Permits
Conservation Authorities were formed under the terms of the Conservation Authorities Act, 1946, which was created to address natural resource issues such as deforestation, soil erosion, flooding, and degraded water quality. The Conservation Authorities Act recognizes that natural resources are best managed on a watershed basis. Click here to see a map of Conservation Halton’s watershed.
Conservation Halton (Halton Region Conservation Authority) was formed in 1963 through the amalgamation of its predecessors, the Sixteen Mile Creek Conservation Authority created on December 20, 1956 and Twelve Mile Creek Conservation Authority, formed on June 12, 1958.
Since 1972, Conservation Halton (CH) has administered a regulation passed under the Conservation Authorities Act. This regulation is intended to prevent loss of life and property damage as a result of naturally-occurring hazards as well as to protect and restore the natural ecosystem in sensitive natural areas.
The current regulation administered by CH is Ontario Regulation 162/06. Through this regulation, permission from Conservation Halton is required for most works in and adjacent to:
- watercourses
- flood plains
- steep slopes
- valley lands and meander belts
- shoreline of Lake Ontario
- wetlands
- hazardous lands
Regulated areas are delimited by Approximate Regulatory Limits mapping (ARL). Mapping showing the ARL is available at the Conservation Halton Administration Office at 2596 Britannia Road West, Burlington and is also available on our website, click the Online Mapping link here. Mapping for specific sites is available on request from Conservation Halton.
Refinements or adjustments to the ARL are undertaken if detailed technical studies, undertaken as part of a permit application and completed to the satisfaction of Conservation Halton staff, demonstrate that the hazard limit differs from that shown on the map.
For more information about how regulatory limits are determined click here.