What is Kananaskis Whitewater?

Kananaskis Whitewater is a world famous Albertan whitewater park on the Lower Kananaskis River. The facility was built by not for profits in the 1980s and has been regularly improved ever since. Some of the benefits Kananaskis Whitewater provides Alberta include:

  • High quality river recreation site for Albertans of all abilities including both participants and spectators with tens of thousands of users every year.

  • A source of joy for surfers, kayakers, rafters, SUPers, canoeists, body boarders, river boarders, spectators, hikers, and more.

  • Generates a $33 million annual river recreation economy.

  • Major river safety, rescue, and guiding training and certification site.

  • Training facility of past, current, and future Olympic athletes.

  • Location of annual international and regional competitive events.

  • Connects tens of thousands of people each year to the river and river ecosystem.

The facility was built by Alberta not-for-profits with strong support from the Alberta government, Alberta businesses, and individual Albertans., The Alberta Whitewater Association (AWA) built Kananskis Whitewater since 1984 and the AWA and Alberta River Surfing Association (ARSA) since 2007. The not-for-profit Lower Kananaskis River Users Association (LRKUA) represents all or almost all organizations using the Lower Kananaskis River and has been supportive of all Kananaskis Whitewater Projects. The current build is a joint project by AWA, ARSA, and the LKRUA.

How much Albertan support is there for Kananaskis Whitewater?

Support for the Mountain and Kananaskis Whitewater improvement project includes hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from Albertan individuals, not for profits, companies, and government grants. Additionally, we have hundreds of thousands of dollars in donated services and material. Major project partners include the Alberta Government, LaFarge, Calgary Foundation, and Able Demolition.

In 2024, the river community sent hundreds of passionate letters to the Alberta government in support of Kananaskis Whitewater. The letters were pushing the Alberta government to negotiate with TransAlta for river maintenance access and river flow the support river recreation. The Alberta government had successful negotiations with TransAlta.

What are the environmental impacts of the Kananaskis Whitewater and the maintenance project?

The project has been planned to have no negative impacts on the environment just like the past 11 construction projects since 1984. Kananaskis Whitewater provides a massive positive environmental impact by creating deep connections to the river and river ecosystem for tens of thousands of people every year.

What is the societal benefit of Kananaskis Whitewater?

Some of the benefits of Kananaskis Whitewater:

  • Recreation area for the 35% of Albertans recreate in canoes, kayaks, and stand-up-paddleboards (2022 Recreation Survey)

  • Contributes to the $150 million dollar river recreation economy on the Kananaskis River and Bow River (TIAA & CRUA 2022)

  • The Kananaskis and Bow River (Horseshoe section, Seebe) are invaluable tourism assets for Calgary to Banff corridor.

  • The Kananaskis River is the place to learn to canoe, kayak, SUP and surf in Alberta.

  • The Kananaskis River is a training ground for eighteen previous Olympians and dozens of National Team athletes, including some Olympians sponsored by RBC. RBC is major TransAlta shareholder.

  • The Kananaskis River boasts a world class River Surf wave, with regular competitive events.

  • Kananaskis Whitewater connects river users and spectators to the river and the importance of healthy rivers?

What is the maintenance for Kananaskis Whitewater and why does it matter?

Kananaskis Whitewater requires regular in-river maintenance every 5 to 10 years to improve the facility and to maintain river features that were changed due to high spring flows, ice, and other general river wear. The 2024 Kananaskis Whitewater maintenance has been planned for many years. The last in-river work was in 2019 and that focused only on improving the Mountain surf wave. The last in-river maintenance for the rest of Kananaskis was in 2014. The 2024 maintenance project will improve and maintain all in-river features, is fully funded, and has all permits from federal, provincial, and local permitting agencies, and detailed engineering and environmental reports.

Below are links to the engineering and environmental reports and images of excerpts of the reports.

