City installing safety fencing and signage at 15 Calgary storm ponds this summer
New barriers aim to prevent access to working stormwater facilities marked as off-limits. Assessments continue to identify additional ponds needing upgrades.
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The City of Calgary is installing additional safety measures at 15 storm ponds this year beginning in mid-August, following a review that identified these locations as highest priority.
Storm ponds are part of Calgary's stormwater infrastructure found across many communities. They are marked with caution signs reminding the public that going into or onto storm ponds is strictly prohibited.
Safety enhancements will include replacing old caution signage with new signage, installing interpretive signage to increase awareness of risks, and adding thorny and dense vegetation to create barriers to the ponds. Permanent partial fencing and temporary seasonal fencing will also restrict public access. Each pond has been assessed to determine which measures will be applied.
The City emphasizes that stormwater ponds are working stormwater facilities, not recreational areas. Storm pond safety is an ongoing priority, with focus on educating the public that recreational activities on storm ponds year-round are prohibited under the City Stormwater Bylaw.
Ongoing field assessments will continue to identify additional storm ponds requiring safety enhancements. Current storm pond safety work can be viewed on the storm pond map available on calgary.ca/stormponds. For more information on safety around storm ponds, visit calgary.ca/stormpondsafety.
What is the cost of these safety enhancements across the 15 ponds?
How many drowning or near-drowning incidents have occurred at Calgary storm ponds in recent years?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How many Calgary storm ponds are getting safety upgrades this summer?
The City of Calgary is installing safety measures at 15 storm ponds beginning in mid-August 2026.
What safety improvements are being added to these ponds?
The City of Calgary is replacing old caution signage with new signage, installing interpretive signage about risks, adding thorny and dense vegetation as barriers, and installing permanent partial fencing and temporary seasonal fencing to restrict public access.
