Standards and Best Practices

for Instream Works

Pipeline Crossings
Version 1.0

Other Guides in this Series

You have selected this document because your project
Guidebook Introduction
involves Pipeline Crossing works in or about a stream.
Bank Stabilization Works addressed in this section involves pipeline crossing
Beaver Dam Removal methods used to cross a watercourse. When planning your
Bridges project, develop designs and select locations to minimize
Channel Maintenance potential impacts to fish and fish habitat. If your works are
Culverts outside the scope of this Guidebook then a MOE Approval
Habitat Enhancement & Restoration application must be completed and DFO contacted to
Miscellaneous Works
determine if a review and/or Authorization under the
Fisheries Act is appropriate.
Pipeline Crossings
Public Utility Works
Urban Stormwater Management
Wharf, Pier, Dock, Boathouse & Mooring

Supporting Documents
General BMPs & Standard Project
Considerations
Regional Timing Windows
Contact List
B.C. Ministry of Environment Contacts
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Contacts
Glossary
MOE/DFO Notification, Approval &
Authorization Instructions & Forms
Introduction

About this document... Glossary

Before you proceed with your project you must ensure that you:
Important words,
• understand and apply the appropriate Water Act Standards to your project; denoted in bold text,
are defined in the
• understand the federal Fisheries Act and ensure you are in compliance glossary, included as
with Section 35 of the Act which prohibits the Harmful Alteration, a separate document
Disruption or Destruction (HADD) of fish habitat and Section 36
for download as part
of the Act which prohibits the release of deleterious substances to a
of this same series.
watercourse; Every effort should be made to incorporate applicable
Regional Operational Statements into your project. Operational
Statements outline measures and conditions for avoiding HADDs to fish habitat and thus
allow works to proceed in compliance with subsection 35(1) of the Fisheries Act;
• review the appropriate DFO Pacific Regional Operational Statement(s) and determine if
Operational Statement Notification and/or Authorization is appropriate;
• incorporate the applicable Best Management Practices to comply with the Standards; and,
• complete and submit a Notification, Approval and/or Authorization application for MOE
and DFO as required for your project.

Disclaimer
Information in this document is provided for guidance only. Users must apply appropriate legisla-
tion and regulations as applicable to the works in and about a stream that are being considered. It is
strongly recommended that an appropriately Qualified Professional(s) (QP) be consulted as part of
project development. Legislation and regulations should be consulted and applied as they pertain to
your project. If a discrepancy arises between this document and legislation, the legislation takes prece-
dence. Neither the Province of British Columbia nor Government of Canada guarantee the accuracy
or completeness of the information referenced herein and in no event are liable or responsible for
damages of any kind arising from its use. Note that other legislation and regulations (e.g., municipal)
may also apply to such activities and should be consulted.

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 2

How to proceed with your Pipeline Crossing Project

The following five (5) steps will help guide you through the provincial and federal Notification, Approval
and/or Authorization process for Pipeline Crossing Construction or Maintenance works:
Step

1
Step

2
Step

Step

4
Step

5
Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 3
How to proceed with your Pipeline Crossing Project

Step Pipeline Crossing Construction or Maintenance Water Act Standard Condi-

tions:

3 • pipeline and associated works are installed in a dry stream channel at a depth
so that the top of the pipe is at least 1 m below the lowest elevation of the
Addendum bed of the stream; and,
• the crossing is constructed in accordance with the requirements prescribed
in paragraph 44(b) of the Water Act for clear span crossings in the case of an
aerial crossing:
-- the crossing and approach roads do not produce a backwater effect
or increase the head in the stream;
-- equipment used for construction, including site preparation,
maintenance or removal of the crossing, is situated in a dry stream
channel or operated from top of bank;
-- the hydraulic capacity of the crossing is equivalent to the hydraulic
capacity of the stream channel or is capable of passing the 1 in 200
year maximum daily flow and that, for suspended pipelines the
height of the underside of the crossing is also adequate to provide
free passage of flood debris and ice flows; and,
-- crossing materials meet the standards of the Canadian Standards
Association, as applicable.

