River Class Descriptions recently published in Canada Gazette

http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2009/2009-05-09/html/notice-avis-eng.html#d103

It will up to the public to maintain a watchful eye and protect their own communities and waterways




Class established — width or depth of navigable waters


(2) Sections of navigable waters are established as a class of navigable waters for the purposes of subsection 5.1(1) of the Act if

(a) the average width of the navigable waters measured at the high-water level is less than 1.20 m; or

(b) the average depth of the navigable waters measured at the high-water level is less than 0.30 m.

Class established — width of navigable waters and other criteria


(3) Sections of navigable waters are established as a class of navigable waters for the purposes of subsection 5.1(1) of the Act if the average width of the navigable waters measured at the high-water level is 1.20 m or more but not more than 3.00 m and

(a) the average depth of the navigable waters measured at the high-water level is 0.30 m or more but not more than 0.60 m;

(b) the slope of the navigable waters measured at the high-water level is greater than 4%;

(c) the sinuosity ratio is greater than 2; or

(d) there are more than two natural obstacles in the navigable waters, at least one of which is upstream and another of which is downstream from the midpoint of the centre line of the navigable waters.

Slope and sinuosity ratio


(4) For the purposes of subsection (3),

(a) the slope of the navigable waters is the differential elevation of the water surface from the upstream end of the centre line of the navigable waters to the downstream end of that line; and

(b) the sinuosity ratio is the ratio of the length of the centre line of the navigable waters to the length of a straight line that starts and ends at the same points as the centre line.

Terms and conditions


(5) With respect to any work built or placed in, on, over, under, through or across navigable waters of a class established by subsection (2) or (3), a term and condition is that the midpoint of the work shall be built or placed 100 m from each end of navigable waters of that class.