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Alberni Water District register of water licence accounts

  • GR-3489
  • Series
  • 1897-1967

Series consists of two registers of water licences from the Alberni Water District. The volumes were compiled by the Alberni Government Agent between 1897 and 1967 to create a record of the licences that were issued by the Government Agent.

The sheets in volume one (1956-1967) were computer generated and are arranged by date and water licence number. Some of the sheets also list the rental charge and financial balance for each of the water licence accounts.The sheets include the following data fields:

Date
Water district
Name and Address of water licence holder
Licence number
File number
Account number
Batch
Year

Volume two (1897-1967) includes the following fields:

Date
Number
Name of applicant
District
Description
Remarks
Date of departmental acknowledgement

British Columbia. Government Agent (Alberni)

Correspondence regarding water utilities

  • GR-3482
  • Series
  • 1938-1973

This series consists of correspondence pertaining to the regulation of water utilities in the Province. The files date from 1929-1990. The records from 1938 to 1973 were created by the Public Utilities Commission under authority of the Public Utilities Act (S.B.C. 1938, c. 47). In 1973, the responsibility for water utilities was transferred to the Office of the Comptroller of Water Rights following the passage of the Water Utility Act (S.B.C. 1973, c. 91).

The records in this series were originally arranged by a number assigned to each utility file. Between 1938 and 1973 the file number consisted of “U-“ followed by a sequential number that coincided with the order that the utility was regulated. The ministry established a new numbering system in 1974 that begins with “0321” followed by a three digit number. This numbering system was applied to most of the files although many of the documents in the files still have the original file number written on the documents.

The files consist primarily of correspondence, memos, and handwritten notes. There are also copies of numerous forms including certificates of public convenience and necessity, water tariff rates, and applications for water licences. Files also contain copies of documents from corporate registry files, including lists of directors and Company Act annual reports, and Land Titles documents including deeds and plans.

British Columbia. Public Utilities Commission

Miscellaneous water investigation records

  • GR-3485
  • Series
  • 1950-1973

Series consist of miscellaneous files created or collected by the Water Investigations Branch. This series is a collection of miscellaneous records transferred to the archives. The records include images created during surveys, aerial survey images, technical slides used in presentations, and correspondence with the Archaeological Sites Advisory Board.

The series includes the following material:

  1. 247 slides taken during a 1950 tour of the interior of the province. Each slide has a label that lists the location where the image was taken and in some cases also the subject of the photo.
  2. 56 slides of an August 1957 trip by J.F. Glen. These include I mages of unidentified locations.
  3. A box of 16 unlabelled and unidentified slides that were stored next to the J.F. Glen slides.
  4. 68 technical slides that were used in presentations by T.A.J. Leach, the head of the Hydraulic Investigations Division and Water Investigations Branch. These images consist primarily of maps and sketches of areas in the province. An item list is available for these slides.
  5. Aerial Survey negatives of what appears to be the Lower Mainland. These negatives are numbered in the range 65254 to 65989.
  6. A file of records dating from 1963-1973 on archaeological interests. This consists of correspondence between the Water Investigations Branch and the Archaeological Sites Advisory Board about various projects in Lumby, Squamish and Cowichan River area.

It is possible that some of the images were initially created by the Fraser River Board and its predecessor Joint Dominion-Provincial Board of the Fraser River Basin. The Water Investigations Branch and its predecessor, Hydraulic Investigations Division, worked closely with these boards. The majority of the records consist of slides or negatives as well as one textual record file.

British Columbia. Water Investigations Branch

Nelson water district records

  • GR-3587
  • Series
  • 1897-1966

The series consists of water grant registers and water licence registers. The records were created between 1897 and 1966 to record applications to use water. All records relate to the West Kootenay water region.

The series contains two subseries. The first subseries consists of water registers that were created between 1897 and 1908 following the passage of the 1897 Water Clauses Consolidation Act (SBC 1897, c. 45). This act assigned responsibility to gold commissioners to record water applications and licences and also outlined the process by which gold commissioners were to maintain a “book of record of water rights.”

This subseries contains four “record of water grants” volumes from 1897 to 1908 that were created by the gold commissioners from Nelson, Rossland and Kaslo. The commissioners used these books to create a certified copy of the licence for the applicant as well as to create an official government copy. There is also an 1897-1908 register that indexes the first two registers. Many of the register entries have written notations that list the date that a licence was cancelled.

