Nanaimo Regional District

This document outlines an updated 10-Year Action Plan for Drinking Water and Watershed Protection, building upon the accomplishments of the previous decade. The plan commits to addressing regional water challenges such as climate change, land use pressures, and jurisdictional complexity. It focuses on three key themes: Water Information and Science, Water-Centric Planning and Policy Support, and Water Awareness and Stewardship, all underpinned by an overarching theme of Water Collaboration. The intended outcomes include achieving drinking water sustainability, supporting climate adaptation, fostering healthy ecosystems, and guiding land use planning through coordinated water management and community engagement.

This document outlines a regional strategy for rainwater management aimed at guiding efforts in managing precipitation across the land base collaboratively. The core objectives are maintaining groundwater recharge, mitigating flooding, protecting water quality, and enhancing climate resilience. The strategy establishes a framework that includes setting foundations through studies and monitoring, developing performance targets, and implementing technical, policy, and planning tools. It aligns with the organization's overarching goals of environmental stewardship, growth management, climate change leadership, and fostering partnerships.

This document is a staff report summarizing the final report of a 10-Year Action Plan Review for the Regional District of Nanaimo's (RDN) Drinking Water and Watershed Protection (DWWP) program. The review assessed the DWWP Action Plan's implementation and effectiveness from 2009 to 2018, focusing on water resource awareness and education, water monitoring and science, and water policy and planning support. The report outlines key accomplishments and challenges, and its findings will inform the upcoming comprehensive update to the DWWP Action Plan.

The committee meeting covered a range of topics including water data management initiatives, upcoming projects on surface water quality trend analysis and updates to the Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Action Plan. Discussions also featured an overview of a proposed service referendum by the Cowichan Valley Regional District, a presentation on multi-year wetland research, and updates on Team WaterSmart outreach and various rebate programs. Additionally, the committee reviewed a pilot project for groundwater quality data consolidation, research on watershed recharge studies, internal policy updates for groundwater assessment, and evaluation reports regarding water conservation and irrigation practices.

This document outlines the Regional District of Nanaimo Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Action Plan for 2020-2030. The plan provides direction for regional water initiatives, prioritizing enhanced water efficiency, operationalizing water data, integrating water constraints into land-use planning, and fostering collaborative partnerships. Key priorities include snowpack modeling, increased support for watercourse restoration, piloting ecosystem services accounting for natural assets, developing demonstration sites and interpretive signage, conducting public surveys on water priorities, enhancing water stewardship incentives, developing watershed performance targets, and redesigning outreach initiatives. The plan aims to protect and enhance the natural environment, support effective regional land use planning, and responsibly manage water resources.