Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC

“If a tree on an urban lot is cut down, how big is the net loss on that lot? Or if a tree is planted, how big is the benefit? If a tree overshadows grass on one side and a rooftop on the other, how does it compare to a tree simply spreading over a lawn? The unfortunate situation is that until now, answering these kinds of questions was largely based on what we might call informed guesswork – if they were answered at all,” states Yeganeh Asadian.

“We applied a unique methodology for measuring rain/throughfall under different urban trees using a system of PVC pipes hung beneath the canopy to capture the throughfall where it drained into a rain gauge attached to a data logger,” states Yeganeh Asadian,

“We are impressed by the innovative and easy-to-install system that Dr. Markus Weiler of UBC and Richard Boase of North Vancouver District have developed for capturing rain that makes it through the tree canopy. The community volunteers are excited to play a part in this project,” stated Paddy Sherman.

“Interception loss plays an important role in controlling the water balance of a watershed, especially where urban development has taken place. The aim of the Urban Forest Research Project was to illustrate the importance of urban trees as a form of ‘green infrastructure’ where they reduce rainwater runoff and rainwater intensity. In addition, trees cause a delay in precipitation reaching the ground,” states Dr. Markus Weiler.

“In 2006, a precedent-setting initiative was undertaken to enhance the capabilities of the Water Balance Model. The purpose of the Urban Forest Research Project was to quantify the proportion of rainfall intercepted by the tree canopy in an urban forest.,” stated Dr. Hans Schreier.

“The unique nature of the project equipment led the District to partner with an association that provides practical woodworking and warehousing skills to persons with developmental disabilities to build 60 monitoring stations to capture and measure rainfall that penetrates the tree canopy,” stated Richard Boase.

“A threshold may already have been crossed, so that major floods in the Midwest perhaps now should no longer be considered purely natural disasters but instead mixed natural/unnatural disasters. And if emissions keep going up, the forecast is for more extreme storms in the region,” stated Stephen Saunders.

“The Fused Grid is a neighbourhood and district layout model that combines the geometries of inner city grids and of the conventional suburbs. This fusion results in retaining the best characteristics of each and none of their disadvantages while raising the quality of the neighbourhood environment,” states Fanis Grammenos.

“The fused grid is inspired by a theme — the common space — from an 18th-century plan of Savannah, Georgia. “The city plan is organized in repeatable wards, with a square in the centre, which is visible to half of the homes in each ward,” reports Fanis Grammenos.

“The Primer introduces the issue of the ‘unfunded infrastructure liability’. Viewing the watershed through an asset management lens provides local governments with a driver to require that development practices mimic the Water Balance,” states Craig Wightman.