Boating advisory issued for Bow River after weekend drenching of rain

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 23, 2025 9:04 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

The weekend's deluge of rainfall has prompted officials to pass Calgarians to enactment disconnected the Bow River.

"Effective immediately, the Calgary Fire Department advises against boating and each different h2o activities connected the Bow River during this time," the metropolis said successful a merchandise connected Sunday.

People are besides cautioned against boating connected the Elbow River, according to the city's stream flooding accusation website.

The Alberta River Forecast Centre has issued a precocious streamflow advisory for some the Bow and Elbow rivers.

Faster than normal flow rates are making conditions connected and adjacent the Bow River dangerous, and accrued turbidity is making hazards hard to spot, the metropolis said.

"Along with turbidity and debris, conditions for a Calgary Fire Department boating advisory see Bow River travel rates exceeding 280 cubic metres per 2nd supra the Elbow River confluence," the merchandise said.

"Calgary Fire and its Aquatics Team volition proceed to show Calgary's waterways portion the advisory is successful spot and volition notify Calgarians erstwhile the boating advisory is removed." 

City officials accidental Saturday's rainfall was significant, but thankfully determination was nary large flooding. 

Frank Frigo with the city's Climate and Environmental Business unit says the concern successful flood mitigation projects has removed 71 per cent of the harm imaginable Calgary saw backmost successful 2013. 

He says 75 millimetres fell by mid-afternoon.

"We would get typically astir 300 millimetres across an unfastened h2o play and past astir different 100 millimetres of snow. So it was 400 successful a emblematic twelvemonth and to get thing similar 75 successful a time is appreciable," Frigo said.

Calgarians are being cautioned to: 

• Be cautious astir riverbanks arsenic fast-moving h2o tin origin erosion and destabilization. 
• Warn children astir the dangers of fast-moving water.
• Keep pets distant from accelerated moving water. 
• Cyclists and pedestrians should ticker for low-lying areas wherever the stream tin submerge the pathways. Closures are noted here.