Project Snapshot
| Category | Details |
| Client | BC Hydro |
| Project Name | BC Hydro Cadastral Mapping for EGIS |
| Location | Province-wide, British Columbia |
| Date | 2002–2008 |
Project Overview
Introduction
Underhill completed over 20 contracts for BC Hydro between 2002 and 2008, delivering high-quality cadastral mapping of more than 2,000 km of transmission corridors. The objective was to prepare legally accurate, GIS-ready data for BC Hydro’s EGIS (Smallworld) Transmission GIS.
Scope of Work
The project involved digitizing coordinate geometry (COGO) data, legal parcel boundaries, roads, municipal infrastructure, and right-of-way (ROW) corridors within a 200 m buffer on either side of 28 transmission circuits.
Underhill’s Role
Services Delivered
- COGO Calculations: Accurate ROW corridor boundaries using Copan for Windows.
- GIS Structuring: Export to AutoCAD Map for clean integration with BC Hydro’s GIS.
- Legal Data Capture: Inclusion of lot lines, roads, rail and gas ROWs, and easements.
- Geodetic Control: Integrated BCH-provided GPS control networks.
- Data Validation: Ensured all output was fully “GIS clean” for immediate use.
Other Related Projects
- Site C Dam (2008): Cadastral data capture and GIS structuring for the proposed dam site on the Columbia River.
- Dewdney Trunk Road (2009): Pole and ROW data capture between Maple Ridge and Mission, BC, using the same COGO-GIS workflow.
Technical Highlights
- Proprietary tools like Copan for Windows used for geometry precision.
- Integration with BC Land Title Office data and existing BCH plans.
- Standardized outputs structured for the Smallworld EGIS database.
- Data now available in the BC Online Cadastre through ICIS membership.
Project Impact
This long-term mapping initiative has strengthened BC Hydro’s ability to manage, analyze, and plan transmission assets. By creating GIS-ready data from historical plans and live control networks, Underhill helped modernize land records across BC Hydro’s infrastructure network.
