CALGARY — Some call it the best place to row in Canada, with low winds and a prime location surrounded by beautiful scenery.
But a ban on all recreational use on the Glenmore Reservoir has rowers fuming and accusing the city of overblowing the safety concerns that prompted the restriction.
The ban, in effect since May 28 and reviewed daily by the city, has forced onto dry land recreational water-goers and elite athletes who sail, paddle and row.
One of those unhappy with the situation is Steve Payne, a rower training for the summer on the reservoir as he tries to qualify for the Pan American Games in October.
The city says debris, a low water level, and murkiness are behind the ban, but Payne calls the reasons “ridiculous.”
“You need to spend time in the water to practise technique, make the boat move,” he said Sunday. “It’s tough — if you can’t get on water, you can’t do that. Frustrating.”
Rowing, canoeing and sailing classes for dozens of schoolchildren were cancelled last week, with the local rowing club said it is taking a significant financial hit.
But the city argues the water is simply too dangerous at the moment.
The restrictions on the Glenmore were enacted when the flow of the Elbow River into the reservoir increased tenfold in just a day, according to Doug Bruneau, supervisor of Glenmore Reservoir services.
Although the flow has tempered, there are several problems. To deal with the heavy waters anticipated with the melting snowpack, the level of the reservoir has been lowered, which means difficulty launching patrol boats.
Bruneau said there is an “extreme” amount of debris, like trees, in the reservoir, while the water is very turbid and the level is fluctuating.
He said the two primary uses for the Glenmore are drinking water and flood control, with recreation a third concern.
And while those with a lot of experience may not have any trouble on the water, Bruneau said the city has to think of the public at large.
“I wish I had a crystal ball,” he said of when the ban might be lifted. “We’re evaluating it every day.”
Still, some question why the city has made the Glenmore off limits, including Calgary Rowing Club coach Michael Simonson, who said the reservoir is the best rowing location in the country.
He said there’s never been restrictions in place for so long and the water has been this low before without prompting concern.
“The longer that we are off the water, the more at risk we are to losing our core membership group and the new individuals coming to use the reservoir on a daily basis,” Simonson said.
The president of the Calgary Rowing Club said he wants to sit down with the city to hammer out better closure criteria, adding the problems cited in support of the ban aren’t unusual.
“There’s hazards in the water throughout the year, it’s the nature of the beast,” Tom Cook said.
He added: “As far as the murky water goes, every year, this time of year, the water’s murky.
Cook said the ban is hitting more than a hundred rowers a day, adding a regatta scheduled for the end of this month could be in jeopardy if volunteers can’t begin working on the course.
The club is also suffering financially from the ban, he said: “It depends how long it goes on for how significant the damage is.”
Some also point out that the Heritage Park paddlewheel boat, the SS Moyie, is still allowed on the reservoir. Bruneau said that’s because it would be unhurt if by hit any debris.
The reservoir restrictions by the city came the same day as the fire department instituted a perimeter ban on the Elbow and Bow rivers.
That ban even applied to firefighters and their aquatic unit, which was banned from the river except in the case of a rescue.
Those reins were loosened a bit late last week, with firefighters able to perform assessments.
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