Observations: Bow River Pathway

Blog post #1: Observations

Date: 01/01/2023 (The beginning of a new year!)

Weather: 1 °C, partly cloudy, no wind. (Winter, with spring like weather conditions) 1-2 cm of compacted snow on the ground.

Time: 1400-1430 hours

Location: Bow River Pathway, Riparian Area. (Calgary, Alberta)

Coordinates: 51°03’00.8″N -114°05’04.7″W

Location Observations:

This location along the Bow River Pathway sees a coming together of various activities amongst living species and manmade structures and is very much an urban setting with aspects of a natural landscape. The area that I am observing is approximately 116,000 square meters as the immediate field of reference from the bench I sit on is roughly 475m x 245m. The area is lively, with the meandering flow of the river that has not yet fully frozen over, people walking along the pathway, magpies squawking and a varied mix of plant life in its winter attire. The riverbanks slope is gradual and the location I sit at does not vary greatly from the elevation of the pathway. The majority of the river is frozen over, yet you can still see vegetation growing through the snow in some areas, which indicates that there is a gravel bar or something of that nature below. The main trees I see growing along the banks and river pathway I believe to be Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), as well as Aspen and Spruce, which will need to be investigated further to determine exact species type. A wide variety of shrubs are growing, and while I am not able to identify them all, features that stand out on some include bright red berries. While the natural wildlife is limited today, spotted in the surrounding snow is footprints of both the human and dog (Canis lupus familiaris) variety. There are rocks held down with wire along the embankment, which was likely put in place following the 2013 floods, armouring the bank with rocks to help keep its integrity should water levels rise that high in the future. It is evident that the bench I used to observe is a spot that may be used by a variety of people, as trash can be seen on the ground, as well as a unopened needle and haircomb. The contrast is stark in this location, with the beautiful and peaceful view of the Bow river, and the hustle and bustle of human activity in the surrounding area.

Questions during observations:

Human/Fauna related

1. What would this area look like if human activity was not so widespread? How do the human activities change in this area throughout the year? How resilient is this area to flooding again? How are we impacting the wildlife that do arrive in this area (Garbage, human waste, etc). How has human interference changed the behaviors of birds in the area? Does the high presence of dogs change the wildlife that is seen in this area?

Flora related

2. Are the trees native or planted for appeal? When does vegetation begin to grow on a gravelbar, and which species are the first to arrive, or have greater chance of survival? How has vegetation changed since the 2013 floods? How fast is the flow of water in the river in this season?