Crown land and water use

Land, or land covered by water like rivers or lakes that's owned by the provincial government is called Crown land. This type of land is available to the public for many different purposes – from industry to recreation and research.

On this page

• Crown land uses
• Water uses
• Additional information for applications
• Government Access Tool for Online Retrieval (GATOR)
• Off-road vehicles on Crown land

Crown land uses

Find out more about different Crown land uses and related application processes.

Water uses

Find out more about different water uses in B.C.

Additional information for applications

All applications to use the natural resources found on Crown land are submitted through FrontCounter BC, the province’s window into natural resource permitting, licensing and tenures.

• Apply to use Crown land
• Access additional information that may assist you with your application
• Crown land policies
• Crown land procedures
• Report a misuse of Crown land
• Legislation and agreements
• Apply for a water licence or approval

Government Access Tool for Online Retrieval

The Government Access Tool for Online Retrieval is a database that can be used to search the Crown land registry.

Off-road vehicles on Crown land

The B.C. government has established a cross-government framework to respond to huge growth in off-road vehicle use across the province. The framework includes new legislation, increased enforcement and new registration requirements, all to help protect people and the environment.