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British Columbia. Water Rights Branch
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Plans, engineers' reports, and statistical information

  • GR-0338
  • Series
  • 1914

This series consists of diverse material concerning irrigated and irrigable lands in British Columbia from the Water Rights Branch. Volume 1 contains plot plans, engineers reports, orders, and statistical information,. Volume 2 contains only statistical information.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Proceedings at public hearings under the Water Act

  • GR-0563
  • Series
  • 1976

This series contains 28 volumes of proceedings at public hearings under the Water Act Into an application by British Columbia Hydro (BC Hydro) for a water licence to divert, use and store water out of the Columbia River at a point about 3 miles upstream from Revelstoke, B.C., near the lower end of the Little Dalles Canyon.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Records of the district engineer, Kelowna District, relating to irrigation and reclamation

  • GR-1385
  • Series
  • 1936-1960

This series contains records of the district engineer, Kelowna District, relating to irrigation and reclamation. Records include:
(1) Index of Water Resources Records obtained at regular and miscellaneous gauging stations in British Columbia, 2 volumes, to September 1956, prepared by the Dominion Water and Power Bureau (1936-1959) and Canada Water Resources Branch, 1956.
(2) Data on irrigation districts, Kelowna District Office, 22 April 1958.
(3) Proceedings of the Reclamation Committee, B.C. Dept. of Agriculture, Brief Nos. 1-38 (1953-1960).
(4) Irrigation Districts and Inventories, 2 vols., synopsis on data on irrigation districts, 1938-1950.
(5) Report on appraisal of property and investigation of operations of Okanagan Centre Irrigation and Power Company Ltd., by the B.C. Public Utilities Commission, 22 June 1944.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Records of the Government office in Fairview, B.C.

  • GR-1675
  • Series
  • 1897-1922

This series contains water notices for a licence to take and use water, Similkameen district, 4 vols. Records of the government office in Fairview. B.C. Related to GR-0214 and GR-1674.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Records regarding the construction of Coquitlam Dam

  • GR-3964
  • Series
  • 1909-1916

This series consists of records related to the construction of a new dam at Coquitlam Lake Dam by Vancouver Power Co. Ltd., 1909-1916. Records cover the study and survey of Coquitlam Lake, and attaining approvals for plans, construction, and water use for producing electricity and as a municipal water supply. Records include correspondence, engineering reports and environmental reports.

At the time of construction, Coquitlam Lake was part of the Railway Belt and under the jurisdiction of the dominion government. All records are copies from Canadian Department of the Interior file 656216 nos. 3, 4, 5. The metal pin holding the file together was removed for conservation purposes and the records placed in archival folders. The copied file was likely provided to the Provincial Water Rights Branch for reference around the end of the file in 1913. There are also several loose pages of original records from the BC Comptroller of Water Rights, labelled with file number 8987 dating from 1913 to 1916.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Records relating to draft bill

  • GR-1130
  • Series
  • 1913

This series contains records relating to draft bill, an Act respecting Public Irrigation Corporations. Includes draft of bill with index and column notations and a memorandum entitled "Report on a public irrigation corporation bill, accompanying and explaining the revised draft by H.W. Grunsky of the Water Rights Branch together with letters on the same subject by Dr. S. Forties and F. Adams of the Irrigation Investigation Branch of the United States Department of Agriculture," submitted to the Minister of Lands.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Records relating to water projects

  • GR-1131
  • Series
  • 1911

Series contains lists relating to water projects. List of Certificates of Approval for water works, diversions, dams, spillways, etc. issued between 1898 and 1911; includes grantee, date of approval, purpose and nature of grant. List of power, light and water companies, registered or licenced in the province of British Columbia, including those under statute, those with grants of water rights, and those with Certificates of Approval pursuant to the Water Clauses Consolidation Act (1897) and the Water Act (1909).

