State of Environment Reporting

Surface Water Use in British Columbia

Percentage of Licensed Stream Length that has Water Allocation Restrictions by Decade

Source: Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, 2001.

The percent of licensed stream length that has water allocation restrictions is indicative of the intensity of water use in the province, pressures on water supply and the intensity of water management required to maintain water supply for human and non-human users.

Approximately 28% of licensed stream length in British Columbia is currently restricted and has been since the 1990s. Stream restrictions range from including minimum fish flow clauses in a water license to suspending the issuance of any further licenses on a water body.