Natural resource permitting plays a significant role in the government’s strategy to strengthen and diversify our economy. B.C. is working across the natural resource sector to streamline permitting, remove barriers and delays, eliminate duplication, and simplify processes while maintaining high environmental standards and our commitment under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. As part of this work, teams across the natural resource ministries were tasked with identifying areas that would increase efficiency, remove redundancy, and/or reduce administrative burden. Opportunities with the highest potential for impact and timely implementation are being considered for recommendation to Government. 

The Water Sustainability Act (WSA) came into force on February 29, 2016, and modernized B.C.’s water laws to better manage and protect stream and ground water supply. In order to make changes in and about a stream you need to hold either a WSA Section 11 Approval or have submitted a Water Sustainability Regulation Section 39 Notification to undertake authorized changes.   

What’s the challenge?  

For applicants conducting ongoing instream projects, such as maintenance work on infrastructure and stream restoration, the current requirement to apply for and obtain new Approvals or submit Notifications for every occurrence is a time-consuming process for both the applicant and provincial staff.   

What’s being considered? 

The Province is exploring how strong protections for aquatic habitats, public safety, and the surrounding environment can be maintained while allowing applicants to submit one application that may include items such as best management practices, project design, appropriate mitigation measures and environmental monitoring strategies for a single project. These approaches would routinely inform the project for a set amount of time or could support multiple smaller projects with works across several locations.  

The Provincial Government is currently considering how to move forward with a new approach and support proponents in routine maintenance projects throughout the Province.  

We want to hear from you 

Your feedback will help shape how this proposal evolves.  

If you have feedback on this topic, please let us know by completing this survey: Streamlining routine permitting requirements for changes in and about a stream

The survey closes at December 12, 2025.  

Learn more about our other proposals to improve natural resource permitting on the govTogetherBC website.