The City of Calgary is adding fencing, signage and vegetation at 15 storm ponds this year as it works to prevent people from using the facilities for recreation.
The safety upgrades, which begin in mid-August, target ponds identified as the highest priority following a citywide review. Eight of the 15 ponds are in Ward 12, including locations in Mahogany, Auburn Bay, Autumn, Brightonstone, Copperfield and Inverness.
Storm ponds are part of Calgary’s stormwater infrastructure and are designed to collect and manage stormwater. Recreation on or in the ponds is prohibited year-round under the City’s Stormwater Bylaw.
The City said the upgrades will include replacing old caution signs, adding interpretive signs explaining the risks, increasing thorny and dense vegetation and installing permanent partial or temporary seasonal fencing where needed.
Ward 12 Coun. Michael Jamieson supports the measures, but said recreational use of storm ponds has not been a widespread concern raised by residents in his ward.
“Obviously, storm ponds are a concern because they can be dangerous, especially for children,” Jamieson said.
At the same time, he said the City needs to take a practical approach to safety.
“We have to remember that we can’t regulate every possible risk out of existence,” he said.
The City’s focus is also on education, particularly as storm ponds can appear safe to people who may not understand the risks.
Jamieson said people may see a frozen pond in winter and assume it is safe to walk or skate on, especially if they see others doing it.
“A pond can look perfectly safe, especially in the winter when it freezes over,” he said.
“But at the end of the day, we do have rules in place, and people need to take some responsibility for following them.”
Education and enforcement
While physical barriers can make it more difficult for people to access storm ponds, Jamieson said they cannot eliminate the risk entirely.
“They’ll certainly help, and I’m supportive of reasonable steps that make these areas less accessible and remind people of the risks,” he said.
“But we’re never going to make every storm pond completely inaccessible.”
That means the City’s approach will need to extend beyond physical barriers, Jamieson said.
He believes both enforcement and education have a role to play, but education should be a major part of the strategy.
“There are rules for a reason, and they should be enforced when necessary,” he said. “But I think education is probably the bigger piece.”
The City said ongoing field assessments will continue to identify other storm ponds that may require safety enhancements.
For parents and children, Jamieson said winter presents a particular concern because frozen storm ponds can resemble recreational skating areas.
“I think we need to do a better job of educating kids and parents about the risks,” he said.
“A frozen storm pond can look like a skating rink, but it isn’t one.”
The City is reminding Calgarians that storm ponds remain working stormwater facilities, not recreational spaces, and that conditions can change throughout the year.
If someone falls into a storm pond, the City advises people to call 911, throw the person something that floats and reach toward them with something they can grip if it can be done safely.
People should not enter the water unless they are trained in water rescue.
The City said current storm pond safety work can be viewed on its storm pond map, with further information available through its storm pond safety resources.
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