I suggest you read the entire article. It is NOT about catching rainfall in a barrel.
He didn’t have a rain barrel. He constructed more than one dam and not at a down spout on his house or barn, but dammed up a tributary creek.
The guy is a jerk.
FWIW, the City of Victoria B.C. will soon be offering tax credits to anyone who collects rainwater on their property (or otherwise keeps it from flowing to storm sewers). More accurately, perhaps, there will be tax increases for everyone who doesn't collect rainwater. You're still not allowed to erect a dam, and create a huge reservoir.
http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/departments/engineering/stormwater/rainwater_management.html