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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.

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.

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.

This series contains a record of the Board of Investigation list of streams upon which water records have been issued in the Kamloops Water District by E.T.W. Pearse, Water Commissioner, Kamloops, B.C., May 5th, 1911. The series includes an index to water rights transfers in Kamloops, no date.

This series consists of Water Rights Branch file No. 011704 of correspondence, including the commissioners' report, regarding the Commission of inquiry under section 171 of the Water Act (1914) to investigate irrigation matters in the vicinity of Vernon involving the White Valley Irrigation Company and Coldstream Estate Company.

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.

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.

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.

"Report on irrigation conditions of British Columbia and recommendations for the initiation of government work on irrigation investigations," by Prof. B.A. Etcheverry, commissioned by the Dept. of Lands.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

This series contains records of the Water Recorders and Government Agents of Barkerville and Fort George relating to water licences. Includes correspondence, licence certificates and plans of licences issued to the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, and the Fort George Citizens Water Company.

Series contains correspondence files relating to water licences and irrigation in the vicinities of Rock Creek and Greenwood, and the southern Okanagan valley.

Series consists of correspondence, memoranda, and notes relating to irrigation, the hydrometric programme (1944) and hot springs and mineral wells. Includes list of water records within various Okanagan irrigation districts.

This series consists of minutes of evidence given at hearings held at Vernon, 12 August 1919, and Victoria, 7 January 1920, by the commission of inquiry to inspect the water systems of the White Valley Irrigation and Power Company and Coldstream Estates, pursuant to section 171 of the Water Act, (1914).

This series consists of Determinations and Orders for the cancellation of water records by the Board of Investigation under the Water Act, 1914, nos. 2501-5000 (vol. 1) and nos. 7504-8103 (vol. 2). Information on the orders include water district, date of order, date of original grant, name of grantee, and Board file number reference.

This series consists of certificates of approval for the commencement of construction of water works, necessary to direct, convey, store, and use water, 1917-1938, pursuant to the Water Act, 1914. The records are arranged numerically with alphabetical index. Includes terms of construction, name of holders, file reference and licence disposition.

This series contains correspondence files relating to water rights and water resources administration.

Series contains the minutes of a public hearing on the application of the Northwest Power Industries, Ltd. for a water licence to authorize the diversion, use and storage of water from Atlin Lake and tributaries, held in Atlin, B.C., on August 16, 1955.

This series contains records from the Water Rights Branch and includes correspondence, memos, and miscellaneous notes and papers regarding irrigation pumps.

This series contains petitions from land owners in Lillooet regarding the Lillooet Hospital Improvement District for incorporation under the Water Act [R.S.B.C., 1948, c.361, s.50], for the purpose of planning, constructing and operating a hospital. For additional correspondence, see files 0221083 and 0208807.

Series consists of a card file system created by the Water Rights Branch ca. 1928-1959. The card files index photographs taken or collected by the branch during this period, which relate to activity regarding water issues in British Columbia. The series consists of two alphabetical sorts of card files; the first is arranged alphabetically by area. Information on each card lists the photographs indexed under that area, with the photo file number, title or description of the photograph and sometimes the date. Occasionally a negative or glass plate negative number is listed as well. The second sort is arranged alphabetically by subject. The information on each card lists the photographs indexed under that subject, with the photo file number, title or description of the photograph and sometimes the date. There are occasional references to negative or folio numbers. There is also a subset of numbers, L01 to L16, filed after the subject snow surveys which include 23 black and white photographs interfiled with the index cards. The photographic records indexed by this card file system consist of both prints and negatives.

Series consists of photographs taken, acquired or annotated by the Water Rights Branch ca. 1915-1982. The photographs in this series were taken or acquired by staff of the Water Rights Branch in British Columbia to document their activities. These activities included water and snow surveys, which anticipated the amount of run off expected in spring that could be used for power, irrigation and domestic supply; water resources surveys which investigated future sites that could be used to increase power; documentation and inspection of water ways, power plants, reservoirs and dams; inspections of irrigation systems including both dyking and drainage; and evidence of flood control and water damage. The majority of the photographs consist of black and white negatives and many of their corresponding prints. They are arranged numerically by a photo file number. They have been indexed by area and subject using a card file system (see related series). In addition there are panoramic photographs, large negatives and glass plate negatives, filed separately because of their size. Most of these records are also indexed by the same card file system. The series also includes several albums and miscellaneous prints and negatives, both loose and in rolls, as well as a 16mm film reel and a number of lists, indexes and other miscellaneous accompanying material.

Series consists of photographs taken or acquired by the Water Rights Branch ca. 1945-1962. The photographs in this series are of Moose River which flows SE into the head of the Fraser River just above Moose Lake, in Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia. The photographs show the upper falls, the banks below the forks, the middle Resplendent flats and damsite.

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.

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.

The records consist of the 33 water rights maps. The maps have been stamped by the Water Rights Branch on December 28, 1916.

The maps are in a large volume that was originally held by the Dominion Lands Office (Golden Sub Agency) of the Canadian Government’s Dept. of the Interior. These maps were likely used by this office as part of the Dept. of Interior’s management of the Railway Belt. This volume was subsequently returned to the Water Rights Branch since they are similar to other water rights maps held by the branch.

The maps are arranged in blocks of numbers that relate to the water district and the water precinct. These numbers, and the water districts are as follows:

2700 to 2823 Golden Water District
7505 to 7655 Revelstoke Water District.

The Golden Water District records include maps from the Spillimacheen Precinct, Golden Precinct, Donald Precinct, and The Revelstoke Water District records include maps from the Arrowhead Precinct, Camborne Precinct, Revelstoke Precinct and Illecillewaet Precinct.

Series includes the following map numbers:

2700
2701
2702
2703
2730
2731
2732
2733
2760
2761
2762
2763
2764
2765
2766
2767
2823
7505
7506
7530
7532
7533
7620
7621
7622
7623
7624
7650
7651
7652
7653
7654
7655

The cover of the volume states that this is a record of the Golden Sub Agency of the Dominion Lands Office of the Canadian Government Dept. of the Interior. It is not clear how this volume may have been used by the Dept. of Interior since each map is stamped by the Water Rights Branch. The Dept. of the Interior was responsible for managing the Railway Belt.