Resources

Helpful Water Web Links

Water governance

• What we govern and what governs us: Developing sustainability in Canadian water management provides a discussion on improving water governance at the watershed level as well as a critique of current allocation systems in Canada. Oliver M. Brandes and Tony Maas. (June 2006).
• Setting a New Course in  British Columbia: Water Governance Reform Options and Opportunities. This report provides detail about water governance options for BC and has helped to inform the Water Act modernization project.  Brandes, O., D. Curran. (2009) Polis Project on Ecological Governance.
• UBC program on Water Governance conducts basic research on water management, engages the wider community in outreach and education on water issues, and facilitates dialogue on water governance between universities, communities, government, NGOs and the private sector.

Water allocation (surface and ground)

• Water Allocation and Water Security in Canada: Initiating a Policy Dialogue for the 21st Century provides an overview and recommendations for future water allocation and governance policy in Canada to ensure ongoing water security. Rob de Loë, Jeji Varghese, Cecelia Ferreyra, Reid Kreutzwiser (2007)
• The Sustainable Management of Groundwater in Canada was recently published to examine groundwater’s characteristics, as well as the goals and challenges inherent in achieving sustainable management. The report also examines how those challenges might be overcome in order to protect Canada’s precious groundwater resource.
• Water licences and conservation: future directions for land trusts in British Columbia Brandes, O., D. Curran.  2008 Prepared For: The Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia.

Stream health and aquatic environments

• The Instream Flow Council (IFC) is an organization that represents the interests of state and provincial fish and wildlife management agencies in the United States and Canada dedicated to improving the effectiveness of their instream flow programs.
• The Canadian Water Resources Association is a national organization of individuals and organizations interested in the management of Canada's water resources.

General water law and policy information

• The Institute for Research on Public Policy brings together a wide range of Canadian water experts to take stock of water policy in Canada.
• A Handbook for Integrated Water Resources Management in Basins is a useful publication from The Global Water Partnership and the International Network of Basin organizations -May 2009.
• Water Policy in B.C.: Directions and Possibilities for the B.C. Real Estate Association provide a summary of how water and water policy affects home owners and communities. Oliver Brandes and Jon O'Riordan (March 2007).
• Eau Canada: the Future of Canada’s Water provides a discussion from leading water experts on current and future water issues facing Canada.
• Balancing Act: Water Conservation and Economic Growth Discusses the linkages between water and economic growth and the importance of water conservation in water policy. Karen Wilkie (January, 2005)

Learning about what you can do

• WaterSense, a partnership program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, offers people a simple way to use less water. The program helps consumers make smart water choices that save money and maintain high environmental standards without compromising performance. Water efficient products and services earn the WaterSense label if they are at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance.
• Waterbucket is an interactive port-of-call for water smart actions and ideas. It includes resources, information, tools, and case studies on many kinds of water sustainability issues.  
• The Stewardship Centre British Columbia exists to provide a centre for information exchange, communications and outreach, and to foster partnerships and collaboration among those participating in stewardship in B.C.
• The Living by Water Project was initiated in 1997 by two shoreline residents from British Columbia.  They provide programs, services, materials, and help groups develop tools and capacities to carry out shoreline awareness and outreach, as well as protecting and restoring shoreline habitat.
• The Light House Sustainable Building Centre is a non-profit society dedicated to providing British Columbians with inspiration and information needed to implement sustainable building solutions.
• The Water Balance Model is a planning tool that allowed the user to model the runoff on a site for source control evaluation and stream health assessment in order to assess environmental impacts in watercourses and the effectiveness of mitigation techniques.
• The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is a proposal-driven organization; the Trust Foundation invites funding proposals from anyone who has a good idea that seeks to benefit fish, wildlife and habitat in British Columbia.