Water Rights Information

Water licences in British Columbia are issued by the Ministry of Environment (MOE), Water Stewardship Division. In working with other government agencies and stakeholders, the application process requires identification and resolution of a number of issues. Refer to Apply for a Water Licence for details on filing a complete water licence application.

General Information

• Water Legislation
• Water Rights in British Columbia (133kb)
• Rights and Obligations of Water Licence Holders (148kb)
• Water Act, Section 9 "Changes In and About a Stream"
• Water Act, Section 8 "Short Term Use of Water"
• User Guide to Working In and Around Water (924kb) (May 2005)
• Water Guidelines
• Complaint Form (81kb)

Water Users Communities

• Water Users' Communities Information

Search Water Rights

• Water Licence Web Query
• Scanned Water Licences Directory
• Scanned Permits Over Crown Land
• Water Act Reserves
• Water Allocation Restrictions
• ARC/INFO Water Licensing GIS Coverages
• Water Users' Community Query - Names
• Water Users' Community Query - Licensees
• B.C. Water Resources Atlas
• Reports on First Nations Water Rights