What You Should Know About Fish Habitat and Building A Beach

What You Should Know About Fish Habitat and Building A Beach

This fact sheet provides information about building beaches and contacts for government agency approvals.

Recently there have been a number of changes in the way proposals for in-water works are reviewed. These changes are outlined in the introductory fact sheet, Working Around Water? What You Should Know About Fish Habitat. This introductory fact sheet introduces the entire Working Around Water? series of fact sheets that are designed to help in the planning of different types of in-water works.

Why Shorelines Are Important

Shoreline areas provide habitat for hundreds of aquatic organisms including fish. The nearshore area is where many fish species lay their eggs, feed and seek protection from predators. Changes or disruptions to these areas can threaten their survival. Adding sand to the nearshore area of your lake or river property can harmfully alter or destroy fish habitat.

Be Aware of the Fisheries Act and Other Legislation

The federal Fisheries Act provides for the protection of fish habitat. Under this Act, no one may carry out any work that harmfully alters, disrupts or destroys fish habitat, unless authorized by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The Act also states that no one is permitted to deposit a deleterious (harmful) substance into water containing fish. Violations can result in substantial fines, the risk of imprisonment and a requirement to cover the costs of returning the site to its original state. Most lands in Alberta below the average annual high-water level are crown lands. Works or development on provincial crown lands or leased crown lands may require a permit or authorisation under the Alberta Water Act and the Alberta Public Lands Act. You should also contact the local municipal authority. Other legislation that may be relevant to building a beach is outlined in the introductory fact sheet Working Around Water? What You Should Know About Fish Habitat.

Adding Sand to the Aquatic Environment

Experience has shown that in areas where a natural beach does not already exist, beach-building efforts are usually unsuccessful. Over time, the introduced sand is carried away by waves and wind. Transported sands end up downstream, in deeper water or as sandbars. In areas where wave action is inadequate for beach maintenance, vegetation and silt gradually covers the sand layer. The result is typically a perpetual need to add more sand and roto-tilling or harrowing the beach.

Beach sand (100% sand) is less productive than silty sand, mud or rock. Overall, beaches support fewer aquatic plants and animals, including fish, which depend on the vegetation for food, shelter and/or protection. Sand beaches do not provide spawning habitat for fish, unlike weedy or rocky shorelines. In areas where sand beaches are not natural, creating a sand beach always results in reduced habitat quality for fish.

Instead of creating a sand beach below the high-water level, consider other alternatives like adding sand above the high water level to form a dry beach, or building a dock or swimming platform. Where beach creation will harmfully alter, disrupt or destroy fish habitat, you will require authorization and approval. In addition, you may be required to provide compensation for any fish habitat losses that could occur.


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Environmentally Friendly Practices

Following these environmentally friendly practices will help ensure the creation of your beach will not harmfully affect fish or fish habitat.

Keep Your Beach Above the Average Annual High-Water Level

Beaches created above the average annual high-water level require few or no approvals. A berm or retaining wall may be necessary to prevent the beach from spreading into the water. Any berm or retaining wall should be above the average annual high-water level.

Time Work to Avoid Sensitive Periods

In-water activities should not occur during local fish spawning and nursery periods since it could disturb spawning behaviour, smother eggs and kill young fish. If you are planning any in-water work, contact your local Alberta Environment, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and Fisheries and Oceans Canada office for details on timing your project.

Maintain or Preserve Shoreline Vegetation

Shrubs and trees growing adjacent to lakes and streams are important. This vegetation provides overhead cover for fish, shade to minimize warming of the water and a source of food for fish as insects fall off the vegetation into the water. Nearshore vegetation also provides benefits to wildlife in the form of nesting sites, cover from predators, etc. In addition, strong rooted vegetation helps stabilise the soils in the area. To minimize shoreline erosion and any further habitat damage, try to leave as much natural shoreline vegetation in place and allow re-vegetation to occur wherever possible.

Avoid Areas with Aquatic Plants

Aquatic plants play an important role in the ecology of shoreline areas. Do not add sand to areas with aquatic vegetation. You may need approval to remove aquatic vegetation.

Avoid Spawning and Nursery Areas

If you suspect your property is adjacent to a spawning or nursery site for fish, you should not add any sand or gravel. Many valuable fish species often have only one spawning/nursery site in a waterbody. Any in-water activity near these sites could affect fish and fish habitat and result in fewer fish in the entire waterbody.

Protect Water Quality

A sediment or silt screen should be installed around the entire work area prior to starting.


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Contacts for Approvals and Permits

If you are planning to build a beach, the table below will help you determine who you should contact.

If the beach...	You should contact...
is created below the high-water level	- Fisheries and Oceans   Canada - Alberta Environment - Alberta Sustainable   Resource Development
is created above the high-water level on Crown Lands	- Alberta Sustainable   Resource Development
is created above the high-water level and is entirely on your own property	- Fisheries and Oceans   Canada - Alberta Environment
is in a provincial park	- Alberta Community   Development
is in a federally owned small craft harbour	- Fisheries and Oceans   Canada

Also check with your local municipality as approvals may be required under Alberta's Municipal Government Act. In some instances, you may have to contact more than one agency. Keep in mind that approval from one government agency does not guarantee that you will be able to obtain approval from another agency. Remember you should obtain all approvals before starting work. Early consultation can save you from designing a beach that will not be approved.

Information You Will Need to Submit

When seeking approvals or permits you will likely be asked for the following information. It will save time if you have this information available when you contact the agencies listed.

• Your name, address and telephone number. If available, also include a fax number and an e-mail address
• The waterbody name and location of the work site including the lot and block numbers, and park, or section, township, range and municipality.
• A detailed description of the work site including a map, survey plan or sketch with dimensions indicating the location of existing buildings, shoreline structures, property lines and the average annual high-water level.
• A plan view (top down) sketch or drawing of the total area to be covered with sand/gravel showing existing shoreline. If you are doing this work in conjunction with your neighbours, it should show the combined works.
• A cross-sectional (side view) drawing showing the existing and proposed depths, current water level and average annual high-water level.
• A description of the type of substrate being covered indicating approximate percentages of sand, silt, clay, rock, gravel and marsh etc.
• A description of any aquatic plants being removed or covered. Include a description of whether the aquatic plants are free-floating, submerged (rooted in the bottom but not extending out of the water) or emergent (rooted in the bottom and extending out of the water). The density of the aquatic plants should be given. This can be the percentage of the bottom that is covered.
• Any information you have about fish use of the site.
• Open water photographs of the work site and surrounding shoreline.

A site visit by agency staff may be necessary before your proposal can be approved.



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Working Together to Protect Fish Habitat

Help maintain the quality of fish habitat in our lakes and streams. Please contact agency staff before beginning any work in or around water. For further information or to obtain copies of other fact sheets in this series, contact:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Calgary District
7646-8 Street NE
Calgary, AB T2E 8X4
Tel: (403) 292-5160
Fax: (403) 292-5173

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Lethbridge District
204, 704-4th Avenue
Lethbridge, AB T1J 0N8
Tel: (403) 394-2920
Fax: (403) 394-2917

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Edmonton District
4253-97 Street
Edmonton, AB T6E 5Y7
Tel: (780) 495-4220
Fax: (780) 495-8606

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Peace River District
9001-94 Street
Peace River, AB T8S 1G9
Tel: (780) 618-3220
Fax: (780) 618-3235

Federal and provincial offices are listed in the phone book under Government of Canada and Government of Alberta.
www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans-habitat

Cette publication est également disponible en français.

September 2003