My #1
Characterization of wetlands and water bodies
What is it about?
Also called water characterization, it consists of checking for the presence or absence of wetlands, streams or bodies of water. If one of these is located, the on-site characterization allows us to identify its nature and its boundaries.
Did you say “hydrological system”?
If you proceed with a water characterization, you will probably hear the word “hydrological system”. It means either wetlands, streams or bodies of water. But then again… What are we talking about?
Wetland
The swamp, the peat bog and the marsh are all different types of wetlands.
A wetland can be open or closed.
It is open if it is connected to a stream or a body of water, and it is closed when it is not connected to a stream at all.
A wetland may also appear when water accumulates in a hollow part of terrain.
Stream
It consists of a streambed of natural origin, like a creek or a river. Water bodies can flow intermittently or permanently.
A streambed can also be the result of man-made development, such as a drainage ditch or a party ditch, or even a ditch along a public or private road.
Body of water
This term is mainly used to refer to a lake.
What for?
Municipalities and RCM (regional county municipalities) have adopted regulations in order to protect wetlands, streams and water bodies.
Depending on the type of hydrological system found on your land, you may have to protect a shoreline strip from 0 to 60 metres, which means respecting a setback distance between the hydrological system and a building.
Therefore, a characterization allows you to better plan your land-use project, whether it is a building, or an extension, a road, a septic field, etc.
Here is what I offer
- An on-site visit
- A plan and a report
- Transfer of GPS-based measurements to your surveyor
I can also
- Fill out an application for a certificate of authorization (CA) to fill a wetland and present a compensation plan to the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC).
- Fill out an application for a certificate of authorization to be submitted to the MELCC for an authorized intervention on the protection strip.
- Prepare a plan of corrective measures following receipt of a notice of infringement.
- Fill out and submit an authorization application to the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP) if the project must comply with An Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife.
