Bowmont Natural Environment Park Management Plan

 

See also: Vision and objectives Map of the proposed design development plan

Resource Management Issues and Policy Guidelines

Trail Management

Background:

A significant problem in Bowmont Park is the damage to vegetation and fragmentation of habitat caused by the proliferation of trails.

'Undesignated trail' is the name given to informal trails that are neither created nor maintained by Parks. 'Designated trails' are those which are formally recognised and maintained. Informal trails are created by users who traverse the park creating a myriad of informal, undesignated trails. Park users want to have equal access to the park, and existing designated trails may not provide them with the experience they wish. The existing paved regional pathway when considered alone provides only limited access to the park.

Existing Policy:

The Calgary Natural Area Management Plan says the following with regard to trails in Major Natural Areas (in summary):

• Encourage on-trail use and discourage the creation and use of informal trails (except in less sensitive grassland habitats and zones identified as disturbed, recreation or access)
• Locate designated trails (to provide necessary access to the park) away from sensitive areas or high wildlife use areas; such designated trails can be constructed of a variety of surfacing. Barriers may be used adjacent to designated trails to discourage off trail travel or short-cutting. Mobility-impaired access may be considered where environmentally sound and physically realistic.

The Cycling Policy on Undesignated Trails in Parkland says in summary:

• In Major Natural Areas, cycling will be restricted to designated trails
• All users should be treated the same vis-à-vis sensitive areas
• Protection of the resource is the first priority
• Designated trails should be multiple-use except in cases of high environmental sensitivity, safety, or where required by by-law or previously approved documents.

The Calgary Urban Park Master Plan says in summary:

• The guiding principle for the Bow West segment is to protect, rehabilitate and/or re-establish the natural landscapes and ecosystems in parks such as Bowmont.
• The primary use in river valley parks will be passive, low intensity, informal, unstructured activities.
• Appropriately designed access ("linkages") will be provided to the parks from adjacent communities.
• Where human use comes into conflict with wildlife use; wildlife and habitat will take priority.

With specific reference to Bowmont, the Calgary Urban Park Master Plan recommends

• Maintenance of the existing regional pathway
• Unpaved secondary trails as necessary to prevent further deterioration of natural areas. Secondary trails to be designed for pedestrian use only and kept to a minimum.
• Improved trail connections to adjacent communities.
• Limited self-guided interpretive trails

Planning Direction

As part of the planning process, staff worked with advisory group members to identify a conceptual routing for a system of secondary trails in the park to provide necessary access. The hope is that, with proper education, park users will use this designated trail system along with the existing paved regional pathway. This will allow the other mass of informal trails and disturbance created in the past, to regenerate on its own or be actively rehabilitated through plantings. An intensive public education program will need to be implemented in tandem with the trail development. The following set of principles was developed to aid in the delineating the secondary trail system. These principles will be integral in the management of Bowmont's trail system.

• To do nothing will result in increasing degradation of the park. If we do not provide adequate designated trail access to the park, people will continue create their own trails.
• Trails will be used as a tool to protect natural environments, as well as provide necessary access (avoid sensitive and dangerous sites, or provide controlled access through areas of concern.). Uncontrolled access will be discouraged.
• Trails will be multiple-use where appropriate (in keeping with Cycling Policy for Undesignated Trails)
• There will be an east-west linking designated trail. The regional pathway may form part of this system.
• Connections will be required to adjacent communities, which means movement up/down the escarpment. Where possible, accepted best practices such as City of Calgary standards and the Calgary standards and the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) guidelines will be used in trail design.
• Designated trails will not be paved but may be surfaced with gravel (Parks Trail Mix), other material or soil. Trails may be a variety of widths to suit safety and environmental objectives.
• Restoration and education will be the primary tools to encourage proper use of the trails and to improve previously disturbed habitat.

Recommendations:

1. A system of designated secondary trails will be designed and developed for Bowmont Park following the conceptual routing shown on the Trail Map (see Map 3 - Proposed Trail System). This routing takes advantage of areas that can withstand the impact of multi-use, and avoids problem or dangerous sites. The trails to the north and along the upper bench of the park will follow the top of the escarpment to take advantage of views, but will stay away from the escarpment edge for safety reasons. The trail network in the east end of the park as shown conceptually mostly follows existing gravel roads or trails.
2. Existing undesignated (informal) trails that are not identified as part of the designated trail network will be rehabilitated over time as deemed appropriate under the restoration priorities segment of this plan.
3. Trail surfacing will be varied, and will be intended primarily to ensure sustainability of the trail. Compacted gravel (Parks Trail Mix), dirt or wood chips could be used, depending on localized conditions of slope, surface drainage, usage and context.
4. Trail design principles will be in accordance with City of Calgary standards and will generally follow the following IMBA trail building principles:
   • Locate the final trail alignment in the field and work with the existing conditions.
   • Avoid fall-line trails, follow the natural contours where possible
   • Provide positive drainage from or across the trail surface
   • Avoid using fill in trail subgrades; build the trail on existing compacted subgrades
   • Use switchbacks to ease trail gradients
5. The Calgary Urban Park Master Plan recommendations for Bowmont Park pertaining to secondary trail development will be amended to reflect the need for a multi-use secondary trail system as identified in this process.
6. Two areas have been identified in as quiet zones in which pedestrian-only access will be encouraged (see Map 7 - Design Development Plan). Signs will be provided explaining the reason and requesting that people walk their bikes or lock their bikes in the supplied bike racks. An entry mechanism will be provided that requires people to dismount (e.g., off-set gates). Locations for these areas are:
   • Waterfall Valley
   • West of the Klippert property, adjacent to the river
7. Undesignated trails may be designated where it is deemed to be necessary and is environmentally appropriate.
8. A public education program will be implemented (see Communication Planning and Stewardship section), utilising established recreation organizations, among other methods, to encourage co-operation and to disseminate information on appropriate trail usage.

 
Home | What is CMBA? | People & Contacts | Education
Newsletters | Trail Care | Help Out | Membership | Links | Site Map