Make weir a water park: parks group

A parks group is looking at changing the weir on the Bow River from a deadly stretch of water to a water park.

The Calgary Parks Foundation wants to tame the weir by removing the hydraulic wave it creates, so that rafters and boaters can travel through that part of the river.

Barry Worbets, of the foundation, says calm pools of water could be created on one side of the weir, while rocks could be placed on the other side to make white water.

"We're a world class fishery, a sports fishery, we've got so many things, this would just allow, again, a further improvement of Calgary's river valley, our pathway system," Worbets said.

David DePape, manager of the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery, which is near the weir, has concerns that changing the river may increase the chance of flooding, or change the groundwater.

The parks foundation is planning environmental and engineering studies to look at what effect reshaping the weir would have. The changes would cost $6.5 million.