Living on a Waterfront
Waterfront properties are some of the most highly-sought and valued properties across the region. We can see impacts due to increasing development and changes to the natural shore. These changes affect water quality, shoreline health, and wildlife through the loss of habitat.
Shorelines are among the most important places on earth. Over 90% of aquatic wildlife use them for food, shelter, breeding, and raising their young. We can restore the shoreline, lake, and river health by actions taken on the land as well as the shores of our rivers, streams, and lakes.
View our Watershed Report Card to understand the current health of our local watersheds.
Healthy Waterfronts Checklist |
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Planning to Develop Your Property? |
Always check with Quinte Conservation before building or making changes to your shorelines. You will require a permit if your project is adjacent to hazardous lands. Hazardous lands include areas subject to flooding, erosion, dynamic beaches and unstable soil/bedrock such as Karst. This can include, but is not limited to, watercourses or waterbodies, slopes, escarpments, and wetlands. Before you begin work near water or hazardous lands, contact Quinte Conservation. Development is considered to be any site grading, construction of any kind, or any alterations to waterways, wetlands or shorelines. Development can include, but is not limited to construction or erection of buildings, bridges, culverts; straightening, deepening, dredging, a watercourse or the creation of ponds; installation of docks; changing the use of a structure; or the creation of a beach, boat launch or boathouse. |
Shoreline Restoration Programs |
Natural Edge Shoreline Planting ProgramQuinte Conservation offers a full-service shoreline planting program in partnership with Watersheds Canada. This program helps waterfront property owners naturalize their shoreline by offering a full-service restoration program, which includes:
In addition, funding is provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, therefore landowners only have to pay 25% of the total project cost. For more information and to apply visit Shoreline Planting Program Shoreline Re-naturalization Starter Kits![]() Quinte Conservation offers shoreline planting kits to landowners at a 50% subsidized cost. A Shoreline Planting Kit come with:
To learn more visit our Shoreline Planting Programs Page |
Additional Resources |
Solutions for Shoreline Erosion Lake Protection Workbook: A Self-Assessment Tool for Shoreline Property Owners Preventing Conflicts with Beavers
Join your local lake/watershed group:
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