Section 17
17.1.1.
CHAPTER 1
LEGAL STATUS OF WATER COURSES
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Environment and Labour
The Province of Nova Scotia has possession of all water courses, and the law requires that you obtain
approval prior to commencing any work that involves altering any natural feature of a water course.
This includes such things as: installing a bridge or culvert, building a dam, or changing the course of a
river or brook.
Applications of Approval of work associated with forest access roads need to be submitted only if the
road is to cross or interfere with a flowing brook or other body of water. A list is attached of the locations
where you can obtain the required application.
Should you have questions at any time with regard to construction in and around a water course, please
contact the appropriate inspector.
For Further Information:
NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES REGIONAL OFFICES
Annapolis County
P.O. Box 130, Lawrencetown, N.S., B2N 5B8 (902) 584-2229
Antigonish County
190 Beech Hill Rd., Antigonish, N.S., B2G 2L4 (902) 863-4513
Cape Breton County
300 Mountain Rd., Sydney, N.S., B1L 1A9 (902) 563-3370
Colchester County
626 College Road, Bible Hill, N.S., B2N 2R2 (902) 893-5620
Cumberland County
P.O. Box 130, Oxford, N.S., B0M 1P0 (902) 447-2115
P.O. Box 428, Parrsboro, N.S., B0M 1S0 (902) 254-3241
Digby County
RR #1 Barton, N.S., B0W 1H0 (902) 245-2164
Section 17
17.1.2.
LEGAL STATUS OF WATER COURSES
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Gusyborough County
RR #2, Boylston, N.S., B0H 1G0 (902) 533-3503
RR #2, Aspen, N.S., B0H 1E0 (902) 522-2024
Halifax County
P.O. Box 23, Site 2, RR #1 Waverley, N.S., B0N 2S0,(902) 861-2560
P.O. Box 190, Musquodoboit Harbour, N.S., B0J 2L0 (902) 889-2332
P.O. Box 118, Sheet Harbour, N.S., B0J 3B0 (902) 885-2377
P.O. Box 112, Middle Musquodoboit, N.S., B0N 1X0 (902) 384-2290
Hants County
P.O. Box 190, Windsor, N.S., B0N 2T0 (902) 798-2016
P.O. Box 130, Shubenacadie, N.S., B0N 2H0 (902) 758-3437
Inverness County
P.O. Box 130, Whycocomagh, N.S., B0E 3M0 (902) 756-2339
Kings County
Provincial Bldg., 136 Exhibition St., Kentville, N.S., B4N 4E5 (902) 678-6097
Lunenburg County
99 High Street, Bridgewater, N.S., B4V 1V8 (902) 543-8167
Pictou County
P.O. Box 457, New Glasgow, N.S., B2H 5E5 (902) 922-4020
Queens County
P.O. Box 190, Milton, N.S., B0T 1P0 (902) 354-3462
Richmond County
Provincial Bldg., P.O. Box 363, St. Peters, N.S., B0E 3B0 (902) 535-2032
Shelburne County
P.O. Box 369, Shelburne, N.S., B0T 1W0 (902) 875-2501
Victoria County
P.O. Box 610, Baddeck, N.S., B0E 1B0 (902) 295-2554
Yarmouth County
P.O. Box 99, Tusket, N.S., B0W 3M0 (902) 648-3540
Section 17
17.1.3.
LEGAL STATUS OF WATER COURSES
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NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND LABOUR WATER
MANAGEMENT SECTION STAFF
Northern Region (Pictou, Colchester, Cumberland)
32 Church St., Amherst, N.S., B4H 3A8 (902) 667-6205
Eastern Region (Antigonish, Guysborough, Cape Breton Island)
P.O. Box 714, Sydney, N.S., B1P 6H7 (902) 563-2100
Central Region (Halifax, Hants)
1595 Bedford Highway, Bedford, N.S., B4A 3Y4 (902) 424-7773
Western Region (Valley and South Shore)
P.O. Box 1240, Middleton, N.S., B0S 1P0 (902) 825-2123
Contributed by:
Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour
Section 17
17.2.1.
CHAPTER 2
ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION
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Forest Road Construction—Bridges
1
Bridges and open bottom box culverts are preferred to circular culverts because they maintain a
natural bottom and a more natural stream width and so reduce erosion.
2
Bridges should be sized to handle expected flood flows.
3
Bridge abutments should be located at or outside the normal stream banks.
4
Abutments should have wing walls or rip-rap to prevent erosion of the road slopes.
5
A dip or low spot in the road, above the no-grub zone, is a good idea if the site is suitable. Such
a dip directs road runoff into the ditches before it reaches the stream. It also provides washout
protection for the stream crossing during high flows (see Figure 1).
Forest Road Construction Instream—Culverts
1
Care should be taken to properly size culverts to handle expected flood flows.
2
If a culvert larger than 48 inches (1.2 m) is required, a bridge or open bottomed culvert should be
used.
3
Align the culverts so that the original direction of stream flow is not altered.
4
Install culverts so that inlet and outlet are set 6 inches (15 cm) below the natural stream bottom.
Where multiple culverts are used, only one should be set in as described. The others should be
set higher, so that low flows are concentrated to provide fish passage.
5
The maximum desirable slope of the culvert is 0.5 per cent. Where this is not possible due to a
high stream gradient, open bottomed culverts or a bridge should be used.
6
Road slopes at culverts should be stabilized with rock or logs at both the inlet and outlet.
7
The outlet areas of the stream bed should be lined with coarse rock, of 6 inches (15 cm) diameter
if such material is not naturally present to prevent erosion and potential stream bed scour.
8
Construction should be confined to the immediate area of the culvert. All fill and construction
debris should be removed from the culvert area to a location above the peak flow level to prevent
entry into the stream.
Section 17
17.2.2.
ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION
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9
The idea behind these recommendations is to:
• prevent siltation of the stream which damages fish habitat and lowers water quality for
downstream users
• permit the migration of fish to spawning and rearing areas
• provide a durable crossing.
General Roadbuilding Concerns
1.
Do not grub the right-of-way within 100 feet (30 m) of any stream, except where it is necessary
to remove stumps under the road bed and then only when the crossing is being installed.
2.
Fording of the stream with machinery should be kept to a minimum. No crossings at all would
be ideal, although this is not always possible. If fording is necessary to install a crossing at a
location where the stream banks will be broken down or the stream bottom disturbed, logs or
brush mats may be used to prevent damage. Be sure to remove the logs and brush when the
crossing is complete. This type of fording is not permitted for any other purpose.
3.
Ditches should not discharge directly into streams.
4.
Takeoff ditches can be used on both sides of the road or in conjunction with groins and culverts
to divert the ditch flow into the woods above the no-grub zones. A good rule of thumb is to
install such runouts every 2,000 feet (600 m) of slope. Where takeoffs cannot be constructed, the
use of check dams and settling ponds in the ditches is recommended.
More information and detailed guidelines may be obtained from local Nova Scotia Department of Natural
Resources offices, and from:
Fisheries & Oceans Canada
Fish Habitat Protection
P.O. Box 550
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 2S7 (426-8398)
Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour
Water Planning and Management
P.O. Box 2107
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 3B7 (424-5300)
References
Forest Access Roads Planning and Construction Manual by Steve D. Talbot, P.Eng. Nova Scotia
Department of Natural Resources. 1982.
Environmental Standards For The Construction of Forest Roads and Fire Ponds in Nova Scotia
(April 27, 1983) Nova Scotia Department of the Environment.
Section 17
17.2.3.
ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION
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Figure 1. Features of a well constructed bridge crossing