British Columbians are keen to protect rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands, a new poll finds

"We love our water, so much that we want new rules to protect the elixir of life. Water is the most highly valued natural resource we have, according to a new poll from the McAllister polling group done for WWF Canada and the Vancouver Foundation," writes Linda Nowlan in an article published by The Tyee.

Four key changes are needed, states Linda Nowlan, and the government is poised to act on them all:

• Put stream health first
• Secondly, change the rules around water governance 
• Then we have water allocation 
• Next up is groundwater

"How strong are the province's current water law proposals? The fine details have not yet been released, but all indications are that we're on the right track. The government's pledges to 'modernize' the Water Act are well underway," summarizes Linda Nowlan.

TO LEARN MORE: To read the complete article online, click on  Our Most Loved Resource? Water; and to download a copy, click here

Linda Nowlan is an environmental lawyer in Vancouver who served on the Canadian Council of Academies' Expert Panel on Groundwater, the BC Independent Drinking Water Review Panel, and is the author of numerous reports on water and environmental law, including Practising Shared Water Governance in Canada: A Primer and Buried Treasure: Groundwater Permitting and Pricing in Canada.