1. Public Information Meeting
October 29th 2013
Gabriola Island, BC

2. PRESENTATION
Introduction
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
In 2008, residents voted to establish a
Drinking Water and Watershed Protection
Service…
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Today, we are going to talk about where we are:
• DWWP program update
• Water Budget Study review
• Integrated Watershed Management Planning

3. Introduction: Partnerships
Our program is founded on partnerships and collaboration
Municipalities:
The public: residents, community associations, streamkeeper
groups, professionals, students.
Other governmental organizations:
Other RDN departments:
Sustainability, Wastewater, Rec & Park

4. Introduction: Program development
2008
The RDN became the first regional government in
British Columbia to start a Drinking Water &
Watershed Protection service
7 Program Actions
2009-Present
The DWWP is guided by a technical advisory committee
of experts from: forestry, hydrogeology, academia,
community stewardship, fisheries, water services
The program is guided by the an Action Plan
that outlines the key goals and objectives

5. 1. DWWP Program Update

6. PRESENTATION
DWWP update: Program 1
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Public Awareness and Involvement
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
Free Workshops
Websites
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
Community Booth
www.TeamWaterSmart.ca
 Background
 Overview
Home Visits
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
School Program
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
www.RDNgetinvolved.ca

7. PRESENTATION
DWWP update: Program 1
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Public Awareness and Involvement
 Program 2
 Program 3
School Program: Fieldtrips
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
From the classroom…..
 What & Why
 How & Who
To the watershed…..
2014 – field trips for Gr. 4 & 5
•
•
Nanaimo River watershed
Englishman River watershed

8. PRESENTATION
DWWP update: Program 2
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Water Resources Inventory & Monitoring
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
Water Budget Study
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
Water Map
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
Provincial Observation
Well Network Expansion
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
Volunteer Well Level
Monitoring
 What & Why
 How & Who
Community Watershed
Monitoring

9. PRESENTATION
DWWP update: Program 2
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Water Resources Inventory & Monitoring: Highlights
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
Provincial Observation
Well Network Expansion
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
Groundwater
monitoring
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Volunteer Well Level
Monitoring

10. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
DWWP update: Program 2
Water Resources Inventory & Monitoring: Highlights
Community Watershed
Monitoring Network
Surface water
monitoring
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Volunteer Sampling Schedule
5 weeks  Summer low flow
5 weeks  Fall flush
Community Watershed Monitoring Network
Stewardship Groups
Nanaimo & Area Land Trust
Vancouver island University
Island Waters Fly Fishers
Departure Creek Streamkeepers
Mid-Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society
Friends of French Creek Conservation Society
Parksville-Qualicum Fish & Game / QBS
Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers (QBS)
Nile Creek Enhancement Society
Lantzville-Nanoose Streamkeepers
NORTH

11. DWWP update: Program 2
PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
Water Resources Inventory & Monitoring: Highlights
 Program 1
 Program 2
Community Watershed
Monitoring Network
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
Provincial Observation
Well Network Expansion
 Overview
 Methodology
www.dwwp.ca
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
•
•
•
•
Measurements
Temperature
Turbidity
Dissolved Oxygen
Specific Conductance

12. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
DWWP update: Program 3
Land Use Planning & Development
Agricultural Water Demand
Model
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Agriculture Land Reserve
Yellow Point Development
Permit Area

13. PRESENTATION
DWWP update: Program 4
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Watershed Management Planning

14. PRESENTATION
DWWP update: Program 5
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Water Use Management
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Water Conservation
Plan
Toilet Replacement
Rebate
Water Purveyor
Working Group
Water Use Reporting
Centre
Rainwater Harvesting
Incentive & Guidebook

15. PRESENTATION
DWWP update: Program 5
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Water Use Management
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
Rainwater Harvesting
Incentive & Guidebook
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Storing winter/spring
rainwater for summer usage
takes pressure off aquifers &
municipal supplies

16. DWWP update: Program 6
PRESENTATION
Water Quality Management
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
2011 Volunteer Well
Water Quality Survey
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
 What & Why
Rural Water Quality
Stewardship Program
 How & Who
No.
Rebate Item
1
Well Cap
2
Surface Seal
3
Well Casing Stick-up
4
Well deactivation
5
Water Quality Testing
3. Watershed Management