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 4

Best Management Practices (BMPs)

Step
The following Best Management Practices (BMPs) are methods, that if followed, will

4 help ensure your project minimizes potential impacts to fish and fish habitat and will
provide a standard level of protection to the aquatic and terrestrial environment poten-
tially affected by your project.

It is the responsibility of the proponent/developer to ensure that they are in compliance with all applicable
legislation.

There are three (3) types of BMPs you should consider:

i. General BMPs and Standard Project Considerations applicable to any project;

ii. Pipeline Crossing Construction or Maintenance specific BMPs (below); and,
iii. Supportive information applicable to project design, implementation and Pipeline
Crossing Construction or Maintenance techniques.

i. General Project BMPs and Standard Project Considerations

Please proceed to the General BMPs and Standard Project Considerations section to review consider-
ations applicable to your project.

ii. Pipeline Construction or Maintenance Specific BMPs

To achieve the required Standards and objectives that your activity must meet, apply the following BMPs
as applicable to your works.

To reduce impacts on fish and wildlife habitats and populations, your Pipeline Crossing construction and
maintenance activities must consider:

General Pipeline Construction or Maintenance Activities

Design
PL01 ensure General BMPs and Standard Project Considerations have been consulted and
appropriately applied prior to commencement of work;
PL02 ensure construction and maintenance activities adhere to Regional Timing Windows
to prevent disruption of fish and wildlife habitat;
PL03 avoid floodplains, meander bends, braided streams, alluvial fans and areas where
bank stability may be a concern;
Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 5
Best Management Practices (BMPs): continued...
PL04 protect natural function and features by avoiding critical fish and wildlife habitat
areas;
PL05 align stream crossings perpendicular to stream flow;
PL06 design works to avoid impacting instream complexing such as large woody debris
(LWD);
PL07 ensure that soil and weather conditions are factored into work activities so that
construction does not result in soil erosion and siltation into the stream;

Operational
PL08 install effective erosion and sediment control measures prior to works to prevent entry
of sediment into the watercourse and inspect these measures regularly during the course
of construction to ensure they are functioning properly. Make all necessary repairs if any
damage occurs or effectiveness is compromised;
PL09 avoid disturbing the bed and banks of the stream by ensuring operational activities and set
up remain outside the bankfull width of the stream;
PL10 minimize right-of-way clearing by limiting impacts to on-site and adjacent riparian areas
and only work where using directional drilling setbacks from shore. Use existing trails,
roads or cut lines as access routes to avoid disturbance to the riparian vegetation, wherever
possible;

Post Works Mitigation

PL11 maintain effective erosion and sediment control measures until complete re-vegetation
of disturbed areas is achieved;

A. Directional Drilling
Design
PL12 conduct geotechnical evaluations for directional drilling and boring operations where
channel and surficial morphology indicate a high risk of crossing failure (e.g. known debris
or buried construction material);
PL13 design the drill path to an appropriate depth below the watercourse to minimize the
risk of frac-out and prevent the line from becoming exposed due to natural scouring of
the stream bed;
PL14 locate drill entry and exit points far enough from the banks of the watercourse to minimize
impact on these areas;
PL15 develop a frac-out response plan that includes measures to stop work, contain drilling mud,
prevent further migration into the watercourse and notify all applicable authorities;

Operational
PL16 ensure operators do not remove riparian vegetation between drill or bore entry and exit
points in preparation of trenchless stream crossing operations;