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Records relating to water works and water power projects

  • GR-1236
  • Series
  • 1915-1953

This series contains records relating to water works and water power projects. The records consist of International Joint Committee hearings, proceedings before the Comptroller of Water Rights, hearings on the Buttle Lake project before a special committee of the B.C. Legislative Assembly, applications, submissions and briefs, engineering data, technical reports, and specifications. Includes materials pertaining to the Kootenay River reclamation projects of the West Kootenay Power and Light Company, 1929-1950; the Columbia River reclamation project at Golden and Windermere, 1913-1915; the Powell River Company's project at Lois River, 1930; the B.C. Electric Railway Company development at Jordan River, 1929; the Burrard Power Company projects at Stave River and Alouette Lake, 1924; the B.C. Power Commission development of Buttle Lake on Vancouver Island, 1951-1953; and miscellaneous other projects.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Register of appurtenancy, Princeton Water District

  • GR-3490
  • Series
  • [ca. 1889-1928]

Series consists of a register of water rights appurtenant for the Princeton Water District. The register was used to compile a list of water licences and rights assigned to individuals and properties. The register entries cover the years 1889 to 1928 but many of those entries were entered retroactively.

The register includes the following data fields:

Water rights map number
Parcel number
File and priority
Licence
Stream, Reservoir and Intakes
Diversion storage or carriage
Beginning, resuming and completing works
Purpose other than irrigation with quantity
Plans approved
Remarks.

There is an index at the front of the volume that is arranged by lot number.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Register of reverted lands

  • GR-1163
  • Series
  • 1927-1928

The series is a register created by the Water Rights Branch from 1927 to 1928. It documents reverted lands in various irrigation districts and drainage areas in the Okanagan valley, including the Vernon, Kelowna, Westbank, Peachland and Grand Forks areas. Lists lands reverted to the Crown for non-payment of taxes and includes legal descriptions, name of last owner, acreage, amount irrigable, assessed values, etc.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Registers of the Board of Investigation

  • GR-1165
  • Series
  • 1896-1918

This series contains registers of the Board of Investigation, pursuant to the Water Act (3 vols.) Volume 1 is a register of land, water, mining, power and light, and lumber companies incorporated from 1896-1914. The registers are arranged alphabetically by company name and shows date of incorporation, capital, registered address, and file references. They include miscellaneous file references dated 1918. Volume 2 is a register of water claims in the Alberni district from 1905 to 1908, with Board of Investigation file references. Volume 3 is an alphabetical list of companies with water rights claims that are undated.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Report

  • GR-1289
  • Series
  • 1922-1954

This series contains copies of Hydro-electric progress reports in Canada, issued by Canada, Dept. of Northern Affairs and National Resources, Water Resources Division and its predecessor agencies. This mimeographed progress report highlights projects under development in British Columbia and the other provinces.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Report and other material

  • GR-1288
  • Series
  • 1922-1940

This series contains records pertaining to the Southern Okanagan Irrigation Project at Oliver, B.C. Types of records include a bound report which includes contract specifications, a project summary, tenders, memoranda of agreement, cost data, minutes of meeting of the West Kootenay Power a-ad Light Co., rate schedules, correspondence, energy consumption tables, plans and photographs. The original report was prepared in 1923 with various records added periodically until 1940.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Report to the Minister of Finance by the Civil and Hydraulic Engineer

  • GR-1023
  • Series
  • 1916

Series consists of a report to the Minister of Finance of the Province of British Columbia on the Physical and Financial conditions of irrigation projects in the Vernon and Kelowna Districts, created by A.R. Mackenzie, Civil and Hydraulic Engineer. 2 parts.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Surveyor's notebooks

  • GR-3719
  • Series
  • 1910-1963

The series consists primarily of small, hard-cover notebooks used for recording data in the field during hydrographic survey projects. It also consists of envelopes containing various textual and cartographic records. The purpose of the records was to document information recorded by Water Management Branch field surveyors when they completed hydrographic surveys. Information was used as reference material in preparation of topographical maps. Also recorded was information relating to projects completed by the Water Branch (such as irrigation projects). Also recorded was information of the time regarding claims and claimants to water rights. The records may have a high degree of long-range research value.

