director of engineering, town of gibsons, bc applying the...
TRANSCRIPT
Applying the Principles of
(Natural) Asset
Management
Dave Newman, AScTDirector of Engineering, Town of Gibsons, BC
Presentation Overview• What are Natural Assets?
• Why are they important to us?
• Case Study – Gibsons Aquifer
• Conceptual Plan – Charman Creek
Watershed
Where is Gibsons?• West Coast Community
• Lower mainland BC
• Accessible by ferry
• Population ~4,500
• Area ~4 square km (1.6
square miles)
Setting the stage…• Natural Asset Management = Asset
Management
• Early stages: more questions than
answers
Setting the stage…• A desire to raise awareness with
municipalities, consultants, elected
officials, the public
• Foster partnership and sharing of
experiences
What are Natural Assets?
Features in the natural environment that perform
a municipal civil function and provide an
alternate or a supplement to an engineered asset
Examples of Natural Assets • Rivers and Streams (storm water conveyance)
• Swamps and wetlands (storm water treatment)
• Aquifers (drinking water storage and filtration)
• Trees (storm water management, slope stabilization)
• Soil (storm water management)
Examples of “Natural Assets”
• Ditches and swales
• Engineered wet lands
• Constructed ponds
We need a name here – Biomimicry? Engineered Natural Assets?
• Reforestation
• Soil improvement(?)
Why Natural Assets?
• Less funding required
• Provides a common ground
• Carbon neutral or even carbon positive
• Draws attention and finances to ignored assets
“You could look at nature as being like a catalog of products, and all of those have benefited
from a 3.8 billion year research and development period. And given that level of investment,
it makes sense to use it.”
-Michael Pawlyn
Natural Assets in a Local Government Context• Include only assets in your
inventory that perform a civil
function and the responsibility of
the (local) government
• Stay focused, avoid scope creep
Case Study:The Gibsons Aquifer
• Using basic AM
principles for a Natural
Asset
Gibsons Aquifer1. Inventory
• Confined aquifer providing
water to 75% of Town at 45% of
ultimate population
• extents of aquifer mapped
• recharge area identified
Gibsons Aquifer2. Value
• No specific value
established for the
aquifer
• Treatment costs
• Exorbitant cost to
establish a new water
source
Gibsons Aquifer3. Condition:
• Excellent – untreated water
meets rigorous health
standards
4. Impact from growth
• Able to provide water to 75%
of ultimate population
Gibsons Aquifer5. Operation and maintenance
plan
• Bylaws & policies for protection &
conservation
• Fringe area agreement with Regional
District
• Education
Gibsons Aquifer
6. Financial Plan:
• Aquifer related costs are
included as part of our
water system
• Water rates are set to
ensure full cost recovery
Gibsons Aquifer7. Ongoing
Assessment
• Annual monitoring
program
• Revise growth
projections based
on actual demand
Determining the Feasibility of a Natural Asset Option• Comparing Engineered and Natural Asset
solutions
Conceptual Plan:Enhancing the Charman Creek Watershed
Storm Water Conveyance
for Upper Gibsons
• 160 ha +/- catchment area
• Includes most of the 46 ha
Upper Gibsons area• 900 Residential Units
• 32,000 m2 Commercial
• 22,000 m2 Industrial
• Requires storm water
conveyance solution
The Challenge
Catchment Area
Charman Creek
Upper Gibsons
Existing Storm Assets
= discharge of engineered system to natural
• 22 km of Engineered
drainage
• Includes 4 km of
>500mm pipe
• 6 km of Natural
drainage within Town
boundaries
Plan A:An Engineered Solution• 2 km storm trunk
• $4 million capital cost
• $50,000/year
replacement cost
• Majority of pipe must be in
place for development to
occur
Plan B: A Natural Solution• 2 km Natural Asset already
in place
• Required for growth but
may be constructed in
stages as growth occurs
• $4 million capital cost for
improvements over 50
years
• $0 replacement cost
Playing field dry storage
New and existing ponds
Charman Creek Channel
Neighbourhood ponds
Charman Creek Channel• Some areas have been
urbanized, reducing
conveyance capacity and
fish habitat
• Steep slopes may need to
be addressed
Whitetower Park Ponds• Consists of a series of
natural and constructed
ponds
• Forest and soils provide
storm water detention
• Occasional dredging
required
• Volume to be increased by
raising surrounding trails
• Photo 2
New Whitetower Pond• Mimics Natural Asset
• Creates an upstream
settlement pond
• Maximizing use of
municipal lands
• Create educational walk
• Provide picnic and
recreational use area
• Playing fields
upstream can serve
additional function
• Dry storage based on
acceptable frequency
of flooding
Playing Field Dry Storage
Neighbourhood Ponds• Neighbourhood
storm water
solutions to augment
larger ponds
• Consider a reduction
in on-site individual
storm water
solutions and an
increase in
communal services
Partnership with David Suzuki Foundation – NA Assessment • Build a series of bio-economic models
• Provides economic value(s) for natural assets
• Calculated by asking what the engineered asset costs would be to replace the
services provided by the Natural Asset
• Determine Natural AM costs including: 1) operating expenses 2) maintenance 3)
monitoring 4) if necessary, restore the natural asset
• Provide in person training, as well as a guidance document on
completing a Municipal Natural Capital assessment
Conclusions• Justification in applying established AM principles to Natural Assets
• Be clear on what your Natural Assets are
• Establish a policy/strategy to educate, state objectives, protect
Natural Assets
• Determine economic values
• Educate stakeholders
• Share successes and challenges
Questions?“When we look at what is truly sustainable, the only real model that has
worked over long periods of time is the natural world.”
-Janine Benyus
Contact:
Dave Newman, AScT
Director of Engineering, Town of Gibsons