A Fish Habitat Assessment (or Fish Habitat Impact Assessment) report may be required to develop along the shorelines of lakes across Ontario’s cottage country. The purpose of a Fish Habitat Assessment is to confirm whether critical or sensitive fish habitats are present and to provide recommendations for reducing the impacts of shoreline development on fish and aquatic habitats.

Healthy lands and shorelines are vital to the attractiveness and continued growth on the southern Canadian Shield. New cottages, rebuilds, severances, resorts, and other forms of development adjacent to the waterfront must often be supported by an assessment of how fish habitat and water quality will be protected during and post-construction. This is particularly true where the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has previously identified critical (“Type 1”) fish habitat along your shoreline, or where limited existing information is available. The key results of a fish habitat assessment may include establishment of a minimum shoreline setback, locating any docks away from potential fish spawning and nursery areas, or establishing new tree plantings within the shoreline “buffer”. With extensive experience working in municipalities across cottage country including Muskoka, Parry Sound, Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough and others, Terrastory is well positioned to help you realize the full potential of your waterfront property.