Many of the field books contain data for so many different geographic locations, it was impossible to list or reflect each location in the file titles.

Relevant information is to be found in many Dept. of Lands, Water Rights Branch annual reports, where the background and execution of the hydrographic surveys around the province are discussed. See for example the Sessional Papers of British Columbia, Session 1913, pgs. D 107 to D 222.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water licence application registers

  • GR-3492
  • Series
  • 1962-1988

Series consists of a registers of water licence applications. The Water Rights Branch created two type of registers: the first is a numerical list of applications (1959-1982) and the second is a list of applications arranged by the water district (1962-1988). These registers allowed the staff to track water applications both chronologically and by region.

The numeric register is arranged by the approval number. The register includes the following data fields:

File number
Applicant
District
Noted
D.E.R.
Sent
Due
Received
Disposition

The geographic registers have sections for each water district. The information is arranged in these sections and then by the file number. The data in the registers is roughly the same for all years with the exception of some fields that have changed. These fields include:

File number
Applicant
Source
Place of user
Purpose
Diversion
Priority
Licence number
Remarks./Disposition
Engineer’s report
Category
Date

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water licence register

  • GR-1766
  • Series
  • 1909-1955

Water licence register, ca. 1909-1955, arranged by final licence number, 1-15922. The register shows status, conditional licence number, final licence number, priority, file number, name, stream, WR map number, purpose, quantity, dominant land, district.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water notices and other material

  • GR-1377
  • Series
  • 1909-1914

This series contains water licences issued for Victoria Water District, 1909-1912, by W.S. Drewry, Chief Water Commissioner, pursuant to the Water Act, 1909. The records include water notices and approval of plans. This volume was also used by the Board of Investigation to make water rights determinations, ca. 1913-1914.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water recorder files

  • GR-3493
  • Series
  • 1905-1955

Series consists of water records created by water recorders at the Alberni Water District and Golden Water District. The water recorders were usually a Government Agent so some of the records have been stamped by the Government Agent stamp.

Records include copies of cancelled final and conditional licences from the Alberni District and water notices that provide information about water applications.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water Rights application registers

  • GR-1764
  • Series
  • 1947-1961

Application registers, vol. 3, 1947-1954, and vol. 4, 1955-1961. The names of the applicants for water rights are arranged by water district, and then chronologically within each district. The registers show file number, name of applicant, source of supply, place of user, purpose, quantity, priority date, conditional licence number, and final licence number. GR-1017 includes earlier volumes in this series.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water Rights Board files

  • GR-1442
  • Series
  • 1909-1935

This series includes records of the Water Rights Board.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water Rights Branch files

  • GR-1443
  • Series
  • 1912-1953

This series contains files mainly pertaining to water licenses and fishways. Files are numbered from 38W through to 45251W. The front of each file folder is filmed giving the file number ["W" indicates a water rights file], the geographical district, the name of the applicant, name of the stream, file numbers of related files, licence number, date of the application and names indexed [GR-3082]. The files contain various forms related to applying for a water licence, correspondence, maps, notices, proof of completion, cancellation, etc.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water Rights Branch maps and determination sheets

  • GR-1436
  • Series
  • 1913-1917

This series contains water rights maps prepared pursuant to Water Act Amendment Act, 1913, showing location of water rights and licences, points of diversion, conduits, places of user, file references and legal descriptions. The series also contains water rights determination sheets relating to water rights decisions of the Board of Investigation. These records show the dates of the original record (includes records ca. 1859-1909), creek or source, grantee, appurtenant land, purpose of water grant, works constructed, amounts of irrigated and irrigable land, names of other claimants, and remarks of the board. The records are arranged by Water District and Water Precinct. The original maps have been catalogued in the Map Division as CM/B1575.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water Rights Branch operational records

  • GR-0884
  • Series
  • 1901-1967

This series consists of records of the Water Rights Branch. Records include government publications, reports, memoranda, correspondence, statutes, regulations, indexes and maps pertaining to water rights, irrigation projects, water reserves, and water power developments, 1901-1967. Includes unpublished reports on the history of irrigation, water power resources policy, public utility regulation, and the Water Rights Branch, the Water Board, and the BC Conservation Fund.

