Planning for Sustainable Systems for the Courtenay River Estuary William Marsh Landscape Architecture Program University of British Columbia

The secret to sustainability is systems management.

The estuary is an open system.

Input systems

• Terrestrial • Marine

Watershed Inputs

Estuary

Ocean Current Inputs

Marine Outputs

Puntledge Tsolum

MillardPiercy

Trent River

Brooklyn Creek

Queen’s Ditch

Longshore Drift

Essential questions for Land Use Planning: • What system? • Where in the system? • Implications of action?

Barriers • Boxes … • Reductionism … • Political jurisdiction …

Some examples of barriers to systems thinking …

1931 LAND USE AND LAND COVER

1996 LAND USE AND LAND COVER

Agriculture

Forest

Paved

Marsh

Scrub

Pond

Cleared

Low Residential

N W

SCALE 1:30,000 500

0

500

0.5

0

0.5

E

Agriculture

Forest

Low Residential

Paved

Marsh

Grass

Medium Residential

Pond

Cleared

S

1000 Meters 1 Kilometers

N W

Built Form SCALE 1:30,000 500

0

500

0.5

0

0.5

Queens Ditch: 1931 vs 1996 Land Use & Cover

E S

1000 Meters 1 Kilometers

Three Recommendations: 1. Add systems thinking to all new development projects: A. Define the system and your place in it; B. Demonstrate an understanding of how the system operates; C. Define the implications of proposed actions; D. Demonstrate mitigation measures to maintain system performance

2. Add a systems requirement to the Comox Valley sustainability initiatives that goes beyond ecosystems to include: • • • •

watersheds drainage nets aquifers coastal systems

3. Consider creating Watershed Councils to coordinate and oversee actions that affect the performance of inter-jurisdictional water systems.