Will Calgary run out of water?

[Clarkey]

Who knows, maybe it's the same one troutman?

[Neeper]

Forget the Bow??? Blasphamy!

It has the most powerful and the biggest trouts in any river in the world.

Yes, I fish 90% inside the city. All south of the Bonnybrook Treatment Plant. The plants provide lots of nutrients that provide food for the fish. From there to Carsleland wier is world class trout fly fishing.

I've caught over 50 fish this summer. Biggest one being 25 inch brown trout!

[KevanGuy]

For what it's worth, my Dad has been an Ichthyologist in and around the Bow for 35+ years and he thinks these guys are wrong.

[White Doors]

You don't make the headlines unless you proclaim disaster.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by ken0042

OK, while we are on the subject; what exactly does the weir do? Other than create a hazzard in the water. What is its purpose?

The weir diverts water into a canal that is an irrigation source for alot of farmland south and east of the city...

I could be wrong, but I think it also feeds lake chestermere.

[zztim81]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

This sort of thing is right down my ally.

I worked as a junior researcher for a study done by the University of Lethbridge for the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research in 2004-05. (You can read our anual report here http://www.albertaingenuity.ca/forms..._2004-2005.pdf)

Climatic changes in the foothills and mountains in Montana are having a big effect on the St. Mary tributary alone. The river is fed by snow from that region and almost every year since 2000, there has been less and less. Lack of dynamic fluctuation of lows in all 3 tribs of the S.Sask Basin are destroying the riparian communities as well, which is leading to increased suspended sediment in the water. The Oldman is so low in some areas that you can literally walk across areas of the river that just a few years ago were under several feet.

The Milk River (not part of the S.Sask Basin) is also in dire shape, and is important to agriculture in both Montana and Alberta, and is destined to become a hot political issue again in the near future.

Right on a fellow CP'r who worked for Stu Rood??

Climate change is real, and is affecting our water resources in southern Alberta along all rivers and creeks that have been gauged for close to 100 years water levels are dropping, at the current rates it will take about 50 years in most cases to cause devastating fisheries conditions but at current usage ~70% agricultural for irrigation and 20% municipal 10% industrial we need to conserve now, thus the moratorium on new water licenses in s. Alberta. the article says within 30 years for the Bow Basin because at the current rate of growth for Calgary and surrounding communities additional water is needed for these households.

Ironically, because of concert, pavement and storm drains which don’t treat water before it heads back into the river... cities are net gains for rivers thus they replace the river with more water than they use... the problem is that all the water comes down at one time after a rainfall washing oil grime sediment etc into the river often suffocating trout reds, and spawning habitat, and without the 'sponge' of wetlands and ponds the river levels will go down incredibly faster... so what do we have... higher floods... drier droughts... and to top it off places like high river which all of a sudden feel like letting developers put sub divisions in the cottonwood forests of a flood plain.... real smart! i still cant figure out why the insurance agents don’t tell them to go **** up a rope when they are trying to claim on flood damages...

Anyway hah... that’s my water rant for the day.
TR

[zztim81]

Originally Posted by 4X4

The weir diverts water into a canal that is an irrigation source for alot of farmland south and east of the city...

I could be wrong, but I think it also feeds lake chestermere.

you are right, Chestermere, like many other 'lakes' is S AB are actually reservoirs for irrigation same as Little Bow, McGregor, etc. its all part of a hugh gov investment in infrastructure during the 50's 60's etc. and because they are first and foremost for irrigation thats why they have huge drawdowns this time of year, and thus dont have the regular riparian vegetation around the shore and usually have poor fisheries.

If your ever headed towards Brooks check out the old Aquaduct its a pretty impressive piece of engineering, back in the 20's and 30's it brought irrigation water to an area that Palliser said was unfit for agriculture... or if your in my neck of the woods near cardston check out the old canal at Kimball its the first irrigation project in all of western Canada started by mormon settlers to this area i think as early as 1894... you would be amazed at what these people did with so little technology back then,.
TR

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Neeper

Forget the Bow??? Blasphamy!

It has the most powerful and the biggest trouts in any river in the world.

Yes, I fish 90% inside the city. All south of the Bonnybrook Treatment Plant. The plants provide lots of nutrients that provide food for the fish. From there to Carsleland wier is world class trout fly fishing.

I've caught over 50 fish this summer. Biggest one being 25 inch brown trout!

It's not the size of the fish that matters. I prefer a natural experience on a small mountain stream. No trout on steroids ("nutrients") for me. Nice Brown there; I once caught a 26" inch brown on the Bow - it did not fight at all. I don't enjoy the Bow so much - too many people, guides etc.

Here are a couple from Frenchman's Creek - normally I catch and release:

[Clarkey]

Is Frenchman's creek catch and release?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Is Frenchman's creek catch and release?

Not this one.