City Parks, Rivers, and Wildlife

[UrbanWarrior]

Figured this was a good place to put the discussion about the city’s parks and rivers.


So I’ll start off by mentioning that I found like a dozen crawfish (or something) in the breach through Elbow Island Park moments ago. They can’t be indigenous to our waterways can they? The one in the centre of this photo was the largest, and was most definitely alive and well.

 

[Urban Outdoorsman]

Nice! I'm like 90% sure they're native to Alberta. There's tons of them in the rivers south of Calgary!

 

[Disraeli]

Crawfish are definitely not native to the Bow River watershed and should be reported to the provincial government alongside where you found them. They are very invasive and it's concerning you found as many as you did in the Elbow.

On the other hand, gumbo anyone?

 

[Urban Outdoorsman]

Welp, guess I was dead wrong... Good news is apparently you can catch and eat as many as you like without a fishing license!

 

[Disraeli]

Not wrong at all- they're native to northern Alberta but have been spreading throughout the province the last few decades according to the articles I've read. Hopefully they don't impact trout fisheries.

 

[Mountain Man]

Never seen a crayfish in Calgary before, but I know there are native populations in Alberta. Catch and cook that shit!

 

[MichaelS]

Any concerns about eating them if they are coming from the Elbow River, given the regular warnings about fecal content in that river?

 

[Mountain Man]

Yeah, as a bottom feeder that's probably a fair concern. Maybe just don't eat things you catch in the city in general...

 

[UrbanWarrior]

Thanks guys! Haha fair point. But I trust stuff out of the Elbow far more than I do from the Bow, that’s for sure. Maybe I’ll have a cookout.

 

[Mountain Man]

Apparently Crawfish have been found in a tributary of the Bow just above Bow Lake, so look for these to be in Calgary in a few years. Wonder how this will affect trout in the Bow...

 

[artvandelay]

Apparently Crawfish have been found in a tributary of the Bow just above Bow Lake, so look for these to be in Calgary in a few years. Wonder how this will affect trout in the Bow...

I think they're already here - according to my fishing friends.

 

[potatopizzafan]

Apparently Crawfish have been found in a tributary of the Bow just above Bow Lake, so look for these to be in Calgary in a few years. Wonder how this will affect trout in the Bow...

Definitely already here. I was hanging out by the elbow a few weeks ago when a proud little girl came up to me with a crawfish in her hand that she had just plucked from the river, and asked if i wanted to pet her new friend "pinchy"

 

[Surrealplaces]

They're here for sure. Aside from UrbanWarrior finding them I saw some pics on Reddit of Crawfish that were found here in the city.

 

[UrbanWarrior]

Apparently Crawfish have been found in a tributary of the Bow just above Bow Lake, so look for these to be in Calgary in a few years. Wonder how this will affect trout in the Bow...

They’re very much already here. Hence my OP for this thread

 

[Surrealplaces]

Nice that the hot weather is continuing, September and people are still using the rivers