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

dnewman@gibsons.ca