Calgary reminds boaters of river safety, prepares for flood season

After a warm May long weekend many Calgarians might be considering a float down the Bow River, but there are some risks to keep in mind, including the ever-present danger of floods.

The snowpack is high this year and soon it will melt, sending cold run-off into Calgary’s rivers. While City Council heard Tuesday that there is an increasing danger of heavy floods such as the the one that devastated Calgary in 2013, it’s unlikely to happen this year.

Sandy Davis, river engineering team lead at the City of Calgary, says the main risk of floods in Calgary comes from excessive rainfall. If there are heavy showers through the month of June, then the risk of flooding will be much more tangible, high snowpack and run-off alone won’t be enough to cause major problems.

“While the consequence of a dam breach could be catastrophic, a likelihood of such a failure is extremely low,” Davis said. “Those summer thunderstorms and intense storms are very challenging to forecast ahead of time and so we don’t really know where across the city they’re going to pop up.”

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Emergency management agency chief Sue Henry says climate change is an aggravating factor, and work is almost done on massive flood mitigation projects around the city.

“Despite efforts to prevent or lessen the impact, we cannot eliminate all of the risk,” Henry said. 

“As we’re seeing the climate change, we’re seeing more and more of those very very intense events impacting various different areas of the city,” Henry added.

There are currently no boating advisories and Calgary’s rivers are in good shape, but Carol Henke, public information officer with the Calgary Fire Department, says that doesn’t mean you should ignore safety measures.

“I know sometimes it’s a spontaneous decision,” Henke said. “But really, you need to be aware of what you’re getting into, this is flowing water with lots of hazards.

“Things can change from one hour to the next and we see that with our weather on a regular basis.”

Henke adds you can never be too prepared, so it doesn’t hurt to spend a little money on proper equipment.

“That will go a long way to hopefully improving the safety of your adventure,” Henke said.

Henke says you should check river danger levels on the City’s website, before strapping on the lifejacket and getting on the water.