17. PRESENTATION
DWWP update: Program 7
1. DWWP update
Adapting to Climate Change
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
• Sustainability -
 Methodology
ensure sustainable aquatic ecosystems with intact
riparian vegetation and adequate instream flows.
 Findings
 Conclusion
• Adaptability -
3. Watershed Management
find ways to do more in-season management of water
that is based on real time data.
 What & Why
 How & Who
• Collaboration -
• Efficiency -
public processes at the watershed level that develop
information and inform decision-making in a public way
conservation of water and more efficient use

18. 2. Water Budget Study

19. PRESENTATION
Water Budget Study
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
7 Water Regions within the RDN:
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
Vancouver Island: WR1- 6
 Program 6
 Program 7
WR1
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
WR2
Gulf Islands: WR7
WR3
WR4
WR5
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
WR6
WR7

20. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Water Budget Study
• Gabriola, Mudge, & Decourcey Water Budget Project Report
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
Prepared by:
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
• Vancouver Island Water Budget Project Report
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Prepared by:

21. PRESENTATION
Water Budget Study: Background
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
Project Goal
To improve understanding of regional water resources by:
 Program 4
• Identifying water stores
 Program 5
• Estimating how much water they hold
 Program 6
• Characterizing how water moves between the stores
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
• Identifying water stores under stress
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
Justification
 Findings
The Water Budget Project was specifically developed to…..
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
 Meet the goal of the DWWP program:
[to ensure that we have a sufficient, safe and
sustainable supply of water]
 Address the direction of the 2010 Snapshot Report:
[to ensure sufficient clean water for human,
environmental, and economic needs]

22. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Water Budget Study: Project overview

23. PRESENTATION
Water Budget Study: methodology
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
1.
Desk study:
• resource mapping
• Data compilation
2.
Data collection:
• Water level monitoring
• Pump tests
• Geological logging
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
Conceptual model development
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
3.
• Based on physical characteristics
• Current scientific understanding
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Water budget calculation
4.
= Supply – Demand
(Recharge) (Abstraction)
Stress assessment
5.
Supply
• Low Stress
• Moderate Stress
• High Stress
Demand
<50%
>50%
>100%

24. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
Water Budget Study: methodology
Conceptual model development
Example…..
 Program 4
Groundwater flow
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
1.
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
Water in rock
fractures
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
Saturated
zone
 How & Who
2.
Water between
grains
Photo Credit: Natural Resources Canada

25. PRESENTATION
Water Budget: Gab conceptual model development
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
Geological Logging
• Thickness of strata
• Hydraulic characteristics
 Program 6
Fractures: low porosity, high Ks
 Program 7
Matrix: high porosity/low Ks
2. Water Budget
 Background
• Orientation of fractures
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Thick layer, visible cliff tops
 Visible cliff bottoms
 Thick layer, lower elevations
 Visible along shores /sea bed
Deep below Gabriola
 Visible on Mudge

26. Cross Section

27. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Water Budget: VI Conceptual model development

28. Water Level Contour Map

29. PRESENTATION
Water Budget Study
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
Water Budget Calculations
Accounting…..
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
for water…..
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
(rainfall)
(evaporation)

30. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Water Budget Study
Stress Assessment Calculation
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
Input:
Supply
Output:
Demand
 What & Why
 How & Who
Recharge
STRESS LEVEL
LOW: <50%
MOD: >50%
HIGH: >100%
Residential
Commercial
Agricultural

31. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Water Budget Study
Stress Assessment Calculation
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
Input:
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
Recharge
10% of rainfall –lower limit
25% of rainfall –upper limit
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Recharge is highly spatially variable and dependent on:
• Rainfall
• Soil type & soil zone thickness
• Rock type

32. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
Water Budget Study
Stress Assessment Calculation
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
Output:
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Residential Demand
• survey respondents (10.8%)
Commercial Demand
• Survey respondents
• Daily max industrial water demands
Agricultural Demand
• Survey respondents
• Max licensed allocation (farm type)

