Legislation, Regulations, and Provincial Policies

MNR Water Management Legislation

On behalf of the provincial government, MNR has the responsibility to provide advice and direction for implementation of the following three key pieces of provincial legislation:

• The Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, which applies to the management, protection and preservation of the lakes and rivers of Ontario;
• The Conservation Authorities Act, empowering the 36 Conservation Authorities to establish and undertake programs designed to further conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources other than gas, oil, coal, and minerals; and,
• The Public Lands Act, which applies to Crown land use planning, lands management, sales, development etc.

In addition, MNR is an integral partner in the delivery of the:

• Ontario Water Resources Act;
• Planning Act;
• Safeguarding and Sustaining Ontario's Water Act;
• The Clean Water Act
• Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act; and,
• Federal Fisheries Act.

On inter-provincial and international waters, MNR plays the lead role in representing Ontario’s interests with other provincial, federal and state jurisdictions regarding water levels, flows, allocations and watershed planning.

MNR participates in representing Provincial interests through implementation of the following agreements:

• The Great-Lakes Charter (pdf) and Great Lakes Charter Annex (pdf)
• The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement (pdf)
• The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
• The Canada-Ontario Agreement
• Canada Wide Accord
• Boundary Waters Treaty