Acreage Owners
Stewarding your Riparian Areas
The little areas with BIG benefits.
Riparian areas are the green buffers next to streams, lakes and wetlands where vegetation is influenced by high water levels. Although they make up only a small part of the land base they play an oversized role as high value ecosystems that stabilise streambanks, protect water quality by filtering nutrients and pollutants, and regulate water temperature. They are highly diverse ecosystems that provide critical wildlife habitat and travel corridors, and help support healthy aquatic habitat.
How to identify a riparian area:
- Lots of water seasonally or regularly that is close to, or on the surface.
- The vegetation that is present is associated with high water environments
- Soils have been modified by the abundance of water.

Riparian Areas Protection Act and Regulation
The Fish Protection Act was re-titled the Riparian Areas Protection Act (RAPA) in 2016. The Riparian Areas Protection Act focuses on four major objectives:
- Ensuring sufficient water for fish;
- Protection and restoration of fish habitat;
- Improved riparian protection and enhancement; and
- Stronger local government powers in environmental planning.
Any waterbody on your property that is fish bearing or connected to one that is fish bearing will be subject to provincial and federal regulations for any development projects. For more information about modifying a riparian area on your property click here.
What you can do: Stewardship!
1. Protect what you have
2. Restore what you’ve lost
Small “hobby farm” operations may think their impact on the environment is small, however when you consider many small farms along a riparian corridor all of the cumulative effects add up.

Getting your Feet Wet with Monitoring
Signs of trouble in your riparian area include:
- Bare ground and soil compaction from human and animal activity.
- Invasive weeds outcompeting deep rooted native species. Weeds don’t have root systems that allow them to hold soil together as well as native plants, and weeds often lead to erosion.
- Heavy animal and/or human activity can result in less vegetation cover and lead to eroded banks and unstable slopes.
Before

After

Wanting to wade into monitoring? A preferred method of monitoring in the TNRD comes from the Riparian Management Field Workbook as part of the Environmental Farm Plan series on Beneficial Management Practices. Its purpose is to provide an assessment checklist and guidelines for managing activities around riparian areas. For more information visit Riparian Management - Field Workbook and Environmental Farm Plan.
Funding and Support
Landowners have the ability to apply for funding through several different avenues as an individual or partner up with a conservation organization. Groups such as the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation have access to funding for habitat improvements, especially for fish and species at risk. If you can identify species at risk on or near your property you could be eligible for material and labour support to implement projects that can help conserve or restore habitat.
Looking for More Information?
Learn more at AgriService BC or contact your local Environmental Farm Plan Advisor, and visit Farmland-Riparian Interface Stewardship Program.