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| Fairly steady rain today. All photos: Bow River Shuttles |
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Economic interests trump Alberta's aquatic environment? Again?
Ottawa lashes Alberta water plan
By Karen Kleiss
Edmonton Journal
August 31, 2011
Federal officials and independent experts say Alberta's plan to protect provincial rivers won't work, and could even accelerate environmental damage, new documents show.
Internal government e-mails reveal the federal government "disassociated" itself from Alberta's water conservation plan and sent letters of concern, because its experts believed the province's plan was "insufficient" to keep rivers healthy.
A government-funded consultant's report said the plan "fails to propose any meaningful measures" to protect aquatic environments, while government scientists predicted it would result in "significant" and "serious" degradation of fisheries.
Yesterday along the Bow River
A late night computer glitch prevented our upload of photos from yesterday.
After a number of weeks of actual 'summer' weather, a system from the northwest brought that to a halt yesterday. The clouds and some showers had moved in overnight. The rain stayed away from the Bow River until just after 2:00 pm.
By 6:00 pm, it was pouring cats and dogs. Those fly fishers out for an evening float or wake & wade needed all the rain gear they had brought along.
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A morning casting lesson. No rain. All photos: Bow River Shuttles |
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| Rose hips. Fall is just around the corner. |
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| Gearing up. Sprinkling rain just beginning. |
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| Rain coming down around 7:00 pm. |
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| Ditto. |
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Draft Plan for Northeastern Alberta
After two years of extensive consultation with thousands of Albertans, the updated draft regional plan - the first developed under the province’s land-use framework - is being shared with the public.
Draft plan for northeastern Alberta outlines economic, social and environmental goals for the region
However environmental groups are already expressing concerns about several issues, including that fact that the plan does not address the immediate threats to the region’s water supplies and biodiversity.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Today along the Bow River
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| All photos: Bow River Shuttles |
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| This photo is from yesterday, but we didn't think you'd mind. :-) |
Saturday, August 27, 2011
South Fork Skiff on the Bow River today
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| Photo: Bow River Shuttles |
Our South Fork Skiff rental drift boat is on the Bow River this morning.
The renter is celebrating his birthday today. He decided to take his father and brother on a float trip!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Calgary Bluegrass Festival - 1st Annual Aug 27-28 2011
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| Alberta duo The Doll Sisters are one of the acts at the Calgary Bluegrass Festival this weekend. Courtesy: Calgary Herald |
For one weekend this summer, the grass will grow blue in the outfield of Foothills Stadium. Saturday and Sunday, the Bluegrass Union Society of Calgary will host what it hopes is the first of many festivals, which will showcase talent from the U.S. — including North Carolina headliners Kickin Grass — as well as artists from Western Canada.
Expo Latino - Calgary Aug 26-28 2011
This year's festival's world class Latin performers include, Latin Grammy nominated Michael Stuart, Cheka, Wil Campa, worlds #1 merengue band Grupo Mania and Juno Award winning Compadres featuring Oscar Lopez and James Keelaghan.
There are also many performers from around Canada and Calgary set to take the stage throughout the weekend.
Fly Fusion Mag stands up for ‘Sacred Headwaters’
Kudos to Fly Fusion for stepping outside of their editorial ‘comfort zone’.
The ‘Sacred Headwaters’ of the Skeena, Nass and Stikine rivers are under threat and need all the help they can get.
Preserving this incredible natural landscape could be described as the Canadian equivalent of the battle against the proposed Pebble Mine that is going on in the Bristol Bay watershed of Alaska.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Jack Layton 1950-2011
My friends,
love is better than anger.
Hope is better than fear.
Optimism is better than despair.
So let us be loving,
hopeful and optimistic.
And we’ll change the world.
