BOW RIVER

The 'Bow River' is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River.
The name "Bow" refers to the reeds that grew along its banks and which were used by the local First Nations peoples to make bows; the Peigan name for the river is "Makhabn", meaning "river where bow weeds grow".^[1]

Contents

Course

Conservation and development

Fishing

Tributaries

Photo gallery

References

External links

Course

The river's source is from the Bow Glacier and Bow Lake in the Canadian Rockies. It flows south to the village of Lake Louise then turns east and flows through the town of Banff, then the town of Canmore, then the town of Cochrane and on to the city of Calgary; it continues on to form the South Saskatchewan River when the Bow joins with the Oldman River near Grassy Lake. Its waters are further shed in the Hudson Bay through the Saskatchewan River, Lake Winnipeg and Nelson River.
Communities located on the Bow include Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore, Cochrane, Calgary, Arrowwood.
Bow River has a total length of 587 km and a drainage area of 26,200 km².^[2]

Conservation and development

This river is an important source of drinking water, water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. It also provides habitat for wildlife and opportunities for recreation such as fishing and boating. The Bow Falls are located on the river course, near Banff. The Bow Valley Provincial Park was established in the Bow Valley and is a part of the Kananaskis park system. The river is on the right of the 8th to 14th holes of the Banff Springs Hotel golf course.

Fishing

The Bow River is known as a world class trout fishing destination. Resident populations of rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, bull trout, rocky mountain whitefish, and numerous coarse species of fish inhabit the river. Original stocking of this river occurred through accident in 1925 when a stocking truck with fingerling trout destined for somewhere else broke down near the river. The driver, rather than have his cargo die, released about 45,000 fry into the river. These fish took hold in the river and now support an industry that brings in millions of dollars a year from sportfishermen.

Tributaries

Tributaries include the

★ Johnston Creek

★ Spray

★ Cascade

★ Kananaskis

★ Ghost

★ Jumpingpound Creek

★ Elbow

★ Fish Creek

★ Highwood

★ West Arrowwood Creek

★ Crowfoot Creek

★ Newell Creeks

★ Divide Creek
Many lakes, glacial and artificial are found in the Bow Valley: Bow Lake, Hector Lake, Vermillion Lakes, Gap Lake, Lac des Arcs and Ghost Lake on the upper course, and a few man-made reservoirs along the lower course.

Photo gallery

References

1. Bow Riverkeeper article about the river.
2. Atlas of Canada - Rivers in Canada

External links

★ Bow River Basin Council