Kananaskis Whitewater Maintenance Aquatic Environmental Assessment 2021.078 Final Feb 29 2024

Kananaskis Whitewater Maintenance Engineering Report SEALED Feb 2024

What is the Alberta Government’s relationship with Kananaskis Whitewater?

The Alberta Government continues to be a very strong supporter and funder of Kananaskis Whitewater including:

  • In September 2024, negotiating an agreement with TransAlta to allow for Kananaskis Whitewater maintenance.

  • In August 2024, requiring TransAlta to provide river flows that would support the river recreation economy.

  • Investing over a million dollars in grants over 40 years to support facility construction and maintenance.

  • Investing over $5.2 million in upgrading the parking lots and out of river facilities for Kananaskis Whitewater since 2018.

  • Permitting all river construction.

What is TransAlta’s relationship with Kananaskis Whitewater?

TransAlta operates the Barrier Dam which controls the water flow into Kananaskis Whitewater. The Barrier dam operates using hydropeaking which means there is lots of water in the river when electricity is being generated and almost no water in the river when electricity is not being generated.

  • Every day the river will be at full flow (~ 30 m3/s) for many hours and an almost no flow (< 1 m3/s) for many hours.

  • During spring run-off, the river is full for 24 hours a day.

  • From later summer through fall and into late winter, the river is almost dry for 21 hours a day.

For the past 40 years, from 1984 to 2024, TransAlta has partnered in managing the river as a public asset. TransAlta has:

  • Adjusted flow releases to ensure there were river flows to support the river recreation economy.

  • During Kananaskis Whitewater construction

    • Locked off the dam during construction with to make the river safe for equipment and people.

    • Provided daily testing flows after each construction day to ensure river changes are low risk to river user safety and that river features are high quality.

  • Provide a 4 day forecast of river flows and flow times so users and businesses could plan their river use.

What does Kananaskis Whitewater need from TransAlta to exist?

Kananaskis Whitewater needs TransAlta to continue to provide the same support as the past 40 years including:

  • Flow releases that allow a river recreation economy to exist.

    • 3 hours a day of flows above 26 m3/s during afternoon in summer to mid September.

  • During Kananaskis Whitewater construction for a couple of weeks every few years to allow for river feature maintenance.

    • Lock off the dam during construction with to make the river safe for equipment and people.

      • Dam would be locked of during the day for at least 8 consecutive hours and when the dam normally does not operate.

    • Provide daily testing flows after each construction day to ensure river changes are low risk to river user safety and that river features are high quality.

    • Construction happens at times of the year when the dam operates for 3 to 4 hours a day.

  • Forecast of accurate flow times for the next 4 or more days.

What does the river look like at low and dam operating flows?

The images below show low flow (<1 m3/s) and dam operating flow (30 m3/s) at the Mountain surf wave in the Lower Kananaskis River. Construction is done during periods when the river is at low flow for 20 hours a day either in fall or early spring.

How many major river construction projects have been done in Kananaskis Whitewater?

We have done 12 major river construction projects in Kananaskis Whitewater with no issues. In-river construction projects were in 1984, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, and 2024.

Does river construction and dam lock-off increase the risk of electricity loss in Alberta?

No, locking off the Barrier Dam for in-river construction poses no risk for electricity supply in Alberta because:

  • Construction is always done when the Barrier Dam is not operating.

  • Barrier Dam is a small contributor of electricity to the Alberta electricity grid.

    • 0.06% (1/20th of a percent) of Alberta electricity generation.

    • 1.6% of Alberta’s hydroelectric generation

How much electricity does the Barrier Dam generate?

The Barrier Dam generates:

Does locking off the dam cost TransAlta electricity revenue?

No. TransAlta generates electrity and sells that electricity when water flows through the dam generators. If the dam is not running the water stays behind the dam. The water and the electricity revenue is not lost. TransAlta will release the stored water and sell the electricty at a later date when electricity prices are high.

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