The City is not the regulatory authority for Bearspaw Reservoir.

Shore access requires the permission of the owners of the shore land. Boating, both motorized and non-motorized, and swimming are strongly discouraged on the Bearspaw Reservoir as it is dangerous for both experienced and inexperienced watercraft users because of strong currents, fluctuating water levels and steep embankments.

Water levels in the reservoir change by more than two metres throughout the day due to dam operations, causing sudden and unpredictable shifts in current speed, flow direction, and depth – posing significant life safety risks to unprepared users.

On-water emergency response is not available on the Bearspaw Reservoir, putting the life safety of reservoir users at risk.

Bearspaw Reservoir is within Rocky View County, not The City of Calgary, and the Rocky View County Fire Department does not have the resources for on-water rescue.

The Calgary Fire Department does not provide on-water rescue services for the reservoir, as it is located in Rocky View County.

Bearspaw Reservoir and surrounding lands are jurisdictionally complex.

• TransAlta – Owner of the Bearspaw Dam and the land surrounding the reservoir within the City of Calgary, and operator of the reservoir; overseeing hydroelectric power generation and shoreline management.
• Rocky View County – The municipality in which the reservoir is located.
• Provincial and Federal Governments – Oversees water quality regulations, environmental protection, and navigation laws via various agencies. The Province owns the bed and shore of the reservoir and all water within the reservoir.

The Bearspaw Reservoir does not have any of the public safety and water contamination controls that exist on the Glenmore Reservoir. Glenmore Reservoir lies fully within The City of Calgary’s jurisdiction, which allows The City to regulate activities on the reservoir and all lands surrounding the reservoir in a way that mitigates risks. In addition, the Calgary Fire Department is able to perform on-water rescues on Glenmore Reservoir, further mitigating risks to the public. This is not possible on Bearspaw Reservoir.

Non-motorized boating is allowed in some areas of the Glenmore Reservoir, is highly regulated and not allowed in proximity to source water intakes. There are buoys to mark no-entry zones and keep recreational users away from dangerous areas, while clear signage is in place to warn users of deep-water areas, strong currents, restricted areas and fluctuating water levels.

Additionally, contamination safeguards exist on Glenmore Reservoir that do not exist on Bearspaw Reservoir. Safeguards include a boat patrol and a Bylaw that governs what kinds of boats and how many can be on the Reservoir.

The Bearspaw Trilateral Task Force, a partnership between The City of Calgary, Rocky View County, and TransAlta, is developing a long-term management plan for the reservoir, including the potential for planned and managed recreational activity.

Ensuring public safety through an emergency response plan and managing the impact of recreational activity on water quality are being considered as part of this work.

• TransAlta Corporation has owned and operated the Bearspaw Dam and Reservoir for over 70 years.
• They are the experts when it comes to the conditions of the reservoir and the dangers posed by the infrastructure.
• There have been historical public safety incidents in and around other hydro-electric reservoirs, one as recently as 2023.
• TransAlta’s information is the best information available about the conditions of the Bearspaw Reservoir. If they are saying it poses life safety risks, The City needs to take these warnings into consideration.

The City of Calgary is changing the designation of two historic road allowances in Haskayne Park to park space at the request of TransAlta, the operator of the Bearspaw Reservoir, because access to the reservoir poses significant life safety risks and risk of contamination of Calgary’s drinking water supply. These undeveloped road allowances currently lead directly to the reservoir, which is outside The City of Calgary.

The Bearspaw Reservoir is not a safe place for public use because water levels and current speeds can change suddenly due to the operation of the Bearspaw Dam, and there is no emergency response service available for on-water emergencies. While there has not yet been an incident, the ongoing use of Haskayne Park may lead to increased recreational access to the reservoir, which amplifies the risk.  With no emergency services available on the reservoir, on-water recreation poses an unacceptable danger. This is not an acceptable risk to The City and we are taking steps to remove access at these dangerous locations.

The closure will prevent vehicle and pedestrian access to Bearspaw Reservoir through Haskayne Park. The Bearspaw Reservoir is not a safe place for public use because water levels and current speeds can change suddenly due to the operation of the Bearspaw Dam, and there is no emergency response service available for on-water emergencies. With no emergency services available on the reservoir, on-water recreation poses an unacceptable danger.

There are other locations in the region better suited for water-based activities. Calgarians can visit our online River Access map to see where they can safely access the Bow River using drift boats, canoes, kayaks or rafts. There are 21 authorized river access sites along the Bow River in Calgary, with the closest being downstream of the reservoir at Baker Park.

Restricting vehicle and pedestrian access helps protect sensitive ecosystems in Haskayne Park. These are undeveloped road allowances, which are planning remnants from prior to the creation of the Bearspaw Reservoir and the establishment of Haskayne Park.

These historic road allowances were never intended to be roadways and run through environmentally-sensitive grasslands. We are closing these allowances to restore native grasslands and preserve the use of the park for how it was intended. 

By limiting recreational access to Bearspaw Reservoir, The City is helping to protect water quality and maintain the reservoir as a safe and sustainable source of drinking water for Calgary. Recreational use of the reservoir could lead to degrading and contaminating the largest source of Calgary’s drinking water.

The Bearspaw Reservoir supplies 60 per cent of Calgary’s drinking water, and safe, clean drinking water is a critical service that The City provides to Calgarians and surrounding communities. Recreational activities on the reservoir risk contaminating the largest source of Calgary’s drinking water, including contamination from human waste, microplastics, sunscreen, invasive species and erosion from increased use.

These are undeveloped road allowances. While The City may develop road allowances, there is no intention to develop these road allowances to be used as roads.

The Municipal Government Act allows The City to close roads, including undeveloped road allowances, within the City’s control. As these roads lead outside of The City to a body of water which presents significant life safety risks, there is no plan for their development and The City is closing the roads.