Municipal Natural Assets Initiative — Cohort 2 National Project Summary Report: Riverview, New Brunswick
Published by:
David Suzuki Foundation and partners
Authored by:
Michelle Molnar,
Jeff Wilson,
Josh Thiessen,
Amy Taylor,
James Bornemann,
Marc-André Long,
Caitlin Brawn,
Cheekwan Ho
Partners:
Smart Prosperity Institute,
Town of Gibsons,
Roy Brooke and Associates
Cities, Climate solutions, Biodiversity, Oceans and fresh water eco-assets, New Brunswick, community and culture, economics, land use, water systems, natural capital, Municipal Natural Assets Initiative
The Town of Riverview wanted to understand how proper management of the natural assets within the community contributes to improved stormwater management.
The focus of the project was a large proposed development area within the Mill Creek Watershed, adjacent to a nature park. The town’s plan is to incorporate nature into the development to provide a seamless transition from one area to the other.
The project modelled scenarios for four wetlands to assess how they respond under different climate and development conditions. Results indicate that the wetlands’ stormwater services can be valued between $1.07 million (current value for one-in-five-year storm event) to $2.73 million (future value for a one-in-100-year storm event + proposed development).
The project demonstrates the need to actively manage the wetlands and avoid the need to build engineered alternatives, information that the community plans to act on through bylaw changes.
