COCHRANE— The recent purchase of roughly 2,200 acres by Alberta Transportation directly across the Bow River from the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park has officials concerned about the long-term environmental security of the sensitive ecosystems in the park.
Sarah Parker, president of the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation, said she is concerned about the reasons Alberta Transportation has cited for the purchase.
“We suspect that a gravel pit was never the desired use for those lands and these lands were targeted for the Glenbow East reservoir option, and that makes us really uncomfortable, and it feels like it’s subverted the whole Bow River reservoir engagement process to begin with if they’ve already started purchasing lands for the reservoir project,” she said.
Parker said their foundation received word through an anonymous whistleblower that the Government of Alberta has made the purchase of the large section of land.
“Part of that land is land that would be impacted and used for the Glenbow East reservoir option, so we were concerned right off the bat,” she said. “They have said that it is for aggregate purposes, so essentially a gravel pit.”
Parker believes the area is too large to be a gravel pit, and sections of the land are not viable for such an operation as a Canadian Pacific rail line runs through the heart of the area.
Parker said the purchase of this large of an amount of land using taxpayer monies with no public consultation points to a “lack of transparency,” on the part of the Alberta Government.
Whatever the purpose Alberta Transporation has in mind for the land development of the area, the purchase is concerning, Parker said.
“To even plan to have a gravel pit across from a provincial park with no public stakeholder engagement or environmental impact assessments is concerning either way. Whether it’s for the Glenbow East reservoir option or for a gravel pit our foundation is really concerned for the health of our park and the impact it has on the environment here,” she said.
The Glenbow East reservoir project has the potential to seriously harm the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, Parker said..
The low-lying portions of the park could be flooded by the disruption of the flow of the Bow River. Those low-lying areas in the park are where the majority of the native grasslands are. The Park contains about four per cent, or 3,200 acres, of the native grasslands in the province.
“The reservoir, like other dam structures along the river, would hold back water for flood mitigation to ease off any potential flooding downstream in the Calgary area, so what that would do, in times of high water, would flood areas of our park,” she said.
Parker said the foundation has a long-standing agreement with a nearby rancher, who turns his cattle loose in the park to graze on those grasslands.
Having cattle graze those areas, and the rest of the grasslands in the park reduces the risk of wildfire by clearing out dense overgrowth and gives the grasses a chance to naturally rejuvenate.
If a significant portion of the park is flooded by the reservoir project, Parker said, they could lose the grazing agreement they have with the neighbouring rancher.
“Every piece of a grassland ecosystem plays a role, whether it’s forested areas, riparian areas near wetlands or the actual grasslands themselves. They all house different species who rely on each other to survive,” she said.
The human enjoyment of the park also stands to be seriously impacted. The flooding could also damage many of the pathways in the park which wind along the Bow River.
“People come here because we have almost 40 kilometres in some of the best groomed and maintained trails in the parks system,” she said.
She said the issues with dust and noise are also a concern. Gravel pits often emit large quantities of dust, as do reservoirs. When there is no water in the reservoir, it becomes a barren mudflat, which can also be a source of dust.
“Air quality of those who live around a potential quarry or a potential reservoir will be diminished greatly.”
Parker said her and the foundation have been working with Alberta Environment and Park with regards to plans for a reservoir in the area, and they have been clear and forthcoming with their plans thus far. The foundation has not received any communication from Alberta Transportation or Alberta Infrastructure.
“We have been working closely with Alberta Environment and Parks because they're the ones that are leading the public consultation related to the reservoir project and they have been wonderful in communication with us about the reservoir project and we have been working closely with them providing our feedback, but we have never heard from Alberta Infrastructure,” she said. “If they go ahead with this gravel option, we would hope that they would be engaging us.”
Mark Jacka, communications officer with Alberta Transportation provided a statement to The Eagle which said the purchase was intended to be used for aggregate purposes, but a concrete determination on what to do with regards to land development has not yet been made.
“Alberta Transportation recently purchased approximately 2,000 acres along the Bow River, primarily for the gravel and materials that could be used for construction in the area,” the statement said. “The department occasionally buys land that may be required for upcoming projects or materials if the land becomes available, and has not made a decision about land use options.
“If the Alberta government were to pursue gravel extraction, we would need to apply to Rocky View County to rezone the land.”
Alberta Environment and Parks are currently engaged in public consultation with regards to the Glenbow East Reservoir Option and other options along the bow.
To provide feedback visit alberta.ca/bow-river-reservoir-options
