Eco-floats let Calgarians learn more about the Bow River

Eco-float program teaches river wisdom A new eco-float program is educating Calgarians about the Bow River and all of its various uses

Fort Calgary was built along the Bow River more than 100 years ago because the waterway was a source of transportation and sustenance.

Today it’s not only beautiful but hosts some of the best fly fishing opportunities in the world.

The RiverWatch Institute of Alberta is hosting trips down the Bow as part of its Calgary River Ambassador Outreach program with the goal of teaching Calgarians about natural history, water quality, environmental health, flood recovery and stewardship actions.

Cindy Atkinson learned about the program while visiting a Calgary park with friends and the group signed up for a free float.

“Now we’re catching invertebrates and we just want to know about all the ecological things that we can learn along the river; what’s happening since the flood and how the river has changed,” she said.

“It’s been very educational.”

The eco-float trips take place in the summer months and groups travel in three, inflatable, 17-passenger rafts that are professionally guided.

Organizers say it’s a chance to see the river from a different vantage point on a three-hour, 10-kilometre float.

Reed Froklage, the RiverWatch citizen science coordinator, says the Bow River is relatively healthy, but it takes work to keep it that way.

“We have a river system that supports trout,” he said.

“Trout are an indicator species, they generally don’t live in poor water quality, so when you have a Bow River that supports a healthy trout population, the river is generally quite healthy.”

River Ambassador events are funded by the City of Calgary.