About Bridlewood Calgary

For years, land developers avoided this more than 40 acres parcel of land in Calgary’s southwest. The reason? Not the location, which is next to a highway, and in fact is next door to the world famous Spruce Meadows equestrian and show jumping facility. Not the size, which was just right to properly design and service a substantial subdivision.

Not the price, which was affordable even to a prudent and thrifty buyer. No, the real reason was a 12 acre slough, filled with reeds and cattails, partially surrounded with trees and brush, and teeming with wildlife.

Previously, common practice in the land development industry would be to bulldoze down the trees and brush, fill in the Wetland, and compact the whole thing. The problem, everybody assumed, was that the Wetland was fed by underground springs, which are difficult, if not impossible, to control or divert, and can cause no end of problems in a development. This was not a headache any normal land developer would want, which is why they all avoided this parcel of land.

As it turned out, there are no underground springs. All the water came from overland drainage, and the Wetland formed when some culverts became plugged and the water simply backed up. Although a very simple solution would now make all of this land fully developable, Lamont decided to take a different look at it, viewing the Wetland as an asset rather than a detriment.

The first question was how to preserve the Wetland? Obviously a Wetland needs water, so where would it come from? The solution - storm drains. Rather than having the stormwater runoff going straight to the Bow River (as had been the usual solution in years past), it was diverted to the Wetland. First, the stormwater is collected in a settling pond, and from there it spills over into the first and largest of two Wetland units.
This deceptively simple solution required great teamwork and cooperation between the City of Calgary Parks Department and the Sewers Department, as both wanted to control the Wetland. The Parks Department wanted the Wetland as a natural area, and the Sewers Department wanted it as a stormwater retention facility.

After that, Bridlewood Creek just seemed to take on a life of its own. There was a great abundance of waterfowl in the Wetlands, and with the assistance of Ducks Unlimited Canada, the magnitude of all kinds of wildlife dependent on a Wetland for habitat was revealed. There are many ducks - Canvasback, Mallard, Cinnamon Teal, Blue Wing Teal, Northern Pintail, and Ruddy Ducks. Other birds included Chickadees, American Coots, Yellow-Headed Blackbirds, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Plovers, Phalaropes, Magpies, Crows, Canada Geese, Purple Martins, Swallows, and Sparrows. In addition to the birds, there is an interesting variety of plants and wildflowers, shrubs and trees that give this Wetland its natural beauty. Of course, all this wildlife requires a good food supply, and a healthy Wetland has a steady supply of vegetation and insects in the food chain. All spring and summer one can hear the chorus of frogs, and watch the dragonflies zipping around and about. No doubt nightfall saw the emergence of bats - one of nature's most effective insect-eaters. In fact, around the Wetland, one notices significantly fewer mosquitoes and other annoying (to humans) insect pests than in a backyard in "civilized" areas, where these pests have no natural predators.

Further research revealed that wetlands are an unexpectedly productive and valuable resource. Wetlands provide valuable habitat for many animals, plants, insects and amphibians. They prevent soil erosion by slowing stormwater runoff, collecting/filtering sediments and pollutants, and thus greatly improving downstream water quality. At the same time, they replenish the groundwater table, retaining vital subsurface moisture. Wetlands are ideal places to watch wildlife, take photographs and just relax and enjoy nature.

One very important question remained. How can the wetland be kept healthy? With housing backing onto at least half of the wetland, the residents of these homes had to be convinced to take an active and crucial role in sustaining and guarding the vitality of the Bridlewood Creek Wetland. In fact, homes backing onto the Wetland have became an integral part of it. For this reason, residents of these homes need to be especially careful to control pollution, fitter and water run-off. A Restrictive Covenant was registered against the titles of those homes backing onto the Wetlands to ensure that no gates or openings in the back fences are allowed, restricting access so nesting and feeding sites would be as undisturbed as possible. Nor are the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers permitted, as these will leach out of lawns or gardens and into the Wetlands. Kill the plants or insects in the Wetland and you will destroy it.

A regional pathway system provides limited access to the wetland, and a pedestrian bridge and a floating viewing platform offer opportunities for observation or just quiet contemplation. Undisturbed nesting and feeding areas are crucial to the continued delicate balance of all natural plants and animals in the wetland, so all dogs must be on leash at all times.