MDI was hired to explore landscape-based source control treatment options for stormwater management at Klemtu, a small waterfront community on Swindle Island, on the North Coast of BC.

This project repositions infrastructure in Klemtu as a landscape-driven system, addressing chronic sedimentation impacts through integrated, low-impact strategies. Moving away from conventional hard engineering, the design emphasizes soft shoreline approaches that restore intertidal habitat, stabilize slopes, and improve community access to the waterfront. Village drainage is reconceived as a simplified network of ditches and culverts, reducing reliance on high-maintenance piped systems while improving long-term performance. A suite of targeted interventions—including waterbars, bioswales, sediment basins, and intertidal planting benches—works collectively to slow, filter, and manage runoff at multiple scales, prioritizing durability, ecological function, and a strengthened relationship between community and landscape.