Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Codes of practice

Comply with the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act by incorporating measures to avoid:

If you can't completely implement the measures to protect fish and fish habitat, check to see if codes of practice apply to your project.

A code of practice specifies procedures, practices or standards for avoiding the death of fish or the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat. This is in relation to works, undertakings and activities during various phases of their life cycle, such as construction, operation, maintenance or decommissioning.

You may need to request a project review if these codes of practice don't apply to your works, undertakings and activities.

How to use the codes of practice

Section 1 describes the works, undertakings and activities addressed by the code of practice and the risks to fish and fish habitat which can be mitigated by following the code of practice. You will also find a link to contact information in case you have further questions.

Section 2 helps you determine if you can apply the code of practice to your works, undertakings and activities and requests that you notify us when you use the code of practice.

Section 3 outlines measures to follow for your works, undertakings and activities. Review the complete set of measures and only apply the measures that are applicable to your works, undertakings and activities.

Section 4 provides a glossary to ensure that key terms are understood.

Updates

Code of practice: Beaver dam breaching and removal

View the code of practice for beaver dam breaching and removal.

This code of practice provides best practices for the breaching and removal of a beaver dam which is impounding water and may cause imminent threat or damage to nearby infrastructure.

The beaver dam breaching and removal code of practice provides useful information on the measures to follow to ensure that fish and fish habitat are protected. Risks to fish and fish habitat from beaver dam breaching and removal include:

Code of practice: Clear span bridges

View the code of practice for clear span bridges.

This code of practice provides best practices for the construction of clear span bridges which includes:

The clear span bridges code of practice provides useful information on the measures to follow to ensure that fish and fish habitat are protected. Risks to fish and fish habitat from clear span bridges include:

Code of practice: Culvert maintenance

View the code of practice for culvert maintenance.

This code of practice provides best practices for the maintenance of culverts which includes:.

The culvert maintenance code of practice provides useful information on the measures to follow to ensure that fish and fish habitat are protected. Risks to fish and fish habitat from culvert maintenance include:

Code of practice: Ice bridges and snow fills

View the code of practice for ice bridges and snow fills.

This code of practice provides best practices for the construction, maintenance and decommissioning of ice bridges and snow fills. Ice bridges and snow fills are two methods used for temporary winter access to the other side of a watercourse in areas where an existing crossing is not available or practical to use.

The ice bridges and snow fills code of practice provides useful information on the measures to follow to ensure that fish and fish habitat are protected. Risks to fish and fish habitat from ice bridges and snow fills include:

Code of practice: Routine maintenance dredging for navigation

View the code of practice for routine maintenance dredging for navigation.

This code of practice provides best practices for routine maintenance dredging, which occurs at least once every 10 years.

Routine maintenance dredging involves the mechanical removal of accumulated sediment from the bed of a water body in an area where dredging for navigation purposes has previously occurred and was reviewed by DFO.

Routine dredging helps to maintain the design depths of:

The routine maintenance dredging code of practice provides useful information on the measures to follow to ensure that fish and fish habitat are protected. Risks to fish and fish habitat from routine maintenance dredging include:

This code applies to routine maintenance dredging only and does not apply to new dredging projects or to the expansion of a previously dredged area.

Code of practice: Temporary fords

View the code of practice for temporary fords.

This code of practice provides best practices for fording a watercourse. Temporary fords are employed for short term seasonal access by construction vehicles to the other side of a watercourse when an existing crossing is not available or practical to use. They can include:

The temporary fords code of practice provides useful information on the measures to follow to ensure that fish and fish habitat are protected. Risks to fish and fish habitat from temporary fords include:

Interim code of practice: End-of-pipe fish protection screens for small water intakes in freshwater

View the interim code of practice for end-of-pipe fish screens for small water intakes in freshwater.

This interim code of practice provides guidance on the design, installation and maintenance of small end-of-pipe water intake fish screens to prevent entrainment and impingement of fish.

The end-of-pipe fish screen code of practice also provides:

This code of practice does not cover impacts related to fish habitat and changes in flow conditions.

Interim code of practice: Temporary cofferdams and diversion channels

View the interim code of practice for temporary cofferdams and diversion channels

This code of practice outlines best practices for the temporary isolation of a section of a watercourse in order to conduct works, undertakings and activities in the dry while maintaining the natural downstream flow.

The temporary cofferdam and diversion channel code of practice provides useful information on the measures to follow to ensure that fish and fish habitat are protected. Risks to fish and fish habitat from temporary cofferdams and diversion channels include:

Date modified: