|
|
|
Calgary Bow River Weir Project (Harvie Passage)
Connecting communities, parks and facilities on the Bow River
Aerial view of Harvie Passage construction. Image courtesy of Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.
It has been almost 100 years since the Bow River flowed freely through the City of Calgary. Since 1904, a weir to divert water for irrigation has blocked passage on the Bow. The current structure, built in 1975 near Inglewood, performs the important function of diverting water into a canal for use by farmers in the Western Irrigation District.
While useful and necessary for irrigation, this structure has proven to be an extreme drowning hazard and has claimed the lives of numerous victims.
Vision of completed Harvie Passage Project
Called Harvie Passage in honour of Calgary philanthropist Don Harvie, the multi-million dollar project will see the hazardous weir structure in Inglewood reconstructed with a series of pools and rapids that will be safer for people and improve natural movement of fish along the river.
The objective is to eliminate the dangerous condition created by the current structure and develop a design that is suitable for downstream passage by small boats and improve fish passage. Just as importantly, the intent is to make the river look and behave more like a natural rapid so it would enhance the park values of adjacent lands. No motorized boats are allowed on the Bow River in Calgary except for those of the Aquatic Rescue Service of the Fire Department. This modification to the weir would eliminate one of their most hazardous duties by allowing their boats to pass up and down through the area. In addition to river safety, the principal benefit is considered to be the improvement to the appearance of the natural river shoreline along Pearce Estate Park.
Construction Update
Currently, the site of the weir construction looks quit quiet. The three completed drops of the High Water Chanel have water running over them and the Low Water Chanel is 90% complete. Crews are currently working on modifications to the exisiting weir structure. The last two drops of the High Water Chanel will be completed by September 15th, when crews will leave the water to accomodate fish activity. Work will then resume until the winter freeze takes effect.
This project has been comprehensively designed and engineered to work as a complete system, as has the carefully phased construction sequence- so please remember this critical message:
The project is not finished and is not safe - the river will not be open to the public until after all construction is complete and its performance has been thoroughly tested and approved. Do not attempt to "pre-test" any of the features!
April 16th, 2010; Water flows over newly constructed High Water Channel Drop #3 facing East towards Deerfoot Trail.
For a construction timeline click here
See Calgary's weir and the Harvie Passage Weir Project featured on the Discovery Channel's Daily Planet
For more information please visit the official Harvie Passage Website
Contact us for more info
|
|
|
|