Buying waterfront in Lake Country, BC

The Province owns nearly all freshwater foreshore, the land below the natural boundary of the lake. The natural boundary is the visible high water mark, where the water has left the soil and plants looking different from the bank.

A private dock must not unduly block public access along the foreshore.¹

Every private dock sits on Crown land and needs the Province's authorization. A dock that meets the conditions of the Province's General Permission needs no application; one that does not needs a Specific Permission or a lease through FrontCounter BC.

Work in or near the lake also has to follow Fisheries and Oceans Canada's timing windows and a notification or approval under section 11 of the Water Sustainability Act.²

The Province's General Permission allows a lake dock up to 42 m long from where the walkway starts, with a float up to 3 m wide and a walkway up to 1.5 m wide, at least 5 m from the projected side property line.

Lake Country's Zoning Bylaw is tighter on length: 40 m from the natural boundary, and one dock per waterfront property. Roofs, sundecks, hot tubs, fill and dredging are not allowed.³

The General Permission covers a dock only while its owner owns the waterfront lot and the dock meets the conditions, so check the dock against them before you buy.

In the Thompson Okanagan, docks built or changed before 2010 can be held to older width and setback standards, but only with proof of when they were built. The owner must carry at least $2,000,000 of liability insurance that covers the dock, and the Province can revoke the permission.¹

The foreshore of all three lakes is in Lake Country's Natural Environment Development Permit Area. Within 30 m of the lake, the District issues no permit until a qualified professional has assessed the site under the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation.

The Zoning Bylaw also keeps buildings at least 7.5 m back from the natural boundary of a lake.⁴

The underside of the floor of any living, business or storage space must be at least 343.66 m above sea level (Geodetic Survey of Canada datum) next to Okanagan Lake, and 393.2 m next to Kalamalka and Wood lakes.

Renovations that add no floor area, carports and garages are exempt.³

The Water Sustainability Act lets a person use unrecorded water from a lake for household purposes without a licence, unless a regulation closes or restricts that source.

Whether that holds depends on the source, so confirm with FrontCounter BC before relying on a lake intake.⁵

The District lists Coral Beach, Gable Beach, Pebble Beach and 4th Street Beach on Okanagan Lake; Oyama, Reiswig Regional Park and Beasley Park on Wood Lake; and Kaloya Regional Park on Kalamalka Lake.

Public launches include Coral Beach on Okanagan Lake and the Oyama launch on Wood Lake, which reaches Kalamalka Lake through the Oyama channel.⁶

Anyone moving a boat in BC, kayaks, canoes and paddle boards included, must stop at every open invasive mussel inspection station on the way; not stopping can bring a $690 fine.

While a boat is moved on land, its drain plugs and valves must be left open.⁷