Frequently Asked Questions

Further details on our role in permit review can be found in the “Permit” section below. 

Applications made under the Planning Act such as a severance or a minor variance are initiated through an individual municipality and Quinte Conservation is circulated on those files to provide technical and planning advice.  We have a delegated responsibility from the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to represent provincial interests where natural hazards are concerned and will also provide comments on natural heritage features such as wetlands.  Quinte Conservation staff do not make a decision on a planning application; that responsibility lies with individual municipalities. 

In general, Planning Act approvals must be obtained prior to applying for a permit through our regulations program. 

You can use our Property Regulation Map to determine if your property may be in an area that we regulate.  

Additionally, all Conservation Authorities have been delegated responsibility from the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to represent the provincial interest on matters related to Natural Hazards.  Quinte Conservation will review all Planning Act applications circulated to us with regards to Section 3.1 (Natural Hazards) of the Provincial Policy Statement. We will also comment on Natural Heritage features (e.g. wetlands and woodlands) and water quality and quantity (e.g. stormwater management). 

Information on our service agreements can be found on our Planning Services page.  

If you would like to speak to a staff member in person or have them visit your property you can book an appointment or request a site visit.

Under Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act and O.Reg 319/09, Quinte Conservation has a mandate to protect life, property, and the environment. Specific areas and features are regulated through this legislation and our office is responsible for ensuring that development is safe and does not create or exacerbate any hazards.

We regulate development around features such as watercourses, shorelines, and steep slopes that are prone to flooding and erosion hazards, as well as wetlands and other sensitive environmental areas that can be affected by ecological and hydrological impacts.

The regulated area is the distance around an environmental feature where Quinte Conservation has jurisdiction and where you need a permit from our office.  The regulated area varies from 45-120m depending on the feature.  Being in the regulated area does not mean you cannot do work in the majority of cases, only that you need a permit from our office for that work.

The setback is a distance around an environmental feature where development is not permitted by our office except in specific circumstances.  These setbacks vary from 15-30m depending on the feature and are to account for unforeseen impacts such as wave uprush or ice jamming and are also to provide a buffer around sensitive features such as wetlands.  The setback is part of the regulated area, not in addition to it.  For example, if the regulated area around a wetland is 120m and the setback is 30m, the first 30m of the regulated area around the wetland is the setback, the remaining 90m is the rest of the regulated area.

Development includes (but is not limited to) the following:

• Construction or demolition of buildings or other structures (e.g. house, garage, shed, deck, etc.)
• Site alteration, placement of fill or grade modifications.  Fill can include gravel, rock, sand, soil, etc.
• Installation and/or replacement of bridges, culverts and water control structures
• Any shoreline alterations including docks, boathouses, erosion protection, etc.
• Any realignment, channelization or dredging of a watercourse
• Any changes in grade adjacent to a wetland or vegetation removal in a wetland

For the purposes of our regulation, a wetland is a feature that meets the following criteria:

1. is seasonally or permanently covered by shallow water or has a water table close to or at its surface;
2. directly contributes to the hydrological function of a watershed through connection with a surface watercourse;
3. has hydric soils, the formation of which has been caused by the presence of abundant water; and,
4. has vegetation dominated by hydrophytic plants or water tolerant plants, the dominance of which has been favoured by the presence of abundant water, but does not include periodically soaked or wet land that is used for agricultural purposed and no longer exhibits a wetland characteristic referred to in clause (3) or (4).

PLEASE NOTE: All shoreline protection works (i.e. new, replacements and/or repairs) require a permit from Quinte Conservation. Additional permits from other agencies may also be required.

Yes, with some conditions.  If you have an existing retaining wall or other form of man-made protection, you can replace it or repair it on the same footprint.  You cannot expand the footprint of existing protection measures to either take up more space on the lake/creek bed or raise the grade so that flood water is blocked from coming onto the property.

New vertical walls are not permitted, however if you have a natural shoreline that is eroding you are permitted to place rocks, boulders, or other material provided it is sized appropriately and is placed at a stable slope along the shoreline.  In general a 3:1 slope is considered stable.  It is important to remember that any new erosion protection measures cannot extend out onto the lake/creek bed. 

Possibly. A permit from Quinte Conservation does not override any other permit requirements from any other agencies, whether federal, provincial or municipal.  You should contact your local municipality to discuss building permits and any other approvals that are required.

If you are doing work in or around the water, you should also contact the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) regarding their permit requirements.

If you are doing work in a Source Water Protection Area you should inquire about any restrictions or risk management requirements.

You can apply for a permit from our office and a building permit from the municipality concurrently but a permit from our office must be obtained before you receive a building permit.  The Conservation Authorities Act is considered “applicable law” under the Building Code and as such must be taken into consideration first, before a building permit is issued.  

If you would like to speak to a staff member in person or have them visit your property you can book an appointment or request a site visit.