Natural Environment

Figure 21.1: The Riparian Management Area. Source: Adapted from Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations.

Notes for Table 21.1

1. Any watercourse not in this list is subject to the provincial acts and regulations.
2. Measured perpendicularly inland from the top of the bank, top of ravine or natural boundary, as applicable.  RMA’s apply to both sides of the stream.
3. Minimum RMA widths are intended to achieve “no net loss” when considering individual site conditions.

1.1 Meet or exceed the requirements of the provincial Riparian Areas Protection Regulation under the Riparian Areas Protection Act. At minimum, projects must comply with Riparian Management Area Setbacks in Table 21.1, unless conditions of Section 1.3 apply.

1.2 Measure the riparian management area setback width perpendicular from the watercourse according to the following (see Table 21.1):

• Streams – measured from the top-of-bank, or where the top-of-bank is poorly defined, measured from the natural boundary;
• Ravines and other stream corridors with steeply pitched banks – measured from the top of ravine bank;
• Wetlands and lakes with gradually sloping shores – measured perpendicularly from the natural boundary; and
• Okanagan Lake – measured from the high water mark of 343.0 m, as determined by the Province based on the highest target lake level plus 0.5m to account for wave action.  The high-water mark for some sites may be higher or lower where natural indicators on the shoreline show that wave action or other hydrological processes affect the shoreline to such an extent that the recommended high water mark is not applicable at that site.  In these instances a site-specific high-water mark can be used where a QP has provided a signed technical rational for why the high water mark is not applicable, and this is accepted by both the City and the Province.  The minimum acceptable high-water mark is the highest target lake level (342.48 m) plus 0.1 m.

1.3 Riparian Management Area Variances

• Applicants may apply to vary the width of the Riparian Management Areas listed in Table 21.1 should they be able to demonstrate hardship on the property and/or if the land was previously disturbed.
• Support of RMA variance applications will only be considered by the City to achieve “no net loss” and where an assessment, completed by a QP, provides recommendations to protect the integrity of the riparian area.
• Refer proposed relaxation of riparian management areas, storm water requirements, erosion and sediment control requirements to the City for review prior to filing the QP assessment report with the appropriate provincial ministry or agency.
• Restore the riparian management area as directed by the report of the QP when required by the Development Permit.

1.4 Biodiversity and Habitat Protection

• Ensure riparian areas act as ecological connectivity corridors to allow for the movement of species by retaining intact ecosystems and their connectivity and reconnecting fragmented ecosystems.
• Maintain intact ecosystems. An intact ecosystem is considered to be a community or ecosystem that is maintaining proper function and has not lost significant species (for communities) or significant communities (for ecosystems).
• Improve the viability of threatened and endangered species through the protection, enhancement, and restoration of habitat, as well as the development of contingency plans for major disruptions and transplanting wild or captive bred individuals.
• Undertake recovery efforts to enhance or re-introduce species, subspecies and populations where species are threatened, endangered or extirpated.
• Retain connectivity of ecosystems and avoid the creation of isolated islands of natural habitat.
• Locate artificial snags to improve habitat.
• Encourage the “eco-gifting” of privately held riparian management areas through a conservation easement, covenant, or other mechanism as a means of protecting biodiversity.

1.5 Buffers and Vegetation

• Establish buffers as outlined in Table 21.1, to protect the ecological integrity of the riparian management area.
• Protect buffers on private land with a Section 219 covenant, when required.
• Install fencing along the buffer, where appropriate.
• Maintain ecosystems in an undisturbed state during and after the development process (e.g. avoid disturbance to sites where rare plants are growing and where rare natural plant communities occur).
• Conserve trees and protect their root systems from disturbance.
• Conserve trees in communities (groups of trees along with their associated understory) rather than isolating individual specimen.
• Restore ecosystems by planting species that are:
  • Indigenous to the Okanagan Valley; 
  • Pest-resistant;
  • Adapted to the specific site conditions today (soil type, sun, shade, and moisture)  and for a changing climate.
• Remove invasive species (manually where feasible) and take measures to prevent their spread.
• Protect moderate and high value wildlife trees, as assessed by a QP, from removal where the hazard risk to humans is low.
• Retain snags, leaf litter, fallen debris and natural grasslands in a manner that balances FireSmart® principles with ecosystem retention.

