Persistent extreme cold has led to overland flooding in areas adjacent to the Bow River, including in parts of Cochrane where it is not commonly seen.
Cochrane Fire Services Chief Shawn Polley said the town has been working closely with TransAlta, operators of the Ghost Reservoir Dam, to keep a watchful eye on the river.
"TransAlta has actually been adjusting their release rates from the Ghost Reservoir over the past, almost three weeks that they've been monitoring it," said Polley.
It's not unusual for ice jams to occur toward the Jack Tennant Memorial Bridge during intense periods of cold, especially in the low-lying areas of Jim Uffelman Memorial Park, he added.
This year, however, with the unprecedented prolonged periods of extreme cold, the ice jam has been observed moving further upstream.
A statement provided by TransAlta said this is the first time in the past 10 years that the company has seen the jam move as far up as Jumping Pound Creek, where the two bodies of water converge.
"That's very, very new for us," Polley said. "We talked to one of the [fire] captains yesterday that was on site with eyeballs on it and he was saying that in the past 21 years, he hasn't actually seen that happen — where it's actually had that level of overland flooding in the Bow Meadows area specifically."
Icy waters from the Bow River flood pathways in Bow Meadows. (Video credit: Elizabeth Nicholson)
In order to protect the public's safety, the town has closed the parking lot under the Highway 22 bridge and all affected pathways adjacent to the Bow River.
This includes the lower pathway near the lagoon site in Jim Uffelman Memorial Park, Riverfront Park paths west of Highway 22 and north of the river, and Bow Meadows.
"We're asking that the public respect that where the barricades are in place, they do not travel past those areas," said the fire chief.
Slips and falls on the ice are one consideration, but unpredictability of water flow is another.
"Our deputy chief had actually told me that there was quite a noise coming through the trees [in the Bow Meadows area]," said Polley. "He could kind of hear the ice crackling and bubbling through the trees there."
Polley recommends the public err on the side of caution and not explore any of these areas for their own safety, as well as for their loved ones or pets who may be out walking with them.
As temperatures begin to warm heading into next week, the town and TransAlta will continue to monitor the situation at the risk of any further flooding.
The town's water and wastewater department is also closely monitoring water intake downstream to ensure the south part of Cochrane is still receiving necessary water supply.
There is currently no risk to residential or commercial properties according to Polley, who said rising water levels would have to be very significant before posing a threat.
No advisories are currently in place for the Bow River according to the Alberta Government's provincial river basins website.
Pathway closure updates and maps can be found on the Town of Cochrane's Facebook page.
