The federal government has jurisdiction related to:
- fisheries;
- navigation;
- international relationships for managing shared boundary waters (i.e. the US);
- international relationships with water boundary organizations like the International Joint Commission (IJC);
- aquatic research and technology;
- managing national policies and standards (environmental and health-related);
- managing water on federal lands (e.g. National Parks), federal facilities (e.g. office buildings, labs, penitentiaries, military bases), First Nations reserves, as well as two of Canada's three territories (Nunavut and Northwest Territories);
- working with provincial/territorial counterparts on water resource quantity and quality monitoring and data/information.
At the federal level, Environment Canada leads freshwater management.
Legislation administered by Environment Canada for its water management activities include:
- Canada Water Act, which contains provisions for formal consultation and agreements with the provinces;
- International Rivers Improvement Act, which provides for licensing of activities that may alter the flow of rivers flowing into the United States; and,
- Department of the Environment Act, which assigns the national leadership for water management to the Minister of the Environment.
Other important federal, water-related legislation includes:
- International Boundary Waters Treaty Act (R.S. 1985, c. I-17) and Bill C-6;
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act (1999);
- Fisheries Act;
- Navigable Waters Protection Act;
- Northwest Territories Waters Act;
- Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act;
- Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal Act;
- Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act;
- Canada Shipping Act; and
- the Dominion Water Power Act.