33. Water Budget Study
Type of Water Use

34. Seasonal Water Use
Residential Water Use Type

35. PRESENTATION
Findings: Water Stress Assessment
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
10% recharge scenario: lower limit
4 deficit regions July - Aug
Sands, West Degnen Bay, False Narrows & Mudge
 Program 6
1 deficit region Apr - Sept
 Program 7
North Degnen Bay
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
25% recharge scenario: upper limit
1 deficit region Jun - Aug
North Degnen Bay
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
demand
>
supply

36. Water Deficit: Demand > Recharge

37. STRESS LEVEL
LOW: <50%
MOD: >50%
HIGH: >100%
Residential
37% increase
Commercial
increase
Agricultural
increase

38. How reliable are the stress assessments?
Example: North Degnen Bay
• Assumes ~85% of water use in North Degnen is agricultural
• High agricultural demand April-Sept (irrigation period)
• Agricultural demand values assume maximum licensed volume of
water across the entire irrigation period
• Low total demand/km2 compared to other sub-regions
• % recharge assumed uniform year round
North Degnen Bay

39. Water Budget Study: Conclusion
Author recommendations:
 Improved estimates of hydraulic parameters (pump tests)
 Increased water level monitoring (Mudge & DeCourcy)
 Monitoring of rainfall and water level rise
 Increased monitoring of coastal wells for Saline intrusion
 Water budget calculation parameters need improved accuracy
(survey #s, commercial & agricultural use is unknown, surface
water!)

40. PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
Findings: data gaps
Study recommendations:
1. Mandatory well log submission
2. Standardization of aquifer testing
 Program 6
 Program 7
3. Increase well observation network
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
4. Reactivation of stream gauging (WSC)
5. Increase saline intrusion monitoring
6. Improve Water Budget calculation parameters

41. PRESENTATION
Conclusion
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
The Phase One Water Budgets provide the
most comprehensive collation of information
on the region's water resources that has been
made available to date
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
• Results are purely conceptual and not
intended for water management
decision making or policy development
• Large degree of uncertainty due to lack
of data
• Highlights data gaps and need for
increased monitoring
• Stepping stone for the future!

42. For more details
and to
download the complete reports
VISIT:
www.rdnwaterbudget.ca
Report
Download

44. 3. Integrated Watershed
Management Planning

45. PRESENTATION
Integrated Watershed Management Planning
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
WHAT is a Integrated Watershed Management Plan?
 Program 3
 Program 4
 Program 5
Phase Two & Three
Phase One
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Phase Three
It considers all human and environmental aspects of a watershed

46. Integrated Watershed Management Planning
PRESENTATION
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
 Program 2
 Program 3
WHY is it needed?
•
Land use activities such as forestry, mining, agriculture, urbanization,
fisheries and recreation all impact water resources
•
Water resource problems are reaching global proportions; how we
manage our water and how our neighbors manage theirs has an
impact on all of us
•
There is a wide variety of processes that affect the hydrological cycle;
only managing one aspect is mismanagement. A holistic approach is
the only way forward
 Program 4
 Program 5
 Program 6
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who

47. PRESENTATION
Integrated Watershed Management Planning
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
HOW?
What does a planning framework include?
 Program 2
 Program 3
 Program 4
1. Identification of river basin areas (water regions)
 Program 5
 Program 6
2. Identification of water resources (surface and ground water)
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
3. Identification of measurement parameters (chemical/ecological/social)
 Background
 Overview
4. Identification of protected areas (forests, parks, fisheries)
 Methodology
 Findings
5. Assess current state (i.e. poor, good, high)  WHAT
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
6. Reasons for not achieving good status
 WHY
7. Action plan to achieve good status/improve  HOW

48. PRESENTATION
Integrated Watershed Management Planning
1. DWWP update
 Program 1
WHO?
 Program 2
 Program 3
Residents
 Program 4
 Program 5
Industry
 Program 6
Stewardship
groups
 Program 7
2. Water Budget
 Background
 Overview
 Methodology
 Findings
 Conclusion
3. Watershed Management
 What & Why
 How & Who
Scientists
Conservation
groups
Government
A key component to the success of these plans is public input…you live
in the watershed! You know it best

49. Integrated Watershed Management Planning
Where do we go from here?
In your opinion:
• what are the priority watershed issues?
• who is responsible for watershed management?
• what do you think the DWWP program should focus on?

50. Thank You!