Registry of Water Rights available on-line

Environment and Conservation Minister Tom Osborne today announced the department�s new Registry of Water Rights is now on-line and available to the general public.

The registry, which is a requirement under the Water Resources Act, is a collection of records that shows who has rights for the use of water in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"While the department has always maintained its own records of water rights, this is a new initiative in that other provincial records pertaining to water rights have now been assembled available to the public on our Web site," said Minister Osborne. "Through the Registry of Water Rights, the public can obtain information about who is using water from lakes, ponds, rivers and other water resources, such as coastal waters and in some non-domestic cases, groundwater. The registry will also allow the public to be in a better position to participate in water use planning and avoid water use conflicts."

There are currently 1,100 records listed in the registry. Examples of water rights include use of water for such purposes as municipal, agriculture, water bottling, aquaculture, mining and water power generation. Anyone who holds a water right must register that right with the Department of Environment and Conservation so that the information can be included in the new registry.

The Registry of Water Rights is available to the general public on the Department of Environment and Conservation Web site at

www.gov.nl.ca/env/Env/waterres/WaterRights/Registry_of_Water_Rights.asp

Media contact: Sonia B. Glover, Communications, (709) 729-2575.

2004 04 30                                         10:45 a.m.