Natural assets and green infrastructure

k’əmcnitkw (Alongside the Water) Floodplain Re-engagement Project

Located on Penticton Indian Band Reserve # 1 bordering sn’pink’tn (Penticton), BC, this innovative, multi-year, multi-partner project is well on-track in its efforts to restore the biodiverse mosaic of shallow open water wetlands, marshlands, seasonally flooded meadows, deciduous shrublands, and black cottonwood forests that once existed alongside the meandering q̓awsitkʷ … Read more

City of Kelowna Roadside Bioretention

The City of Kelowna is looking at new ways to use green infrastructure to manage water on roadways. Rather than typical curb-and-gutter systems used along most Kelowna roadways now, the City will replace them with bioretention bump-outs (curb extensions) and bioswales. Instead of water flowing into stormwater drains, it will … Read more

Comox Lake Initiative Strengthens Role of Nature in Protecting Drinking Water

READ ARTICLE: Comox Lake Initiative Strengthens Role of Nature in Protecting Drinking Water In 2019, several Comox Valley communities and the K’òmoks First Nation launched a multi-year initiative with the Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) to help better understand, measure, and manage critical drinking water services provided by nature. The Comox … Read more

Measuring the Value of Natural Assets in Saskatoon

READ ARTICLE: Measuring the Value of Natural Assets in Saskatoon The City of Saskatoon completed a pilot project to assign measurable value of the ecosystem services provided by its natural assets. The project had three phases: (1) compile an inventory and choose the natural assets to focus on, (2) identify the … Read more

The Town of Gibsons’ Experience in Financial Planning and Reporting

The Town of Gibsons was North America’s first community to experiment with strategies to integrate natural assets into asset management and financial planning. They started in 2009 by valuing the aquifer that filters and stores water to supply the town and future projected populations with clean drinking water and are … Read more

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We are all downstream.

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A healthy watershed is central to clean and abundant source water.

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Establishing setbacks, restoring riparian buffer zones along watercourses, and acquiring watershed segments can save money by preventing costly impacts to source water.

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British Columbia legislation related to source water protection is complicated, and the Government of British Columbia does not have a lead water agency.

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Local action supported by stable funding and consistent and coordinated approaches is imperative to maintaining source water quality.

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Funding for this project was provided by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Interior Health Authority, City of Kelowna, City of West Kelowna and the Okanagan Basin Water Board. This project was also supported through the Healthy Watersheds Initiative, which is delivered by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and Watersheds BC, with financial support from the Province of British Columbia as part of its $10-billion COVID-19 response.