Warm Temps In Calgary - Cause For Concern?

[jpinkster]

For the second time in a month Calgary will likely break a weather record. While many welcome the warm weather, it may be a cause for concern for our fisheries.
Water temperatures are rising much earlier than usual, and there is wide speculation that water shortages could be in place early this summer.

These kinds of years can be really tough on fish. Warmer temperatures and lower water levels stacks fish up in small areas and makes them VERY vulnerable.

I friendly reminder to all anglers who plan on frequenting southern Alberta rivers and streams this summer...take an extra bit of due diligence for the sake of the fish. Play your fish quickly, keep them wet and ensure you revive them properly before releasing.

Mass fish kills are a strong possibility with these types of prolonged conditions. Do your part to make sure our fisheries stay strong!

 

http://globalnews.ca/news/2676545/calgary-could-break-119-year-old-weather-record-tuesday/?sf25566403=1

[toolman]

Just curious when a "mass fish kill" due to water temps, ever occurred on the Bow river?

[jpinkster]

I don't recall it happening on the Bow in my memory, but I also don't recall ever seeing a spring this dry and warm. They had a nasty situation last year on the West Coast with some of their salmon runs. Next to none of the salmon actually made it to spawning grounds on the Snake River or the Okanagan because they hit too many thermal barriers.

 

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/last-years-heat-wave-doomed-nearly-all-okanogan-sockeye-salmon/

 

It's not the same as an isolated trout fishery, but the risk is still there.

[PMDun]

On my walk last night, I spotted dozens of rocky mountain whitefish trapped in a shallow pool in Fish Creek park. This shallow pool was a result of people throughout the years, creating rock dams across the creek. With a good rain or run-off these fish will escape. Haven't seen one rainbow making it's way up to spawn this year. Usually I see hundreds of them.

[jpinkster]

The rainbows have come and gone already. I was down there 3 weeks ago and there were piles and piles of them. Everything is at least a month ahead of schedule right now.

[Roast]

I wouldn't be AS concerned if dams were managed in a way that would allow reasonable flows of water throughout the summer. This new business of draining dams to prepare for flood season will put a lot if stress on fisheries like the bow unless we get some rain.

 

I admit that I don't know about the new policies, however are snowpack and sustainable flows being factored in at all? Would love some more info on how decisions are being made.

[Dangus]

There is a snow pack. Warm weather will melt it and will temporarily help the low spring flows so don't worry about temps. It will screw us though if June is dry too.

We got 4-5mm in mar and April where the norm is 18 and 25.

Typically May, June, July are the wettest months so there is still hope.

[BurningChrome]

There is a snow pack.

Problem is that because of the flood mitigation they're going to use a lot of that snow pack to refill the reservoirs. Unless we get rain it's going to be like last year if not worse.

[Dangus]

So you get a dampened freshet. How does that affect the warm temps of late July and August?

Here's a solution, finally impose a bloody watering restriction on lawns. It's a fn free for all right now. Idiots growing mushrooms on their lawn in a drought.

[jpinkster]

So you get a dampened freshet. How does that affect the warm temps of late July and August?

Here's a solution, finally impose a bloody watering restriction on lawns. It's a fn free for all right now. Idiots growing mushrooms on their lawn in a drought.

There was actually a recent media article out that showed that Calgarians are using less water despite significant population increases. We can certainly do more, but the broader picture is a bit more optimistic.