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Part II .

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Lake Major Watershed Protected Water Area Regulations

made under subsection 106(6) of the

Environment Act

S.N.S. 1994-95, c. 1

N.S. Reg. 141/2025 (effective July 22, 2025)

Table of Contents

Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.

Click here to go to the text of the regulations .

Citation

Definitions

Public notification

Fire restrictions

Vehicle and vessel restrictions

Swimming, bathing and washing restrictions

Fishing restrictions

Dock, wharf and mooring restrictions

Forestry restrictions

Boat launch restrictions

Pest control products and biocide restrictions

Refuse or waste restrictions

Discharges prohibited

Landfill prohibition

Corridor restriction

Sewage system requirements

Gravel and mineral extraction

Soil erosion and sedimentation control

Road construction restrictions

Dwelling unit construction restrictions

Approval requirements

Appointment of Administrator

Citation

1 These regulations may be cited as the Lake Major Watershed Protected Water Area

Regulations .

Definitions

2 In these regulations,

“Act” means the Environment Act ;

“Administrator” means a person employed by the Department and appointed by

the Minister under

Section 22;

“biocide” means a toxic chemical or other substance capable of killing living

organisms, but does not include a registered pest control product;

“Board” means the Lake Major Watershed Advisory Board established to provide

advice to the Minister and the Water Works Operator with respect to the

management of the Lake Major Watershed;

“Department” means the Department of Environment and Climate Change;

“Minister” means the Minister of Environment and Climate Change;

“mulch” means a plant or artificial material used to cover soil to protect an area

from erosion or to retain soil moisture;

“pest control product” means a pest control product as defined in the Act;

“Protected Water Area” means the land and water designated under subsection

106(5) of the Act as the Lake Major Watershed Protected Water Area, as described

in

Schedule “A” to the designation;

“vehicle” means any vehicle propelled or driven otherwise than by muscular

power, whether or not the vehicle is registered under the Motor Vehicle Act ;

“vessel” means a means of conveyance of a kind used on water and includes any

accessory to the vessel;

“watercourse” means the bed and shore of a river, stream, lake, creek, pond,

spring, lagoon, swamp, marsh, wetland, ravine, gulch or other natural body of

water, and the water in it, including groundwater, within the jurisdiction of the

Province, whether it contains water or not;

“Water Works Operator”, unless the Minister agrees otherwise in writing, means

the Halifax Regional Water Commission who is the operator of the water works as

defined in the Act.

Public notification

(1) The Water Works Operator must post signs at the direction of the Department to

indicate that Lake Major Watershed has been designated as a Protected Water

Area.

(2) The Water Works Operator must replace any signs that have been damaged or

removed.

(3) The Water Works Operator must take appropriate measures to advertise and

provide notice to the general public of these regulations.

(4) A person must not remove or alter any sign, notice or advertisement posted under

these regulations.

Fire restrictions

(1) A person must not light or be responsible for an open fire in the Protected Water

Area from April 15 to October 15, inclusive, in any year except for an open fire in

a barbecue or fireplace designed for cooking or heating purposes.

(2) When open fires are permitted during the times prescribed in subsection (1), a

person must not burn a product other than wood or charcoal.

(3) A person must not light or be responsible for an open fire on ice located over Long

Lake or Lake Major or within 10 m of the shoreline of those lakes.

(4) A person involved in forestry activity in the Protected Water Area must comply

with the Forests Act and its regulations, including the Forest Fire Protection

Regulations .

Vehicle and vessel restrictions

(1) A person must not wash a vehicle or vessel in any watercourse or within 30 m of

the shoreline or bank of any watercourse located in the Protected Water Area.

(2) A person must not operate a vehicle, including an off-highway vehicle as defined

in the Off-highway Vehicles Act or any other type of recreational vehicle, on or

over Long Lake or Lake Major.

(3) A person must not operate a vessel in the Protected Water Area that is powered by

a motor greater than 9.9 hp or that carries more than 23 L of gasoline, unless the

person meets both of the following conditions:

(

a) they are required to operate the vessel in Lake Major to safeguard its water

supply;

(

b) they have been issued an approval by the Water Works Operator.

(4) A person must not fill a gasoline tank or transfer any liquid fuel from tank to tank

on or within 20 m of the shoreline or bank of Lake Major or Long Lake.

Swimming, bathing and washing restrictions

(1) A person must not bathe or wash in any watercourse in the Protected Water Area.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3), swimming is permitted in the Protected

Water Area, including Long Lake.

(3) A person must not swim in Lake Major, except within 800 m upstream from the

Lake Major Dam.