1.6 Urban Development (roads, housing, services and utilities)

• Require development take place outside the riparian management area.
• Avoid locating infrastructure corridors along, parallel to, or across riparian ecosystems. Where it can be demonstrated by a QP that alternatives are not possible, design crossings that are narrow and perpendicular to sensitive areas and elevated to maintain ecosystem connections.
• Design infrastructure to maintain the hydrology of aquatic ecosystems.
• Design infrastructure corridors and trails to be as narrow as possible, creating minimum disturbance and configure them to accommodate wildlife crossings.
• Construct accesses such as footpaths and stairways to minimize slope disturbance and changes to natural drainage patterns.
• Consider removing existing structures and other obstructions from the riparian management area to allow for movement of wildlife.
• Site all service lines outside of the riparian management area to:
  • Minimize slope disturbance;
  • Discourage invasive weed growth; and
  • Require minimal maintenance by heavy equipment.
• Restore disturbed areas quickly (with consideration given to hydrologic and climatic variables) to minimize erosion, ensure sediment control and prevent the spread of invasive weeds.

1.7 Fill

• Require the toe of any fill be located outside the riparian management area.
• Require the face of the fill be no steeper than a 3:1 slope unless retained by an approved structure.
• Require the fill be adequately protected against erosion from potential flooding, wave action, ice or other debris.

1.8 Soil Disturbance

• Where appropriate, require that sediment and erosion control plans be developed and/or reviewed by a QP.
• Implement measures to minimize soil disturbance and removal of gravel, sand, soils and peat.

1.9 Erosion Control

• Take temporary and permanent measures to control contamination from sediment and pollutants and to control erosion as outlined in the Subdivision, Development and Servicing Bylaw.

1.10 Minimize the negative impacts of livestock (e.g. grazing, water access, crossings) in riparian areas.

1.11 Water and Drainage

• Ensure development activities do not negatively impact the quality of surface water.
• Ensure land development and associated activities do not impact base flows, natural drainage patterns or natural stream channel geometry.
• Preserve natural watercourses and manage them as open streams.
• Maintain normal riparian processes such as flooding, seasonal drawdown, and groundwater recharge.

1.12 Lakeshore stabilization

• Complete an assessment and design of lakeshore stabilization works by a QP.
• Do not reclaim eroded land below the lake high water mark.
• Use vegetative stabilization (bioengineering) techniques to prevent erosion, control sediment and provide fish and wildlife habitat in low to moderate wave action areas.  For moderate to high wave action areas use a combination of vegetation and natural hard structures such as large woody debris and/or rip rap.  Where engineer designed hard armoring is required due to high wave action, a technical rationale and design proposal must be provided to the City by a QP.  Avoid using broken concrete, tires and other anthropogenic materials for stabilization.
• Ensure lakeshore stabilization works maintain existing wildlife access to the lake foreshore.

3.1 Ensure that development activities do not negatively impact the quality of surface water.

3.2 Ensure that land development and associated activities does not impact base flows, natural drainage patterns and the natural stream channel geometry.

3.3 Preserve natural watercourses and manage as open streams.

3.4 Maintain normal riparian processes such as flooding, seasonal drawdown, and groundwater recharge.

3.5 Implement measures to prevent spills of oil, grease and other contaminants into adjacent watercourses (e.g. oil/grit separators and siltation ponds).

3.6 Minimize impervious surfaces through use of permeable materials and techniques to improve absorption (e.g. gravel, pavers, grasscrete, grass field for overflow parking, “country lanes”).

3.7 Prohibit unnatural obstructions and impediments to the flow of a watercourse, ditch, drain or sewer.

3.8 Manage and minimize opportunities for livestock crossings and access to water.

3.9 Require drainage plans address the effective and environmentally sensitive handling of peak flows.

3.10 Buffers and Vegetation

• Retain as much existing vegetation as possible and plant native trees and shrubs to restore the vegetative where clearing has occurred. Plant species that are:
  • Indigenous to the Okanagan Valley; 
  • Drought-tolerant;
  • Pest-resistant;
  • FireSmart®;
  • Compatible with urban development;
  • Adapted to the specific site conditions today (soil type, sun, shade, moisture  and for a changing climate.
• Protect buffers on private land with a Section 219 covenant, when required.
• Retain trees and vegetation in a manner that balances FireSmart® principles with ecosystem sensitivity.
• Conserve trees and protect their root systems from disturbance.
• Conserve trees in communities (groups of trees along with their associated understory) rather than isolating individual specimen.
• Remove invasive species (manually where feasible) and take measures to prevent their spread .
• Protect moderate and high value wildlife trees, as assessed by a QP,from removal where the hazard risk to humans is low.
• Retain snags, leaf litter, fallen debris and natural grasslands in a manner that balances FireSmart® principles with ecosystem retention.

3.11 Soil Disturbance

• Where appropriate, require that sediment and erosion control plans be developed and/or reviewed by a QP.
• Implement measures to minimize soil disturbance and removal of gravel, sand, soils and peat.

