlements.”

The Partnership for Water Sustainability is a champion for “Sustainable Watershed Systems, through Asset Management”. This is a whole-system, water balance approach for restoration of watershed health within the built environment. It is based on this premise: natural watershed systems are infrastructure assets – we must manage and protect them as such. “Understanding leads to action. Getting to action is a step-by-step process to give practitioners the tools and experience to get the job done,” stated Kim Stephens. “In addition, moving from understanding to implementation requires a sustaining commitment by local governments to implement ‘standards of practice’ that restore the desired watershed condition over time.”

The International Association of Hydrological Sciences introduced Blue Ecology into mainstream science in 2008. Their peer review gave Blue Ecology credibility and profile, but there has been little awareness in British Columbia of what Michael Blackstock has accomplished. The essence of Michael’s vision is ‘embrace a water first approach’ because water is a living entity. It is the sacred centre from which all other activities radiate. “Hydrologists are encouraged to embrace the companion Blue Ecology water cycle that is meant to enhance Western science’s hydrological cycle by providing a holistic cultural context,” stated Michael Blackstock. “Hydrologists and water managers could also communicate complex climate change impacts using common sense terms. Hydrologists and water managers can use the hydrological and Blue Ecology cycles to help explain how and why the climate is changing.”

Renowned landscape architect, writer and educator Ian L. McHarg (1920-2001) was best known for introducing environmental concerns in landscape architecture. His 1969 book Design With Nature pioneered the concept of environmental planning. Design with Nature is widely considered one of the most important and influential works of its kind. The ecological planning method developed by McHarg was seized upon and used throughout the world. “So, I commend Design with Nature to your sympathetic consideration. The title contains a gradient of meaning. It can be interpreted as simply descriptive of a planning method, deferential to places and peoples, it can invoke the Grand Design, it can emphasize the conjunction with and, finally it can be read as an imperative. DESIGN WITH NATURE!,” wrote Ian McHarg in 1991.

West Vancouver is implementing regulatory change through enactment of precedent-setting Site Landscaping Requirements in its Zoning Bylaw. The District is demonstrating leadership and innovation by leveraging Sections 523 and 527 of the Local Government Act to achieve desired outcomes for on-site rainwater management. “The District of West Vancouver, through the ongoing discussions related to neighbourhood character and building bulk, has undertaken to implement a requirement for site landscaping as part of both new development and the redevelopment of properties throughout the community,” states Jim Bailey. “Compliance includes limiting the amount of impermeable surfacing, surface runoff control, the requirement for screening and landscaping to mask or separate adjacent uses.”

In the vein of Jane Jacobs’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities and Edward Glaeser’s Triumph of the City, Jonathan F. P. Rose—a visionary in urban development and renewal—champions the role of cities in addressing the environmental, economic, and social challenges of the 21st century. He advocates using green infrastructure to mitigate damage from destructive storms. “What’s so compelling about natural systems solutions is that they not only save costs but also improve the quality of life,” he contends. “As the 21st century progresses, metropolitan areas will bear the brunt of global megatrends such as climate change, natural resource depletion, population growth, income inequality, mass migrations, education and health disparities, among many others,” observes Jonathan Rose.

The Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable has made significant advancements under its collaborative model. One highlight is the development of a unique watershed plan that recognizes important linkages between ecosystem health and human well-being, and advances ecosystem-based thinking and planning across multiple jurisdictions of the Coquitlam River watershed. “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.

The concept for FLOWnGROW is both visionary and practical, so constructed to identify solutions regarding water security. FLOWnGROW will explore the role of water from the global to the local. CBC’s Bob McDonald, host of Quirks & Quarks, will provide the big picture from a global perspective and beyond, once again reminding his audience of the limited amount of fresh water we have on earth, speaking to the need for a global water ethic and awareness as we collectively navigate an uncertain future. This will provide a rousing opening to the workshop. Bob McDonald, Chief Aaron Sam and Michael Blackstock will be the ‘book ends’ for the workshop. Bob McDonald is loved by audiences across Canada for making complex scientific issues understandable, meaningful, and fun.

For the past decade, Township staff have been learning and adapting, and their hands-on experience is reflected in HOW implementation of Langley’s rain garden program has evolved in successive development areas. “To date (from May 2006 to October 2015), an estimated 3100 lineal metres of rain gardens have been handed over from developers for maintenance by the Township of Langley and by property owners that front rain gardens,” states Yolanda Yeung. “Many more hundreds of metres of rain gardens are under design and under construction. We are learning by doing. In this way, we refine expectations for the finished product. The designs are more refined and the level of coordination for rain garden design and construction has improved.”

Water is a form-maker. It defines communities. Also, water-centric decisions ripple through time. Choices made today will determine what the future looks like. “The FLOWnGROW program has the real potential of influencing how we address water sustainability issues in BC going forward,” states Eric Bonham. “The themes, Whole Systems Approach, reflecting integration through inclusion, Blue Ecology, the interweaving of First Nations and Western Thought and Cathedral Thinking, the foresight and planning for future generations, will set the context for the day. The purpose of the workshop is to explore ideas that have universal value and broad application as we travel the road towards genuine long-term water sustainability.”