Fishing restrictions

(1) A person must not fish from a vessel or from the shoreline of Lake Major within

100 m of the intake structure for the Lake Major water treatment facility.

(2) A person must not use, have in their possession or release any live or dead fish or

fish parts for the purpose of bait or species introductions for recreational fishing in

the Protected Water Area.

Dock, wharf and mooring restrictions

(1) Except as permitted in subsection (2), a person must not install a permanent dock,

wharf or mooring on any watercourse in the Protected Water Area.

(2) Despite subsection (1), a person may install a seasonal or temporary dock or wharf

if they have been issued an approval by the Water Works Operator before the

seasonal or temporary dock or wharf is installed.

(3) Before issuing an approval for a seasonal or temporary dock or wharf, the Water

Works Operator must notify the Board.

Forestry restrictions

(1) A person must not undertake any type of forestry activity in the Protected Water

Area that will diminish the quality or quantity of the water.

(2) A person must not construct a forest access road in the Protected Water Area

unless the route location is approved in writing by the Water Works Operator

following consultation with the Board.

(3) A person must not construct a bridge, culvert or otherwise alter a watercourse in

the Protected Water Area unless a permit or approval is issued by the Minister or a

person designated by the Minister following consultation with the Board.

(4) An owner, operator or person responsible for a forest access road, bridge or culvert

approved under subsection (2) or (3)

(

a) must maintain and repair the forest access road, bridge or culvert; and

(

b) must not remove a bridge or culvert without first obtaining written approval

from the Minister or a person designated by the Minister.

(5) A person must not begin any type of forestry activity in the Protected Water Area

unless that person

(

a) gives at least 30 days’ prior notice to the Water Works Operator; and

(

b) has been issued an approval by the Water Works Operator.

(6) A person must not undertake any type of forestry activity in the Protected Water

Area in excess of 20 ha unless the owner, operator or person responsible for the

forest land has a forest management plan that meets all of the following conditions:

(

a) it was prepared by a professional forester;

(

b) it has been reviewed and approved by the Water Works Operator following

consultation with the Board;

(

c) it ensures that any forestry activity conducted in the Protected Water Area

has as a primary objective the protection of

(

i) the watershed and any watercourse located in the Protected Water

Area; and

(ii) the quality and quantity of water located in the Protected Water Area.

(7) A person must not drive logs on any watercourse located in the Protected Water

Area.

(8) A person must not operate forest harvesting equipment in a watercourse in the

Protected Water Area.

respecting time and other restrictions if the terms, conditions or restrictions are

considered necessary to protect water quality in the Protected Water Area.

Boat launch restrictions

10 A person must not install a boat launch or slip in the Protected Water Area, except for

the purpose of operating the Lake Major Water Treatment Plant.

Pest control products and biocide restrictions

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), a person must not spray or otherwise apply a

pest control product or biocide, including, but not limited to, an insecticide,

herbicide or fungicide, in the Protected Water Area.

(2) All of the following pest control products and biocides are exempt from subsection

(1):

(

a) dormant oils;

(

b) lime sulphur;

(

c) insecticidal soap;

(

d) Bacillus thuringiensis formulations;

(

e) any other pest control product or biocide approved by the Administrator.

(3) Except for the aerial application of Baccillus thuringiensis formulations, a person

must not apply a pest control product listed in subsection (2) in the Protected

Water Area unless the application is done by a ground method and is administered

in accordance with the Act and its regulations.

Refuse or waste restrictions

(1) A person must not pile or accumulate agricultural refuse, farm waste or wood

processing waste, including sawdust, bark, chips or shavings, within 65 m of the

shoreline or bank of any watercourse in the Protected Water Area.

(2) Any materials described in subsection (1) must be contained by a storage method

approved by the Administrator.

Discharges prohibited

(1) A person must not deposit, release, discharge, drain or emit or cause or permit the

deposit, release, discharge, drainage or emission of any of the following products

in the Protected Water Area:

(

a) oil;

(

b) petroleum products;

(

c) soap;

(

d) detergent;

(

e) toxic chemicals;

(

f) pest control product waste;

(

g) garbage;

(

h) litter;

(

i) solid or liquid waste;

(

j) any other material that causes or may cause pollution to a watercourse or

any other area.

(2) A product described in subsection (1) must be safely disposed of outside the

boundaries of the Protected Water Area in a place and in a manner approved by the

Department, the Department of Health and Wellness and the Halifax Regional

Municipality.

