{"id":1486,"date":"2013-09-20T22:14:27","date_gmt":"2013-09-20T22:14:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qa.blog.gov.bc.ca\/livingwatersmart\/?page_id=1486"},"modified":"2023-07-12T14:04:16","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T21:04:16","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to the Water Sustainability Act engagement site"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome. The purpose of this site is\u00a0to provide you with opportunities to\u00a0engage with government during the ongoing implementation of the new\u00a0Water Sustainability Act<\/em>,<\/em> which came into force on February 29, 2016. Results of the\u00a0engagement that has taken place since 2009 can also be found on this site.<\/p>\n

Much of the detail related to implementation of the Water Sustainability Act<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/em>is provided in regulations and operational policies. An initial set of regulations<\/a>\u00a0also\u00a0<\/em>came into effect on February\u00a029, 2016.\u00a0Due to the number of proposed regulations and policies, government is taking a phased approach to their development and work in this area continues.<\/p>\n

Since the project of modernizing provincial water law<\/a> began in 2009, government has heard from First Nations, industry and environmental groups, local governments, and individuals with an interest in our water resource. British Columbians sent in thousands of\u00a0submissions<\/a>\u00a0with ideas covering everything from how to protect groundwater, how to ensure our streams and lakes stay healthy, to considering water when we make land use decisions. These ideas helped to inform the policies in the Water Sustainability Act <\/em>and the initial set of regulations under the Act.<\/em><\/p>\n

This web site describes\u00a0the engagement process<\/a>\u00a0to date, the\u00a0written\u00a0submissions<\/a>\u00a0received and the results<\/a>\u00a0of the engagement.<\/p>\n

Blog Post #46 – Engagement summary report now available<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on March 18, 2026<\/div><\/div>

Engagement Update: Natural Resource Permitting 2025\r\nThank you to everyone who participated in the public engagement process on proposed changes to improve natural resource permitting. From September... Read More Blog Post #46 – Engagement summary report now available<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Wetlands professional accountability<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government\u2019s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline... Read More Engagement opportunity: Wetlands professional accountability<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Wetland identification and delineation manual<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Wetlands are vital ecosystems that support clean water, biodiversity, flood protection, and climate resilience. In British Columbia, wetlands also hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for... Read More Engagement opportunity: Wetland identification and delineation manual<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Strategic use of offset payments to support wetland conservation<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

The provincial guidance on environmental mitigation (reducing impacts) and applying the environmental mitigation hierarchy is provided in the B.C. Environmental Mitigation Policy (EMP) and the B.C.... Read More Engagement opportunity: Strategic use of offset payments to support wetland conservation<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Applying the mitigation hierarchy for wetlands<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Wetlands in B.C. are under increasing development pressures. It is important to explore opportunities to maintain these valuable natural assets.\u202fThis post explores whether and how to strengthen the... Read More Engagement opportunity: Applying the mitigation hierarchy for wetlands<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Managing all wetland classes<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Wetlands are essential parts of British Columbia\u2019s landscapes. They support biodiversity, regulate water flow, and improve freshwater quality and sustainability. The Water Sustainability Act (WSA),... Read More Engagement opportunity: Managing all wetland classes<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Best management practices for changes in and about a stream<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Best management practices provide consistent, clear recommendations or requirements for how to carry out particular work or activities. They are widely accepted and recognized standards of practice... Read More Engagement opportunity: Best management practices for changes in and about a stream<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Expediting existing use groundwater applications<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government\u2019s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline... Read More Engagement opportunity: Expediting existing use groundwater applications<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Low volume water use streamlined authorization process<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government\u2019s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline... Read More Engagement opportunity: Low volume water use streamlined authorization process<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Streamlining routine permitting requirements for changes in and about a stream<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government\u2019s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline... Read More Engagement opportunity: Streamlining routine permitting requirements for changes in and about a stream<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Expanding eligibility for stream restoration activities<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government\u2019s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline... Read More Engagement opportunity: Expanding eligibility for stream restoration activities<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Administrative penalties timelines<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government\u2019s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline... Read More Engagement opportunity: Administrative penalties timelines<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Exemption for constructing ice roads to access restoration sites<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government\u2019s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline... Read More Engagement opportunity: Exemption for constructing ice roads to access restoration sites<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Low volume water use without an authorization<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government\u2019s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline... Read More Engagement opportunity: Low volume water use without an authorization<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div>

Engagement opportunity: Exemption for construction dewatering<\/a><\/h1>
Posted on September 22, 2025<\/div><\/div>

Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government\u2019s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline... Read More Engagement opportunity: Exemption for construction dewatering<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

Previous Blog Posts<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome. The purpose of this site is\u00a0to provide you with opportunities to\u00a0engage with government during the ongoing implementation of the new\u00a0Water Sustainability Act, which came into force on February 29, 2016. Results of the\u00a0engagement that has taken place since 2009 can also be found on this site. Much of the detail related to implementation of … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":3340,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-showcase.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1486","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1486"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4976,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1486\/revisions\/4976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engage.gov.bc.ca\/watersustainabilityact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}