Apply for a Permit

Your application must include:

• A copy of the deed or tax bill to prove ownership
• A registered plan/survey (if available)
• Location map showing nearest intersections (e.g. Google map)
• Detailed letter/report describing the proposal
• Volume and origin of any fill material from an off-site source for septic systems, driveways, foundations, etc.
• One set of plans/drawings (paper copies must be no larger than 11" x 17")
• Signed letter of authorization from the owner to applicant (if applicant is not owner)
• Statement of agreement from any persons sharing right-of-ways, easements, etc. (if applicable)
• Colour photographs of entire shoreline taken in summer (if shoreline works or boathouse proposed)
• Sediment and erosion control proposal (for infrastructure, commercial/industrial/multi-residential)
• Replacement of existing septic systems in the same location, outside of any flooding hazard

Additional application requirements can include the following, depending on the features present on your property:

• Environmental impact study
• Wetland compensation plan
• Elevation/topographic survey
• Geotechnical and/or slope stability study
• Engineered drawings
• Flood plain modelling/mapping
• Stream bank erosion analysis
• Geomorphologic assessment
• Etc.

Minor standard permit applications are reviewed within 14 days of being received. Your application will then be deemed "Complete" or "Incomplete".

Once a minor application is deemed "Complete", a permit will be issued within 21 days.

Major standard permit applications are reviewed within 21 days of being received. Your application will then be deemed "Complete or "Incomplete".

Once a major application is deemed "Complete", a permit will be issued within 28 days.

If your application has been deemed "Incomplete", we will contact you to let you know what information is missing.

Minor - An application is determined to be "Minor" where there is low risk of impact on a natural hazard or natural features and may include the review of technical reports/plans (e.g. Environmental Impact Study, Flood Plain Analysis, Stormwater Management Plan).

Major - An application is determined to be "Major" where risk to natural hazard and natural features is high and the review of multiple technical reports/plans is required (e.g. Environmental Impact Study, Flood Plain Analysis, Stormwater Management Plan).

Standard minor permits are valid for two years after they are issued. Standard major permits are valid for up to five years after they are issued. 

Only relatively minor projects qualify for a streamlined permit application. Examples include:

• Construction of non-habitable accessory buildings or structures that are less than 46.5 square metres in size, located outside of any wetland
• Installation of swimming pools, located outside of any wetland and/or flooding hazard
• Construction of unenclosed decks, patios
• Construction of single residential docks where fill placement, excavation and/or grade modifications are required
• Roadside ditch maintenance
• Routine maintenance and/or repair of public/private infrastructure
• Culvert replacements of the same length and diameter
• Fill placement, excavation, and/or grade modifications with volume not exceeding 20 cubic metres outside of any wetland or watercourse
• Maintenance of existing dug-out or isolated ponds

Streamlined permit applications are reviewed within 10 days of being received. Your application will then be deemed "Complete" or "Incomplete".

Once a streamlined application is deemed "Complete", a permit will be issued within 14 days.

If your application has been deemed "Incomplete", we will contact you to let you know what information is missing. 

Streamlined permits expire one year after they are issued.

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

If you need a permit from Kawartha Conservation, then you most likely will need a permit from your local municipality. You may also need a permit from Parks Canada if you are conducting any shoreline/in-water works along the Trent Severn Waterway

Kawartha Conservation regulates the following areas:

Yes, if the impacted property is in a regulated area, you will require a permit from Kawartha Conservation. Learn more about permits for agricultural work in our Agricultural Guide to Permits:

• Agricultural Guide to Permits

Please contact us if you have questions about permit application requirements, policies, etc.  We can answer most questions via phone or email.

Please submit a Property Information Request. We will review the property and identify what regulated features are present on the property (e.g. wetlands, watercourses, etc.). A letter will be sent to you with the information needed to get a permit and any restrictions that may apply.

All new or replacement boathouses within the flood plain must be no larger than 80 square metres and can only be a single-storey. The boathouse must also remain uninsulated and all electrical outlets must be raised above the flood plain. No plumbing or heating is permitted.

A permit is only required if you need to excavate the roots of the tree(s) or the area where the tree(s) will be removed is wetland.

Excavation of tree roots outside of Kawartha Conservation's Regulated Area does not require a permit. Property Mapping is available to help you determine if your property falls within a Regulated Area.

Usually, no permits are required to install a new fence. 

A permit may be required if there will be direct impacts to a watercourse or wetland. For example, you would like to install a fence directly through a wetland or across a watercourse.

Installation of sloped rock along shorelines is often the best option to stabilize soil and protect property, while maintaining and enhancing water quality and aquatic habitat. An example cross-section of a sloped rock wall can be seen below:

Vertical shoreline retaining walls (e.g., armour stone) are not permitted. Armour stone (or similar) can be installed upland, approximately 1 metre from the normal high-water mark, with sloped rock placed along the toe to act as the interface between land and water. An example of an acceptable armour stone / sloped rock shoreline retaining wall can be seen below:

For more information check out our Erosion and Shoreline Protection webpage