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 6

Best Management Practices (BMPs): continued...
PL17 construct a dugout/settling basin at the drilling exit site to contain drilling mud to prevent
sediment and other deleterious substances from entering the watercourse. If this cannot
be achieved, use silt fences or other effective erosion and sediment control measures to
prevent drilling mud from entering the watercourse;
PL18 store all waste materials outside of the riparian area and dispose of excess drilling mud,
cuttings and other waste materials at an adequately sized disposal facility located away
from the water to prevent it from entering the watercourse;
PL19 prevent deleterious substances, such as polymers, bentonite, lubricants and sediment
from entering the watercourse;
PL20 monitor fluid pressure and watercourse along a minimum distance of 400 m downstream
from the crossing site to identify signs of frac-out during all phases of construction;

Emergency Frac-out Response

PL21 keep all material and equipment, needed to contain and clean up drilling mud releases,
on-site, in good working order, and readily accessible in the event of a frac-out;
PL22 immediately notify MOE and DFO if frac-out occurs during works (MOE
Environmental Emergency Management Plan Incident Reporting Hotline 1-800-663-
3456; DFO Observe, Record and Report Hotline 1-800-465-4336);
PL23 train all appropriate staff in emergency protocol implementation prior to works as part
of emergency frac-out plans;
PL24 establish a prioritized clean up procedure according to risk of potential harm and to
capacity for drilling mud disposal so as to prevents re-entry into the watercourse;
PL25 ensure emergency clean-up measures do not result in damage to the banks and
watercourse;
PL26 document all incidents of frac-out, spills or release of deleterious substances that occur
and submit them to the appropriate authorities upon completion of works;

Post Works Mitigation

PL27 monitor reclaimed/deactivated sites in areas of erodible soils until successful plant cover
re-establishment and long-term site stability occur;

B. Punch & Bore Crossing

Design
PL28 conduct geotechnical evaluations for directional drilling and boring operations where
channel and surficial morphology indicate a high risk of crossing failure (e.g. known debris
or buried construction material);
PL29 design the punch and bore path at an appropriate depth (minimum of 1 m) below the
watercourse to prevent the pipeline or cable from becoming exposed due to natural
scouring of the stream bed;

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 7

Best Management Practices (BMPs): continued...

PL30 develop a response plan to be implemented immediately in the event of a sediment

release or spill of a deleterious substance. This plan must include measures to:
• stop work, contain sediment-laden water and other deleterious substances and
prevent further migration into the watercourse;
• notify all applicable authorities in the area;
• promptly clean-up and appropriately dispose of the sediment-laden water and
deleterious substances; and,
• ensure clean-up measures are suitably applied so as not to result in further
alteration of the bed and/or banks of the watercourse.

Operational
PL31 ensure operators do not remove riparian vegetation between drill or bore entry and exit
points in preparation of trenchless stream crossing operations;
PL32 excavate bell holes beyond the top of bank, a minimum of 30 m from any watercourse
to preserve riparian vegetation and allow containment of any sediment or deleterious
substances;
PL33 treat water and divert uncontaminated water into a vegetated area or settling basin to
remove suspended solids and prevent sediment and other deleterious substances from
entering the watercourse, when dewatering bell holes;
PL34 stabilize any waste materials removed from the work site (including bell holes) above the
ordinary high water mark (HWM), to prevent them from entering any watercourse;
PL35 contain spoil piles with silt fence and ensure it is compacted, covered with biodegradable
mats or tarps and/or plant native grass or shrubs;
PL36 monitor the watercourse to observe signs of malfunction during all phases of the
work;
PL37 keep on-site and readily accessible all material and equipment needed to contain and
clean up releases of sediment-laden water and other deleterious substances for the
duration of the work;

Post Works Mitigation

PL38 monitor reclaimed/deactivated sites in areas of erodible soils until successful plant cover
re-establishment and long-term site stability occur;

C. Other Pipeline Installation Methods

Open Cut Crossing

Operational
PL39 ensure sediment or other deleterious substance(s) do not enter any watercourse as a
result of open cut pipeline construction or maintenance activities;

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 8

Best Management Practices (BMPs): continued...