Box 1-2 contains general files.

Box 3 contains the Provincial Water Power Index, ca. 1925-1933. Files are arranged alphabetically by Water District, with Water Rights Branch index numbers, Commission of Conservation index numbers, and Dominion Lands Branch index numbers. Also includes Water District maps showing locations of power site developments, water reserves, applications, and horsepower outputs.

Box 4 contains the Water Reserves Notices Index, 1901-1963. Files are arranged alphabetically by Water District, redone and rechecked February 13, 1963.

Box 5 contains Acts and regulations.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water Rights Branch records

  • GR-1006
  • Series
  • 1889-1979

This series contains records from the Water Rights Branch. Types of records include correspondence, memoranda, reports, articles, speeches, miscellaneous papers and notes, legal opinions, memoranda of agreement, regulations, etc. relating to water rights, the evolution of water resource administration, and the history of the Water Rights Branch. Includes drafts and notes for a history of the branch prepared in 1979; various reports re irrigation; Indian Reserve water rights, the Railway Belt, and hydro-electric power. Printed material transferred to the Library Division.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water rights conditional licence process registers

  • GR-1767
  • Series
  • 1944-1959

Conditional licence process registers tracking W.R.B. activities in carrying the C.L. applications to completion. The registers show file number, applicant, district, C.L. number or other decision, and other information.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water rights conditional licence registers

  • GR-1765
  • Series
  • 1912-1955

Conditional licence registers: vol. 1, CLs 1-5250, 1912-ca. 1924; vol. 2, CLs 5251-15259, ca. 1924- ca. 1941; vol. 3, CLs 15260-22538, ca. 1941-1955. The data is arranged by CL no., which is roughly chronological. The registers show status, conditional licence number, date works completed, fixed licence number, priority date, file number, name of applicant, streams, W. R. map numbers purpose, quantity, dominant land, district, P/C works filed. Vol. 1 also contains data arranged by authorization number 1-1075.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water rights maps : first series

  • CM/B1575
  • Series
  • 1911-1924

The series consists of maps prepared pursuant to the Water Act Amendment Act, 1913. They shows location of water rights and licenses and include tabulation sheets relating to decisions of the Board of Investigation. The maps also show property boundaries.

The maps are arranged by Water district volume and sheet number.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water rights maps : second series

  • CM/S4
  • Series
  • [ca. 1920-1978]

This series of large scale maps was created by the Water Rights Branch pursuant to successive versions of the Water Act and the Water Act Amendment Act. The primary function of the sheets was to document the location of water rights licences. They therefore serve as a geographic index for the licencing function and also provide useful links to other maps and plans produced or used by the Branch.

The sheets in this series replaced those in the first series of Water Rights Maps, 1911-1924 (CM/B1575) and were themselves replaced at the Water Management Branch by a third series of larger-scale mylar maps. Accordingly, the sheets are often annotated with a "D" for "deletion," while the newer maps are sometimes referred to as the "conversions." Additional second series sheets remain at the Water Management Branch.

The maps depict the basic planimetry (creeks, rivers and lakes) within the boundaries of the various water districts and precincts, and record the location and numbers of conditional and final licences, as well as the numbers of both correspondence files pertaining to licences and of approvals of works. Other types of boundaries are also sometimes depicted such as those of local waterworks or improvement districts. Some of the sheets also contain tables which specify creek names, intake codes, and various file, map, or licence numbers identifying the location and nature of water diversions. Finally, the individual sheets frequently provide the numbers of registered plans, large-scale reference maps, and water rights maps or plans containing related information.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

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