3.12 Erosion Control

• Take temporary and permanent measures to control contamination from sediment and pollutants and to control erosion as outlined in the Subdivision, Development and Servicing Bylaw.

3.13 Fill

• Require the face of the fill be no steeper than a 3:1 slope unless retained by an approved structure.
• Require the fill be adequately protected against erosion from potential flooding, wave action, ice or other debris.

5.1 Biodiversity and Habitat Protection

• Retain connectivity to ecosystems and avoid the creation of isolated islands of natural habitat.
• Where practical and necessary, reconnect fragmented ecosystems by restoring habitat.
• Retain the width of un-fragmented natural habitat for the Okanagan Ecosystem Connectivity Corridor (the Corridor) as 1,000 meters wide, to allow for long-term ecosystem retention and wildlife movement.  In rare exceptions, the width may be reduced to a minimum of 50 meters for short distances (e.g. less than 100 meters over the entire Corridor).

5.2 Buffers and Vegetation

• Maintain native vegetation in the Corridor in an undisturbed state during and after the development process (e.g. avoid disturbance to sites where rare plants are growing and where rare natural plant communities occur).  Ensure to balance FireSmart principles with natural ecosystem retention.
• Use indigenous vegetation to buffer the Corridor from the built environment wherever possible.
• Where necessary, restore sections of the Corridor by planting species that are:
  • Indigenous to the Okanagan Valley; 
  • Drought-tolerant;
  • Pest-resistant;
  • FireSmart®; and/or
  • Adapted to the specific site conditions today (soil type, sun, shade, moisture) and for a changing climate.
• Remove invasive species (manually where feasible) and take measures to prevent their spread .
• Protect moderate and high value wildlife trees, as assessed by a QP, from removal where the safety risk to humans is low.
• Retain snags, leaf litter, fallen debris and natural grasslands in a manner that balances FireSmart® principles with ecosystem retention.
• Maintain enough vegetative hiding cover as prescribed by a QP when managing areas within the Corridor for fire, disease or weed control.

5.3 Urban Development

• Work with a QP to ensure species movement is maintained through the Corridor and that habitat fragmentation does not occur.
• Design new subdivision within or bordering the Corridor to allow for movement of wildlife and to avoid wildlife entrapment.  Consider parcel orientation, minimizing fragmentation, positioning of future structures and other sensitive ecosystems on the property in the design.
•  Minimize development (i.e. buildings, structures, etc) within the Corridor to ensure long-term retention of natural ecosystems and unimpeded movement of wildlife.
• In instances where structures are unavoidable, choose locations that minimize habitat fragmentation, such as along the perimeter, while also considering and avoiding other sensitive areas on the property.
• Design the site and structures to minimize impacts on the Corridor.  Design considerations should include:
  • Placement of structures and infrastructure to minimize corridor fragmentation; including reduced road lengths;
  • Minimize the impacts of lighting; and
  • Landscaping and fencing (see sections 5.2 and 5.4).
• Avoid locating infrastructure corridors (e.g. roads and utilities) through the Corridor.  Where necessary ensure infrastructure corridors are narrow, perpendicular to the Corridor where feasible, minimize disturbance and accommodate wildlife crossings.
• Design trails to be as narrow as possible, creating minimum disturbance to the Corridor. 
• Include wildlife crossing structures (e.g. snake or amphibian crossing culverts, or box culverts to connect wetlands and necessary drift fencing) and associated warning signage when a road bisects the Corridor when there is potential to impede wildlife movement. 
• Restore disturbed areas quickly, with consideration given to hydrologic and climatic variables, to minimize erosion, ensure sediment control and the spread of invasive weeds.
• Encourage the “eco-gifting” of privately held land in the Corridor, through a conservation easement, covenant, or other mechanism as a means of protecting biodiversity.

5.4 Fencing

• Ensure fencing does not pose any hazards to wildlife or movement within the Corridor.  Where wildlife-proof fencing (e.g. for ungulates or snakes) may be required, work with a QP to ensure critical wildlife travel routes are not completely blocked.
• Consider updating or eliminating existing fences that may be hazardous to wildlife (e.g. broken wires and rails).
• On agricultural land, follow fencing recommendations of the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Fencing Handbook Complete Guide, 2015, or as amended,. In instances where tall fences are required around orchards, provide alternate wildlife movement paths where possible and include wildlife escape gates in the fence design.

5.5 Soil disturbance

• Where appropriate, require sediment and erosion control plans developed and/or reviewed by a QP.
• Implement measures to minimize soil disturbance.

5.6 Erosion Control

• Meet erosion and sediment control requirements as outlined in the Subdivision, Development and Servicing Bylaw .