It’s almost that time of year again, where the lakes are free of ice and everyone is putting their boats in the lakes.
A lot of people inquire if they need a permit to put their docks, boat lifts in the water. For those that live near a lake within a Provincial Park, you may need a permit, You can contact the Provincial Park at 306-837-2410, to get more information.
Here are a few points from the Aquatic Habitat Protection Website. Click the link for more information.
If you are installing a temporary/ seasonal: floating dock. post dock. or a cantilever dock. or a post or wheel supported lift and you can meet all of the following conditions, then you do not need to apply to the WSA for an Aquatic Habitat Protection Permit:
- The configuration of the bank or bed of the water body or watercourse shall not be
altered: sand, gravel, rock o other material from within the bank shall not be removed or added.- To create a more stable footing for the dock or boat lift, a few rocks, or woody debris may be moved (by hand) outside of the footprint of your dock or boat lift, but they must be relocated to a nearby area, at a similar depth from which they were originally taken. These materials must not be removed from the water body or watercourse.
- Your project must not involve in-water excavation or dredging, and should avoid
covering aquatic vegetation. - All in-water work must be performed by hand.
- Operate machinery only on land and in a manner that minimizes disturbance to the
banks of the watercourse. - Your temporary dock or boat lift shall not have a solid bottom (e.g., metal or pre-cast concrete pad) to support the dock or boat lift.
- Temporary boat docks or boat lifts shall be removed prior to freeze-up each year.
- Storage of docks and boat lifts must occur on the owner’s property, or property where storage of the dock or boat lift has been deemed to be acceptable by the land owner.
- Any disturbance of the shoreline or lake bottom that occurs during dock placement,
installation or removal will be minimal. - All debris encountered during the dock or boat lift installation must be removed
and disposed of appropriately so that they cannot re-enter any watercourse. This includes materials such as garbage, tires, or other debris.
Best Management Practices to Protect Aquatic Habitat When Building your Dock or Boat Lift
- A dock/ boat lift must not block public access along the bed, bank or boundary (also known as beach or foreshore) of the water body.
- A dock/ boat lift must not excessively obstruct navigation, or enclose or isolate any part of the water body.
- All docks must be oriented at right angles (i.e., 90°) to the general trend of the shoreline.
- In-water activities must not occur during local fish spawning and nursery periods since it could disturb spawning behavior, smother eggs with sediment, and kill young fish.
- A dock/ boat lift must not block the free flow of water, or have any features such as steel sheeting, concrete or any other skirting that trap or accumulate aquatic plants or sediment.
- A dock must not enclose or isolate any part of a water body or watercourse.
For information, click the link Aquatic Habitat Protection.
