We are a group of Rundle College Junior High School students who care about the environmental damage from off-roading in the McLean Creek area. McLean Creek flows into the Elbow River, which then flows into the Bow River so it is all part of the same watershed. We think that off-roaders are not intentionally damaging the watershed, but are probably unaware of what is happening as a result of off-roading, particularly when they go off of the designated trails.
Off-roading is an enjoyable sport but it is actually a very damaging one. The large wheels gouge out deep ruts, sometimes removing all of the soil and reaching bedrock. Going off of the designated trail is especially damaging. The designated trails are already damaged but when you go into the woods or through streams, it can cause terrible damage to the soil, plants and habitat, and lead to erosion of silt into the waterway. It also really damages the roots of trees which kills them and, when they die, the soil no longer has roots to hold it in place. The worst pollution in McLean Creek is from total suspended solids which smoother fish, insect and amphibian eggs, clog gills and reduce light for photosynthesis. These suspended solids come mostly from erosion caused by off-roading. People don’t think of McLean Creek as being a source for drinking water, but it is all connected to the same watershed and this silt is heading for the Elbow River and the Bow River.
Please remember to enjoy your time at McLean Creek, but do everything you can to not destroy more soil and cause more erosion!
Image1: Damaged roots and compacted soil resulting from OHVs going off the trail in McLean Creek.
Image 2: Notice the tire tracks down in the wetland just beyond this sign in McLean Creek.
For more information on protecting and preserving the Bow River Basin Watershed, including McLean Creek, please follow the links:
Elbow River Watershed Partnership
Respect the Land – Sustainable Resources Development
Ducks Unlimited, Alberta
Trout Unlimited Canada
Other good resources are: Bow River Basin Council; Alberta Management Site and Alberta Habitat Management/Cows and Fish.
