Calgary River Users’ Alliance – Recommended River Access Improvements

CRUA PROPOSAL TO THE CALGARY RIVER ACCESS STRATEGY FOR IMPROVED BOAT AND HAND LAUNCH SITES

As part of the Calgary River Access Strategy passed by Calgary City Council in June 2016, Calgary River Users’ Alliance as a stakeholder in recreational river use has been consulted by Calgary Parks about the most appropriate access locations on the Bow and Elbow Rivers that should be considered for development.

CRUA identified in excess of 50 locations that are currently used by a variety of river users. A short list of 16 sites have been identified that offer the potential for development to meet recreational activities within the city.

 Two categories of designated launch sites have been identified. Boat Ramps – that will serve all river users and Hand Launch Sites – that will serve kayak, canoe and tubes that can be carried to the river. The proposal requests that both categories of launch be serviced by toilets, garbage bins, benches and educational and safety signage.

The following site selection criteria was used for both Hand Launch and Boat Ramps:

♦Accessible from existing public roads. ♦Strategically located along the rivers to facilitate access and to offer a variety of boating trips. ♦Existing vehicle parking with room for expansion. ♦Room for improvement and/or addition of supporting amenities. ♦Accommodates as wide a variety of river users as possible. ♦Minimizes new disturbance to parkland by using established sites. ♦Avoids sensitive environmental areas and does not contribute to erosion or sediment input to river. ♦Does not interfere with use by emergency services.♦Avoids private property.

The 16 sites are:  Bow River – Stoney Trail / Bearspaw ♦ Bowness Park ♦ Shouldice Park ♦ Point McKay ♦ Eau Claire ♦ Sunnyside ♦ Inglewood – 12 St. SE ♦ St. Patrick’s Island ♦ Cushing Bridge ♦ Ogden Road ♦ Graves Bridge ♦ Quarry Park ♦ Douglasdale        

Elbow River – Sandy Beach♦ Stanley Park ♦ Inglewood – 8 St. SE  at the confluence of the Elbow and Bow Rivers

Further details for the site selection can be found at the following link: Access Sites

City Administration will take the river access proposal to City Council in March of 2017. CRUA expects to see a roll out of infrastructure improvements over a 3-year development plan. In the meantime, we see that with very little cost, public trailered boat access should be reinstated at Stoney Trail and Shouldice Park above Harvie Passage and Cushing Bridge below. This would expand the drift boat fishing opportunities within Calgary.

Bow River Trout will be pleased to supply your comments on  launch site selection to CRUA. It will assist  with decisions as to which launch sites we should ask the City to consider for development and in what order of importance.

Parks Department is asking for general public engagement into the River Access Strategy. Visit their Website