Calgary River Valleys (CRV) conducted the first count of Brown Trout Redds in the Elbow River since two major projects in the river in 2019, the Government of Alberta’s Spawning Habitat Restoration and the City of Calgary’s Elbow Island Gravel Bar Re-Shaping & Fish Compensation project. The identification of the need for these projects was determined in part by the historical redd count data conducted and provided by CRV. CRV is a not-for-profit organization led by volunteers dedicated to building a strong and effective voice for river valleys protection and water quality in Calgary.
This November members of CRV were joined by fish biologists, hydrology experts, high school students and members of the public to once again survey the Elbow River for Brown Trout spawning activity in two counts, one below the Glenmore Dam to Fort Calgary, as well as a second survey where the Elbow River crosses from Rocky View County into the western edge of Calgary. In the Lower Elbow, the participants had the opportunity to observe the effects of the gravel replenishing that occurred in several sites below the dam and at Sandy Beach Park. They also had the chance to walk the newly re-opened side channel on the south side of Elbow Island that had been blocked in the 2013 flood and was no longer available for spawning activity, until it was restored this year.
The Elbow River has historically played a significant role in the success of the Elbow and Bow River fisheries by providing spawning habitat to Rainbow and Brown Trout. These fisheries provide a significant economic benefit to the City and Province through travel, fishing licences, and gear purchasing.
The Elbow River lacks suitable small spawning gravels in multiple locations as the river bottom is predominantly large rocks and bedrock, especially since the 2013 flood. Calgary River Valleys had identified a decline in the number of Brown Trout Redds following the 2013 flood, and noted a down-river shift of Redds, as the preferred spawning gravel had been pushed downstream by the swiftly moving water. The purpose of the City’s and Province’s projects were to restore spawning habitat by adding appropriately sized gravels in particular locations below the Glenmore Dam and near Sandy Beach Park, and to restore the spawning channel at Elbow Island.
Success of the projects will be measured in part by Calgary River Valleys’ volunteers through annual Redd Counts. The City has agreed to monitor and maintain the work completed this year to assess the success of these projects through:
- Riverbank stabilization;
- Monitoring gravel movement along the Elbow River downstream of Glenmore Dam; and
- Potential future gravel replenishment events to maintain Elbow River spawning habitat.
Check CalgaryRiverValleys.org for more details and updated Redd Count data for both the Lower and Upper Elbow River.
