Boathouses and Boat Launches

Importance of Shorelines

Natural shorelines are an essential part of a healthy aquatic ecosystem and include the areas above and below the water’s edge. Aquatic vegetation, rocks and woody debris provide important habitat for fish and other aquatic species, while protecting our shorelines from ice and wave erosion. Trees, shrubs and grasses provide habitat for wildlife, and protect shorelines and stream banks from ice, waves and other erosional forces. Vegetation even acts as a filter for surface runoff. People also use this nearshore area as a public corridor.

When shorelines are disturbed (by development or natural causes), valuable fish and wildlife habitat can be lost, and shorelines may no longer be able to function optimally. The impact of shoreline alterations is not confined to any one parcel of land. A water body benefits – or suffers – from the cumulative works and actions of all the users of that water body. Changes and disruptions to the shoreline area (both above and below the waterline) can add up, resulting in significant habitat loss and negative changes to water quality.

Boathouses and launches are, by their very nature, shoreline structures, and need to be located close to the water. When located, designed and installed correctly, these structures can have a relatively low impact on shorelines. If done incorrectly, they can have a significant impact on our shorelines, fish populations and aquatic ecosystems. The design, placement and use of appropriate building materials for boathouses and boat launches will help minimize the impact these structures have on shorelines and help maintain a healthy shoreline environment.

Environmentally friendly practices to consider BEFORE applying for your boathouse or boat launch permit

Plan to minimize the amount of riparian vegetation removed or disturbed and use existing access routes to the shoreline.
Minimize disturbance to the shoreline and banks to avoid causing erosion.
Install effective erosion and sediment control measures before starting work. Prevent the deposit of sediment into the water body.
Operate machinery in a manner that minimizes the disturbance to the bed, bank or boundary of the water body, or perform in-water work by hand.
Plan to wash, refuel or service machinery well away from the water body.
Use acceptable construction materials. Certain types of treated wood or creosote treated railway ties are not recommended for any shoreline or in-water works. These, and other unacceptable materials, may release deleterious substances that are toxic to humans, fish and other forms of wildlife.

Boathouses

Select a design for a boathouse that minimizes disturbance to the backshore area.
Boathouses must be located back from the top of bank and on the owner’s property. Boathouses are not typically approved to be located on the beach or in/on the water.
All disturbed soils should be contained and managed to prevent sediment from entering the water. Plan to control sediment and make sure the right equipment and material is available at the start of the project.
Many municipalities and provincial parks have bylaws against boathouses on the shorelines, while others have minimum setback distances that a structure can be built from your property boundaries. Confirm that boathouses are permitted in your area prior to contacting WSA and be prepared to provide proof of approval from your local municipality.

Boat Launches

Time in-water work to avoid sensitive fish spawning periods. In-water work may disturb spawning behavior, smother eggs and kill young fish.
Do not use cast-in-place concrete. Wet concrete can be toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms.
Whenever possible, avoid in-water dredging. It has an increased potential to harm fish and fish habitat.
If work will require heavy machinery to enter the water, plan the work to limit time spent in the water. Isolate the work site from the rest of the lake or river using sediment curtain or similar methods.
When site isolation is required, you will have to capture any fish trapped within the area and release them unharmed into the water body. This is typically done by a qualified person. Be prepared and plan for this.
Rock and gravel are spawning habitat for some fish species. Removing material from the bed or bank of any water body is not usually permitted. Plan to source your rock from land.
Avoid covering or removing vegetation. Aquatic vegetation provides cover and spawning areas for fish and other organisms.
Review the Ministry of Government Relations fact sheet on Dedicated Lands and
Boat Launches.

Information you will need to submit:

You will need to submit the following information to WSA for your boathouse or boat launch project to obtain an Aquatic Habitat Protection Permit (AHPP):

Contact information (applicant/ contractor/ funding organization – whichever is applicable)
Name of water body/bodies that may be affected
Project location (Lat/Long; UTM; land legal description; legal lot description for cottage developments)
Registered landowner contact
Description of work, a reason for the work, time frame and other details, including:
- A plan view (bird’s eye view) sketch/drawing of the work site indicating the location of existing buildings, shoreline structures and property lines, the dimensions of proposed work area (length and width) and distance of all the above to the water’s edge (if available, reference the high/low/summer water levels);
- A profile view (cross-sectional) sketch/drawing of the original bank slope and proposed slope including the distance from the current water’s edge (if available, reference the high/low/summer levels); and
- Typically a minimum of four pictures of the surrounding shoreline and proposed work site.

Contact Information

Water Security Agency, Aquatic Habitat Protection
300-2365 Albert Street
Regina SK S4P 4K1
306.787.0726
https://www.wsask.ca/Water-Programs/Aquatic-Habitat-Protection/
Also contact: Municipal authority for your shoreline area.

Definitions:

Bed: that portion of the water body typically covered by water.

Bank: the rising ground bordering a water body that serves to confine the water to a channel or bed.

Boundary: the line or elevation contour surrounding a water body or watercourse where the aquatic vegetation and terrestrial plant species known to tolerate water saturated soils change entirely to terrestrial vegetation tolerating little or no soil saturation and included a minimum surrounding area of five metres measured outward from the top of the bank.

Infilling: the deposition of materials onto the bed or bank (e.g., bottom or shoreline) of any water body.

Riparian Vegetation: the complex plan community that grows along banks of a water body or watercourse extending to the edge of the floodplain. This includes the emergent aquatic plants growing at the edge of the water and the ground cover plants, shrubs and trees within the riparian zone.

Riparian Area: is the transition zone between water and upland areas that border streams, rivers, lake and wetlands. Riparian areas can perform unique ecosystem services such as filtration and sediment trapping and groundwater recharge, contributing to clean, abundant water and wildlife habitat. well as the ground cover plants, shrubs and trees within the riparian area.