Using rebar to slow riverbank erosion poses safety hazard for rafters, Alberta biologist warns

The practice of using concrete rubble and rebar to protect riverbanks from erosion poses a safety hazard for rafters,a former government biologist says.

• Calgary firefighters pull 80 pieces ofrebarfrom Bow River

The warning comes afterproblems withrebarpuncturing rafts in the Bow River, sparkingnine separate calls for help over the weekend, when rafts were caught up or damagedby the metal lurkingjust below the surface of the water in a shallow section of the river nearCrowchildTrail.

At some point in the future, I suspect we'll hear another occasion of a rafter being hung up onrebarand hopefully not killed or injured.-JimStelfox, retired provincial fisheries biologist

The rubble is an approved method used to prevent erosion along riverbanks.

"I've seen it many times on the Elbow, the Sheep, Highwood [rivers]," says retired provincial fisheries biologist JimStelfox.

Other methods include quarried boulders and field stones.

Stelfox, who has spent three-and-a-half decades working along southern Alberta waterways, says he's concerned concrete rubble could pose a safety hazard, especially when blocks of it are washed away, tumbled and broken up by floods and high water.

"At some point in the future, I suspect we'll hear another occasion of a rafter being hung up on rebar and hopefully not killed or injured."

The provincial government regulates erosion control projects along rivers. Officials say while concrete rubble is allowed, they discourage its use.

As for the recent rebar problem on the Bow River, fire officials say it's still unclear what and where that rebar came from.

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