- Jack Layton
Monday, August 22, 2011
Spray plant - outage update
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| Creating habitat in the form of pools and overhead cover for fish through the placement of large woody debris (tree piles) at several locations within the Spray River system. Photo courtesy: TransAlta |
TransAlta News Release
August 11 2011
On May 23, Unit 2 of TransAlta’s Spray hydro plant was in the midst of scheduled major maintenance when Spray Unit 1 experienced a forced outage, effectively stopping water flow from the Spray system into the Bow River at Canmore. On June 2 a moderate controlled spill began at Goat Pond into Goat Creek to help alleviate rising water levels in the Spray Lakes Reservoir.
Despite this preventative release, inflows this year (from rainfall, snowpack and glacial melt) have been very high, and in mid-July the Spray Reservoir reached capacity, spilling over the spillway channel next to Canyon Dam. As a result, there has been higher-than-normal water volume and turbidity downstream.
Today, while levels in the system still fluctuate with glacial melt and rainfall, the peak flows have now passed and levels are steadily declining.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Ghost River watershed under threat:: report
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Ghost River Watershed is a 1,000-square- kilometre area that borders on the western edge of Rocky View County. The area is in danger thanks in part to Humvees and other recreational vehicles. Photo courtesy: Rocky View Weekly |
Ghost River watershed under threat: report
Rocky View Weekly
August 16 2011
The Ghost Watershed Alliance Society (GWAS) has released a report condemning current levels of usage in the 1,000-square kilometre Ghost River watershed.
The 79-page report was compiled over a 12-month span beginning last June and states the region’s water, forest, wildlife and fish are becoming increasingly threatened.
The watershed is located west of Rocky View County.
Findings were incorporated from A Landscape Cumulative Effects Simulator (ALCES) Landscape and Land-use Ltd. The alliance received a $30,000 grant from Alberta Ecotrust to complete the study.
“It was not unexpected, the outcome,” said Heinz Unger, GWAS president. “If anything, it looked a bit worse than we would have thought.”
Chief concerns include forests being clear cut too quickly, an overreaching trail network and mounting concern over the survival of the grizzly bears in the area. In Alberta, there are less than 1,000 grizzly bears.
In addition, sediment running off into the water is causing residue to pour in, killing younger trout fish populations, according to Unger.
“Sediment gets in and interferes with fish breeding,” he said. “The young will not survive in sediment-turbid water. The more use there is in the area, the worse it will become for fish.”
Friday, August 19, 2011
Could be trouble for the fishing…
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| Photo: Bow River Shuttles |
We had a great day yesterday. The fishing was fantastic.
I am almost positive that we saw a river otter in the rip rap just below North Bow Lodge the other day. Has anyone else reported otter sightings?
I have heard that otters have been moving into Alberta.
The Bow River
17th Ave/Cushing Bridge to 22X/Fish Creek Park
Friday August 12 2011
THANKS TO COLIN R. FOR THIS FISHING REPORT.
Today along the Bow River
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| A casting lesson. All photos: Bow River Shuttles |
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| First drift boat trip... for both! |
Bow River Flow - Sun Aug 21
Flow and Roll, Play and Stroll...
The Bow River Flow is an urban festival of human-powered transportation that celebrates healthy and resilient communities.
Through citizen-led programming that incorporates cycling culture, local music and art, a kid's zone, participatory processions, fitness activities, and an appreciation of the Bow River, this event inspires Calgarians to contribute to our dynamic city.
Check out this music vid with Transit and Jann Arden!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Calgary ReggaeFest
Souljah Fyah (Edmonton) and Rebel Emergency (Toronto) are just two of the Canadian groups joining international stars Freddie McGregor and Nadine Sutherland on Saturday Aug 20 for this year’s Calgary RaggaeFest!
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| Rebel Emergency |
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
All in all, a nice drift
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| Photo: Bow River Shuttles |
We found the fishing slow, the few we caught where on leaches or hare's ear & were all Brown's.
It was pretty hot, very few rising fish but all in all a nice drift.
The Bow River
Policeman’s Flats to McKinnon Flats
Sunday August 07 2011
THANKS TO DARRIN P. FOR THIS EMAIL FISHING REPORT.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
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