Water management

NO WORK IS PERMITTED in the vicinity of a watercourse without prior authorization.

Before beginning a project near a watercourse, speak with your local municipal inspector about the relevant bylaws.

Under the Municipal Powers Act (MPA), MRC Brome-Missisquoi has exclusive jurisdiction over watercourses in its region, including artificially created or modified watercourses, except for those listed in section 103 of the MPA.

A permit is required for the following work:

• Projects that could increase peak flow
• Improvements to fords
• Watercourse clean-up or clearing efforts
• Underground structures
• Building, installing or improving bridges or culverts
• Bank and shoreline stabilization
• Requests for watercourse improvement works
• Requests for regulated watercourse maintenance works

For more information, see Permitting above.

A regional county municipality has jurisdiction over continuously or intermittently flowing watercourses, including those artificially created of modified, except

• watercourses or parts of watercourses that the Government determines, after consultation with the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, by an order in council that comes into force on the date of its publication in the Gazette officielle du Québec or any later date specified in the order;
• a ditch along a public or private road;
• a common ditch within the meaning of article 1002 of the Civil Code; and
• a drainage ditch
  • used solely for drainage or irrigation;
  • that was artificially created; and
  • the watershed of which has an area of less than 100 hectares.