Glossary

Best management practices and mitigation measures:
A suite of planning, design, construction, maintenance and removal tools and approaches that supports the fulfilment of water crossing standards as defined in this Protocol.
Deleterious substance:
Means, as defined by the Fisheries Act, and summarized here, any substance that if added to water, makes the water deleterious to fish or fish habitat or any water containing a substance in such quantity or concentration or has been changed by heat or other means, that if added to water makes that water deleterious to fish or fish habitat. Note that sediment is considered a deleterious substance.
Designated Management Unit:
An area of Crown forest designated under section 7 of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994.
Embedment:
Means the portion of a culvert opening that is countersunk below the natural bed of a watercourse.
Erosion:
Means the process by which the natural (earth) or unnatural (embankment, slope protection, structure, etc.) land surface is naturally worn away by the actions of water, wind, ice or other geological agents.
Fish:
As defined by the Fisheries Act, includes parts of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, marine animals and any parts of shellfish, crustaceans or marine animals, and the eggs, sperm, spawn, larvae, spat and juvenile stages of fish, shellfish, crustaceans and marine animals.
Fish habitat:
Means, as defined by the Fisheries Act, water frequented by fish and any other areas on which fish depend directly or indirectly to carry out their life processes, including spawning grounds and nursery, rearing, food supply and migration areas.
Fish passage:
Means the migration and movement of all life stages of fish to obtain access fish habitat through bridges, culverts or other obstructions.
Harmful, Alteration, Disruption or Destruction of Fish Habitat (HADD)
Means as interpreted by Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Policy Statement, any temporary or permanent change to fish habitat that directly or indirectly impairs the habitat’s capacity to support one or more life processes of fish.
In-water timing windows:
Means a period of time when in-water work associated with water crossing construction and removal activities is permitted and is established by the MNRF.
In-water work:
Aspects of a water crossing project that requires any machinery, or parts thereof, or disturbance within a watercourse, including any disturbance to the watercourse bed, channel, banks or adjacent riparian habitat, as delineated by its normal high water mark.
Lower risk:
In the context of this Protocol, is a water crossing project that has been deemed to consider the sustainability of the aquatic environment, and fisheries and their habitat to such a degree that if implemented properly, satisfies the protection provisions of the Fisheries Act. Projects are considered Lower Risk either through review and approval by MNRF and/or DFO or through the application of the mandatory requirements contained in a water crossing standard within this Protocol.
Normal high water mark:
For the purposes of this Protocol the usual or average level to which a body of water rises at its highest point and remains for sufficient time to change the characteristics of the land. In flowing waters (rivers, streams) this refers to the “active channel/bankfull level” which is often the one-to two-year flood flow return level. For inland lakes, it refers to those parts of the watercourse bed and banks that are frequently flooded by water to leave a mark on the land and where the natural vegetation changes from predominately aquatic vegetation to terrestrial vegetation. For reservoirs this refers to normal high operating levels (Adapted from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2009). The Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales refers to the normal high-water mark as the edge of vegetation communities capable of providing an effective barrier to the movement of sediment.
Perched culvert:
A drop at the culvert outlet, referred to as a perched or hanging culvert may be barrier to fish passage. Perching occurs when culvert outlets are installed above streambeds or where culvert outlet water velocities erode the streambed downstream of the structure.
Proponent:
For the purposes of this Protocol, a proponent includes the person or company proposing the construction and/or removal of water crossing(s) that are part of a forest operation where the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994 applies.
Realignment:
Significant alteration of channels, for example by cutting off watercourse meanders, and which results in changes to a watercourse’s hydrological function or destruction of riparian vegetation. Standard construction practices required to fit a water crossing structure such as a culvert within the banks of a watercourse are not typically considered realignment.
Riparian area:
The trees, shrubs and other vegetation that border watercourses that link water to land and that directly influences and provides fish habitat.
Sediment:
Means soil or other surface material transported by wind or water as a result of erosion. Note that sediment is considered a deleterious substance.
Trained and competent:
A person who has undergone specific training to understand the objectives and rationale of the water crossing standards and/or approval conditions that are being implemented for a project defined as Lower Risk in this Protocol, and has the authority and ability to ensure that the approval water crossing standards and/or conditions are correctly implemented, and in cases where they are not, understands the requirements to notify MNRF and DFO.
Undermining:
The seepage or loss of water under a culvert or other structure.
Values:
A term used to describe known natural, cultural or First Nation or Métis resource attribute or use of land, including all lakes and streams, which must be considered in forest management planning.
Watercourse:
A flowing waterbody such as a river, stream or creek, including the bed, channel, banks and adjacent riparian areas delineated as the area below the normal high water mark. A watercourse has a defined channel that may have either permanent or intermittent flow of water throughout the year.
Water crossing standard:
Thresholds establishing a minimum level of performance or quality and that provides mandatory direction that must be implemented when utilizing the proponent self-screening approval framework detailed in this Protocol.

Suggested reading

D’Eon, R.G., Lapointe, R., Bosnick, N., Davies, J.C., MacLean, B., Watt, W.R., Wilson, R.G. 2012. The beaver handbook: a guide to understanding and coping with beaver activity. OMNR, Northeast Science & Information. FG-006. 76p.

Di Rocco, R, and R. Gervais. 2020. SPOT: Swim Performance Online Tools.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 2019. Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Policy Statement.

Gillies, C. 2007. Erosion and sediment control practices for forest roads and stream crossings: A practical operations guide. FPInnovations, Feric Division. Advantage Vol. 9, No. 5. 87 pp.

Irwin, K., B. Bergmann and J. Boos. 2013. The Stream Permanency Handbook for South-Central Ontario, Second Edition. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 30 pp.

OMNR. 2010. Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario. 211 pp.

OMNR. 2015. Ontario’s Provincial Fish Strategy: Fish for the Future. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario. 64 pp.

Wilson, R.G. 1996. CSP Culvert Installation at Water Crossings on Forest Roads. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Northeast Science and Technology. TN-013. 24 pp.