Apply for a change approval for changes in and about a stream

There are no limitations on who may apply, however, landowner consent must be provided for any lands where work is being done for this authorization.

Before planning work near or around water, review important guidance documents to help understand requirements and best management practices for changes in and about a stream. 

Under the Water Sustainability Act (WSA), "changes in and about a stream" means:

• Any modification to the nature of the stream, including any modification of the land, vegetation and natural environment of a stream or the flow of water in a stream, or
• Any activity or construction within a stream channel that has or may have an impact on a stream or stream channel

Under the WSA, "stream" means:

• A natural watercourse, including a natural glacier course, or a natural body of water, whether or not the stream channel of the stream has been modified, or
• A natural source of water supply,

including, without limitation, a lake, pond, river, creek, spring, ravine, gulch, wetland or glacier, whether or not usually containing water, including ice, but does not include an aquifer.

Under the WSA, "stream channel", in relation to a stream, means the bed of the stream and the banks of the stream, both above and below the natural boundary and whether or not the channel has been modified, and includes side channels of the stream.

Change approvals

A change approval is a written authorization to make changes in and about a stream. You do not require a change approval if the changes are associated with construction of works that are authorized in a water licence. Change approvals are granted with terms and conditions attached. The terms and conditions may relate to the time of year in which you may undertake the work or other measures that protect the aquatic ecosystem, the hydraulic integrity of the stream channel and the rights of water users and landowners downstream.

Regional terms and conditions and timing windows

The authority to work in and about a stream, either through a change approval or notification, is generally granted with terms and conditions attached. Terms and conditions vary from region to region, and work in each region is generally restricted to specific times of the year called regional timing windows.

If you are granted a change approval, terms and conditions will be specified as part of your approval.

Note: Marine/saltwater is not included within the definition of a "stream" or a "stream channel" under the Water Sustainability Act.

Costs and responsibilities

You will be charged an application fee when you apply for a change approval. If the works cross Crown land you may require a permit, for which a separate fee is charged. Fees are calculated automatically as you complete the online application. Read about Water application fees and rental rates and estimate your costs.

Fees can be paid online at the time of application, or at a FrontCounter BC location. See Payment guidelines for more information.

Most application fees are non-refundable. Check the Policy: Refunds for Applications (PDF, 105KB) for more information.

Your application will go through the following process before any decision is made:

1. Receiving the application
   When natural resource applications are submitted, it is expected that they meet the posted application requirements for that application type, both in quality and completeness, so that the proposal is ready to move towards a decision in a timely manner. The application requirements can be found under the applicable water application authorization guidance.

   Poor quality or incomplete applications can result in substantial delays and create significant workload impacts to ministry staff. In order to improve application turnaround times, applicants are required to provide missing information or respond to FrontCounter BC staff requests within 2 weeks.

   If applicants are not able to meet the requested timeframe, they should inform the requesting staff member as early as possible. Applications not meeting application requirements within the requested timeframes may be rejected. The applicant may be entitled to a partial refund of the application fee, however, in many circumstances, no refund will be provided. For further information, please refer to the Policy: Fee Refunds for Applications (PDF, 105KB).

   If the application is returned or not accepted, applicants can expect a detailed explanation of application deficiencies. If an application is rejected due to deficiencies, applicants may re apply at their convenience.

2. Consultations and referrals
   Applications for change approvals may be referred to other provincial and federal regulatory agencies for comment during the adjudication process. Consultation with First Nations, other water users, community groups or other parties may be required if existing rights could be affected by your application.

3. Review
   Once FrontCounter BC has received all comments and objections from potentially affected parties, and any additional information provided by you or affected parties, applications undergo a technical review. During the technical review process, you may be asked to provide additional information or may be required to undertake further study to support your application. On the basis of this review, a recommendation will be made for the consideration of a statutory decision maker, normally a water manager, who is authorized under legislation to grant a change approval.

4. Decision
   A water manager will weigh the information, decide whether to approve your application, and inform you of the decision.

Application enquiries

Read more about application processing and how to check the status of your application.