PL40 install open cut pipeline stream crossings in naturally dry stream channels (no water
flow present) or in isolation of any stream flow to prevent downstream sedimentation.
If dewatering, water diversion hoses must be screened as per the Freshwater Intake
End-of-Pipe Fish Screen Guideline (DFO, 1995) and MOE Temporary Diversion
works Standards and BMPs must be applied.
PL41 fish salvage, where fish are present in any part of the watercourse, is necessary prior
to dewatering during Temporary Diversion activities. An appropriately Qualified
Professional(s) must complete the salvage and acquire necessary collection permits
from MOE and DFO and comply with applicable regulations and legislation;
PL42 pump wastewater from project dewatering activities to stable, well-vegetated areas
above the high water mark (HWM) of the stream so that fine sediment and other
particulate matter can settle out prior to re-entry into the watercourse. These locations
must be monitored to ensure that neither erosion nor icing occur;
PL43 all instream pumps should have capacities that exceed expected flows and backup pumps
and generators must be on site and operational should they be required;
PL44 maintain natural stream flows upstream and downstream of the worksite during the
construction period;
PL45 limit disturbance of the streambed and banks to that necessary to place the pipeline;
PL46 place any materials generated from the open cut pipeline construction or maintenance
activities outside the riparian area of the stream to prevent bank erosion and sedimentation
of the watercourse during spring melt or periods of increased precipitation;
PL47 backfill excavated sites with appropriate, compacted fill material. Do not backfill with
vegetation, debris or mud;

Post Works Mitigation

PL48 re-contour the streambed to its original state and leave in a condition that prevents
scouring of the bed, erosion and/or siltation of the watercourse upon completion of the
project;
PL49 control surficial water flow at the crossing location upon completion of the project;
and,
PL50 monitor reclaimed/deactivated sites with areas of erodible soils to ensure successful
plant cover appropriate for the site has re-established to ensure long-term site stability.

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 9

Supportive Information

iii. Supportive Information

The following sources provide you with additional planning, design, implementation and review advice for
a variety of project-specific activities. Please follow the appropriate links to obtain further information on
your project specific activity.

General Considerations
Pacific Region Operational Statements
http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisionsupport/os/operational_statements_e.htm

Develop with Care: Environmental Guidelines for Urban and Rural Land Development
in British Columbia
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/bmp/devwithcare2006/DWC%202006%20Sec%201%20Introducti
on.pdf

Freshwater Intake End-of-Pipe Fish Screen Guideline

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/223669.pdf

Land Development Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Habitat (Section 5 and 6)
http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/publications/pdf/165353.pdf

Riparian Areas and Revegetation, Pacific Region

http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisionsupport/os/riparian-reveg_e.htm

Canadian Standards Association

http://www.csa.ca/

Pipeline Crossing Design & Techniques

Oil and Gas Commission Stream Crossing Planning Guide (Northeast BC)
http://www.ogc.gov.bc.ca/documents/guidelines/Stream%20Crossing%20Planning%20Guide.doc

Pipeline Associated Watercourse Crossings, 3rd Edition

http://www.neb.gc.ca/clf-nsi/rsftyndthnvrnmnt/nvrnmnt/rfrncmtrl/pplnwtrcrssngs2005-eng.pdf

Pipeline-Stream Crossings
http://www.wildsalmoncenter.org/pipeline-stream-english.pdf

Guide to the Code of Practice for Pipelines and Telecommunication Lines Crossing a
Water Body, Including Guidelines for Complying with the Code of Practice
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/Legislation/CoP/PipelineGuide.pdf

Directional Drilling Region Operational Statement

http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisionsupport/os/os-drilling_e.htm

Punch & Bore Crossings Region Operational Statement

http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisionsupport/os/os-punch_bore_e.htm

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 10

MOE/DFO Notification, Approval & Authorization

Step
If you determine that your project requires notification and/or approval from MOE or DFO,

5 please ensure that MOE and/or DFO application instructions are followed and forms com-
pleted and sent to the appropriate agency.

The latest application instructions and forms for MOE and DFO can be found at
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/BMP/

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 11