The second subseries consists of water licence application registers created by the Nelson office of the Water Rights Branch. The 1909 Water Act (SBC 1909, c. 48) transferred the responsibility for the management of water licences to regional water commissioners. The post 1908 registers were created by the Nelson Water Commissioner and provide a list of approved water licences. The records are arranged chronologically and each application was assigned a sequential number.

British Columbia. Gold Commissioner (Nelson)

Numerical register of water licence approvals

  • GR-3491
  • Series
  • 1960-1981

Series consists of a register of water approvals. The register begins in 1960 following the passage of the 1960 Water Act (SBC 1960, c. 60). This act allowed the Comptroller of Water Rights, under certain conditions, to approve the diversion and/or use of water without issuing a licence.

The register entries cover the years 1960 to 1981 and is arranged numerically by the approval number.. The register includes the following data fields:

File number
Applicant
Source of water
Purpose (short term use or changes in a stream)
Date received
Approval number
Water district
Date approval issued

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Public health engineering plans

  • GR-3546
  • Series
  • 1967-1989 (originally created ca. 1920-1989)

The Health Act of 1893 (SBC 1893, c. 15) established a system by which the government would review and approve public water supplies, and systems of sewerage, that are contemplated by municipalities and incorporated companies, and, in later health act revisions, individuals. The series contains engineering plans from ca. 1920 to 1989.

The records consist of copies of engineering plans submitted to the government by third parties and approved by government in accordance with the Health Act. The plans are of various scale and sizes. They government stamped the plans to show the date of the approval. The plans are numbered sequentially from 1 to 18171. Each number represents an application. There are also plans at the end of the series that are numbered from 12-001 to 14-002. Most applications consist of one plan though some applications consist of multiple plans. An index to plans 1-18171 are available in GR-3547.

The following government offices were responsible for approving these plans:

Provincial Board of Health 1920-1946
Dept. of Health and Welfare 1946-1959
Dept. of Health Services and Hospital Insurance 1959-1973
Dept. of Health 1973-1976
Ministry of Health 1976-1979
Ministry of Environment 1979-1989

The records have been classified as 32900-30 in the Health Safety and Protection Operational Records Classification System.

British Columbia. Ministry of Environment (1988-1991)

Public health water plan indexes

  • GR-3547
  • Series
  • [ca. 1920-1979]

The series consists of an index to the water system engineering drawings in GR-3546. The index is arranged by name of applicant and numerically by plan number. The applicant index covers the years 1920 to 1989. The numerical index covers the years 1967 to 1989.

The series also includes three additional files. Letters of acknowledgement consists of correspondence with applicants between the years 1966-1983. The water systems and microfilm files detail updates to the index and the microfilming of the original plans.

The following government offices were responsible for creating these plans:

Provincial Board of Health 1920-1946
Dept. of Health and Welfare 1946-1959
Dept. of Health Services and Hospital Insurance 1959-1973
Dept. of Health 1973-1976
Ministry of Health 1976-1979
Ministry of Environment 1979-1989

British Columbia. Provincial Board of Health

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

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 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 newspaper clipping book

  • GR-3484
  • Series
  • 1920-1942

Series consists of a newspaper clipping book compiled by Water Rights Branch. The book provides information about water issues throughout British Columbia including irrigation and water power.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Water utilities annual reports

  • GR-3479
  • Series
  • 1938-1973

The series consists of copies of utilities files created after the implementation of the Public Utilities Act (S.B.C. 1938, c. 47). The files date from 1938-1989 and document the regulation of water utilities throughout the province. The records from 1938 to 1973 were created by the Public Utilities Commission. In 1973, the responsibility for water utilities was transferred to the Office of the Comptroller of Water Rights in accordance with the Water Utility Act (S.B.C. 1973, c. 91).

The records are arranged alphabetically in two groups that coincide with whether the water utility was private or public. Most files also have an assigned numeric number. Between 1938 and 1973 the file number consists of “U-“ followed by a sequential number that coincides with order that the utility was regulated. All files were renumbered in 1974 with a new number that begins with “0321” followed by a three digit number.

The files contain copies of orders-in- council and orders of the Comptroller of Water Rights establishing, amending the original application, or deregistering water utilities. There are also annual reports, financial statements, water utility reports and names of water utility directors.

British Columbia. Public Utilities Commission