Landfill prohibition

14 A person, including a municipality, must not establish a dump, landfill or waste disposal

site in the Protected Water Area.

Corridor restriction

15 A person must not construct a road, pipeline, railway, telephone line, power line or other

similar development on, over or across the Protected Water Area or grant an easement

on, over or across the Protected Water Area without first obtaining written approval from

the Administrator following consultation with the Board.

Sewage system requirements

16 A person must not install an on-site sewage disposal system in the Protected Water Area

unless the system is constructed in conformance with the On-site Sewage Disposal

Systems Regulations made under the Act and other applicable legislation.

Gravel and mineral extraction

17 A person must not operate or use any pit, mine or quarry for the extraction of gravel,

rock or minerals in the Protected Water Area without first obtaining written approval

from the Administrator following consultation with the Board.

Soil erosion and sedimentation control

(1) A person must not undertake any activity that causes or might cause soil erosion

resulting in sediment being deposited in a watercourse located in the Protected

Water Area.

(2) If sedimentation occurs, the owner, operator or person responsible for the property

must take immediate action to install erosion and sediment control measures.

(3) A person must not permit water that has a suspended solid concentration greater

than 25 mg/L to discharge from any construction site located in the Protected

Water Area.

(4) Except for grubbing or earth moving required to construct a single- or two-unit

dwelling, a person must not begin any activity requiring grubbing or earth moving

in the Protected Water Area unless they have an erosion and sedimentation control

plan that has been approved in writing by the Administrator following consultation

with the Board.

Road construction restrictions

(1) A person must not undertake any road construction work in the Protected Water

Area unless the work is conducted between June 1 and September 30, inclusive, in

any year.

(2) A person must not expose at any one time more than 1900 m 2 of roadway subbase

in the Protected Water Area.

Dwelling unit construction restrictions

20 An owner, occupier, contractor or person responsible for constructing a dwelling unit in

the Protected Water Area must not begin construction unless all of the following terms

and conditions to control erosion and sedimentation are met:

(

a) all areas where vehicular activity takes place must be covered with rock or

material to stabilize the area;

(

b) during construction, if areas described in clause (

a) become rutted,

additional granular material must be applied to prevent the transport of silt

from the site;

(

c) if the dwelling unit is adjacent to a watercourse, ditch or storm sewer, all

soil excavated to permit construction of the foundation or basement of the

dwelling must be transported out of the Protected Water Area or be

completely covered with a material to prevent erosion;

(

d) exposed soil must be covered to prevent erosion until a permanent

protective cover is established;

(

e) erosion protection must be inspected at least twice a week by the owner,

operator or person responsible and repaired if unstable areas are found;

(

f) soil that is exposed adjacent to a watercourse, ditch, or storm sewer must be

stabilized within 24 hours of exposure;

(

g) once landscaping starts, lawn areas must be immediately prepared, sodded

or seeded and mulched within 7 days;

(

h) no more than 200 m 2 of lawn area may be developed at any one time;

(

i) all landscaping must be carried out between May 1 and October 31,

inclusive, in any year.

Approval requirements

(1) A person must obtain all municipal, provincial and federal approvals that may be

required to conduct any type of operation or do any activity in the Protected Water

Area.

approval and any Act or regulations that might apply in the Protected Water Area.

Appointment of Administrator

22 The Minister may appoint an employee in the Department as an Administrator to

administer these regulations on behalf of the Minister and the Department.

Legislative History

Reference Tables

Lake Major Watershed Protected Water Area

Regulations

N.S. Reg.

141/2025

Environment Act

Note: The

information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is

compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.

Source Law

The current consolidation of the Lake Major Watershed Protected Water Area Regulations made

under the Environment Act includes all of the following regulations:

N.S.

Regulation

In force

date*

How in force

Royal Gazette

Part II Issue

141/2025

July 22, 2025

date specified

Aug 8, 2025

The following regulations are not

yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation:

N.S.

Regulation

In force

date*

How in force

Royal Gazette

Part II Issue

*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for

rules about in force dates of regulations.

Amendments by Provision

ad. = added

am. = amended

fc. = fee change

ra. = reassigned

rep. = repealed

rs . = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

..........................................................

Note that changes to headings are not

included in the above table.

Editorial Notes and Corrections

Note

Effective

date

Repealed and Superseded

N.S.

Regulation

Title

In force

date

Repealed

date

154/1992

Lake Major Watershed Protected Water Area Regulations

Jul 10, 1992

Jul 22, 2025

Note: Only

regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this

table. It may not reflect the entire

history of regulations on this subject matter.