Conservation Authority Approvals: A Simple Guide

First: what a Conservation Authority is (and what it isn’t)

A Conservation Authority is a watershed-based public agency in Ontario. “Watershed-based” is a fancy way of saying: they follow the water, not the municipal boundary line. That’s why two lots on the same road can have totally different rules—because one lot drains to a creek and the other drains to your neighbour’s sump pump (kidding… mostly).

Here’s the important part: a CA usually isn’t your building department and it isn’t your planning department. Your municipality handles zoning, building permits, and inspections. The Conservation Authority handles specific regulated activities in regulated areas related to hazards and certain features like wetlands and watercourses.

What triggers “CA approvals” in Ontario

Most homeowner CA approvals fall under the Conservation Authorities Act “Section 28” framework. The short version: certain activities are prohibited in regulated areas unless you get permission. Ontario now has a province-wide regulation that sets the core rules for prohibited activities, exemptions, and permits.

In plain English, the activities that commonly trigger CA involvement are:

• Development in a regulated area (think: building, additions, structures, sometimes pools and decks—depending on location and definition)
• Interference with a wetland (even “small” changes can be big in wetland world)
• Alteration to a watercourse or shoreline (straightening, diverting, culverts, bank work, shoreline stabilization, etc.)

And the regulated area commonly includes floodplains, erosion hazard areas, river/stream valleys, unstable slopes, certain shorelines (Great Lakes and many inland lakes), wetlands, and areas around them. In other words: if water can move there, has moved there, or wants to move there, it’s probably on someone’s map.

Regulated area maps: why your lot “looks safe” but still needs approval

Homeowners often say, “But the lot is high and dry!” Great. That might still be inside a regulated area because regulated areas are based on mapped hazards and features, not just today’s weather. Floodplains are about the big events. Erosion hazards are about long-term slope stability. Wetlands don’t care if it’s a sunny day when you take the listing photos.

Most CAs provide regulated area mapping tools, and many municipalities will flag CA involvement during permit intake. But here’s the problem: buyers often discover this after they close, because real estate listings don’t come with a free hydrologist.

What the CA is trying to confirm (the real checklist)

When a CA reviews a permission application, they’re generally trying to confirm that your proposal won’t create negative impacts related to hazards and regulated features. Here’s the builder-friendly version of what they care about:

• Flooding: Will the proposed work be safe during a flood and not make flooding worse elsewhere?
• Erosion and slope stability: Are you building too close to an eroding bank or unstable slope?
• Dynamic beaches / shorelines: Will shoreline work mess with natural processes or create hazards?
• Wetlands and watercourses: Are you interfering with a wetland or altering a watercourse/shoreline, and if so, can it be done safely and appropriately?

If your proposal can demonstrate those things, permissions are often straightforward. If it can’t, the CA may require changes, conditions, or in some cases refuse permission. That’s where projects stall—and where homeowners feel like the CA is “being difficult,” even though the file is actually missing proof.

The approval process in Ontario (what it actually looks like)

Every CA has their own checklists and workflows, but the skeleton is usually similar:

Timelines vary by CA and by application type. Many CAs publish service standards: how quickly they’ll tell you if your application is complete, and how quickly they’ll decide once it’s complete. Some CAs break files into minor vs major categories with different targets. The key detail is this: the clock usually starts when the application is complete, not when you send “some drawings.”

What you may be asked to provide (and why)

Homeowners are often shocked by the list of required documents. But most items have a purpose: they prove your project won’t worsen hazards or harm regulated features. Depending on the site and the proposal, a CA may ask for some of the following:

• Topographic survey or detailed site plan showing existing grades, features, setbacks to hazards, and where the work will go
• Grading and drainage plan (especially important near floodplains and slopes)
• Erosion and sediment control plan for construction (silt fencing, stabilized entrance, etc.)
• Geotechnical report for slope stability / unstable soils / foundations near hazards
• Hydrology / hydraulic analysis if flooding impacts need to be assessed
• Wetland or environmental studies if wetlands or shoreline features are involved

Yes, it can feel like “a lot.” But compare it to the alternative: building in a hazard area without understanding the risk. That’s how people end up with a gorgeous new home and a seasonal indoor swimming pool (not the fun kind).

Why people struggle with Conservation Authority approvals

When homeowners tell me, “The Conservation Authority is impossible,” it’s usually one of these issues:

How to make CA approvals simpler (a homeowner playbook)

Here’s the process I recommend when someone wants a “simple guide” that actually works in real Ontario projects:

Questions to ask at your first CA conversation

If you want to sound like someone who’s done this before (without actually having to suffer first), ask these:

• Is the proposed work in a regulated area, and which hazard/feature is driving it (flooding, erosion, wetland, shoreline, watercourse)?
• What is the minimum safe/required setback from the feature or hazard?
• Do you need a topo survey, grading plan, geotech, or hydrology study for this proposal?
• Is this likely considered minor or major, and what are your service standards once the application is complete?
• Are there common conditions you apply (erosion controls, construction timing, vegetation protection)?

Those questions keep the conversation factual. They also stop you from falling into the classic trap of arguing with the existence of water.

“My municipality says I need CA clearance” — what that usually means

Municipal building departments often won’t issue a building permit until they have confirmation that CA requirements are satisfied when applicable. That doesn’t mean the CA is “taking over” the building permit. It means the municipality is managing risk and following the process: hazard-related permissions first, then the building permit. The CA isn’t checking your kitchen layout. They’re checking whether your site work will be safe and won’t create impacts.

What about hearings, appeals, or “escalation”?

Most files never get dramatic. They get approved with conditions once the technical pieces are in place. But if you hit a wall—especially around timelines—some CAs describe an administrative review process when decisions aren’t made within the required timeframe. The right move is usually to stay professional, document everything, and ask what the next step is under their process.

That said: if your proposal truly increases flood risk, destabilizes a slope, or interferes with a wetland in a way that can’t be supported, a refusal is possible. The “solution” in those cases is usually redesign (setback, elevation, grading, different location), not louder emails.

Costs: what to budget for (without pretending there’s one number)

There are two cost buckets to expect:

• CA application fees: These vary by CA and by application type/complexity.
• Technical work: Survey, engineering, geotech, hydrology, and design time to produce the drawings and reports that prove safety.

The cost pain usually comes from surprise. If you buy near water or a valley, budget for extra due diligence from day one and you’ll feel a lot less ambushed.

Final reality check: treat CA requirements like a design input

Homeowners who succeed with Conservation Authority approvals do one thing differently: they treat CA requirements like a design factor, not a nuisance. Once you accept that your lot has a water story (flood, slope, wetland, shoreline), you design the home and site to fit that story. That’s not “red tape.” That’s long-term safety and durability.

And if you’re wondering why the CA cares about your little project: water doesn’t stop at your lot line. The whole watershed is connected. When you change how water moves on your property, it can change how water behaves on your neighbour’s property too. CAs are there to keep that from becoming a community-wide headache.