Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Hey, couch potato! You've never done science while rafting down a river? You need to get out more often!

River rafting is often a new experience for many students. Collecting scientific data while river rafting at the same time is definitely new to everyone!

What about touring through a sewage treatment plant? Have you tried that lately? If you want to try something different, RiverWatch is definitely the right adventure for you!

Here are some of the frequently asked questions (FAQ's) about RiverWatch.

Will I have to swim?

No student has ever had to swim during a RiverWatch Field Trip. When you think that tens-of-thousands of students have stayed dry, the chances of having to swim are pretty small!

RiverWatch rafts are very wide and stable. However, each student wears a personal floatation device (PFD) just in case they do slide overboard. On the slim chance that you might fall in, your raft guide will explain the safety procedures for conducting this type of "self-guided rafting trip"!

Why don't skeletons ever go rafting?
They don't have the guts for it!

Non-swimmers travel on all sorts of boats like B.C. Ferries and Caribbean Cruises. However, if you are a non-swimmer and a bit nervous at first, try sitting next to the raft guide for extra reassurance. After the first half-hour, we find that even the most uneasy person is able to relax and enjoy the trip.

Oh great, now you tell me there's a hole in the top of each rubber boot!

Will I get wet?

Some RiverWatch students do get wet, but usually not while rafting down the river. Getting wet can occur when students choose not take the advice of their guide. These students are in a hurry to exit the raft and end-up in the deep-water-end farthest from shore.

Another "getting wet" problem occurs because all of our rubber boots have holes in them! Yes, there are holes at the top where your foot slides in! If you walk out too far and too deep from shore, you might have soggy socks all day.

Remember, wade shallow!

Is this trip any fun?

Someone is always doing or saying something funny.

Is water wet? Of course you'll have fun! Although collecting scientific data is serious business, there's lots of time to talk, joke, eat and relax during the rafting part of the trip. Carrying rafts and paddling takes teamwork and someone is always doing or saying something funny. RiverWatch makes for a day that you'll never forget!

Can I bring my SuperSoaker water cannon from home?

Water fights! They sound like fun but even on hot days, getting wet can be a hypothermia problem. On cool days, getting wet can be very serious. It's often breezy out on the river and there are very few places to go indoors to warm-up or change clothes. We ask that you not get anyone wet.

What often starts out as innocent splashing often ends up making people very cold and uncomfortable. Splashing and spraying water might be okay if everyone wore a wet suit! However, this is not a wet-suit-and-whitewater raft trip.

For an enjoyable day with RiverWatch, everyone should stay dry.

River Watch uses the safest stretches of river

Is there any whitewater?

The only whitewater that we might see with RiverWatch is in the form of chunks of shore ice early in the spring! The rivers we use are Class I - the easiest and safest possible. River Watch doesn't apologize for the lack of whitewater - we're out to do important scientific work that helps take care of rivers.

Can I bring my fishing rod?

Would you really want to bring sharp, pointed hooks into a rubber raft filled with pressurized air? We'd appreciate it if you wouldn't bring fishing rods. We also have a very busy day with no time to go fishing!

How deep is the river? That depends on where you are!

How deep and fast is the river?

The outside of a river bend is usually the deepest and fastest. Some straight sections alternate between shallow riffles followed by slow, deep pools. Sometimes, a river is so shallow that we get stuck on gravel bars and have to get out and walk for a bit. Other times, the river is so deep and slow that everyone has to paddle or we go nowhere!

Are you always happy? Always sleepy? Forever hungry? Rivers also change from moment to moment. It's not really possible to say for sure how deep and how fast a river is. If you'd like to know how deep the water is at any one spot, just stick your paddle straight down.

Is this trip safe?

You and a team of students will be working with a professional river guide. Your guide works with classes just like yours day-after-day each fall and spring. Your guide will teach you how to be safe and how to get the most out of the day. Listen to all the guide's instructions and you'll be just fine.

Here's a final word of caution about your safety. One strange problem with rafting inside a city is that we occasionally find discarded syringes along the shoreline. We've been advised that intravenous drug users are dropping these needles down storm drains that wash out into the river.

• If you find a discarded syringe, do not pick it up. Simply mark the spot and tell your raft guide. Our river guides have been properly trained to collect and dispose of these hazardous materials.

Are there any washrooms along the way?

There is often a washroom where we meet first thing in the morning, and there may be another washroom at the lunch spot. However, don't count on it! You may have to "rough it!"

Does the sewage plant smell?

No way! Sewage treatment plants never smell. You can take my word on this!

Of course the sewage treatment plant smells! Try pinching your nose shut if the smell bothers you too much. It's all in the cause of science!

We tour through wastewater treatment plants to see how engineering technology is used to lessen our impact on the health of rivers. Most people find it an eye-opening experience!

What's that weird thing?

Weirs are low dams that raise river levels for irrigation.

Students rafting in southern Alberta may see a weird thing on their rivers. Or, more precisely, they may see a "weir" thing!

A "weir" is a low, concrete dam stretching from shore to shore across a river. A weir is designed to raise the river level by a meter or so. The higher river level then allows water to be channeled off into an irrigation canal.

Irrigation canals eventually distribute water to thirsty crops in southern Alberta. Land that would not normally support agriculture is then able to produce food for our tables or feed for cattle.

The drop over a weir looks like a fun challenge in a boat or inner tube, or even a great spot for fishing, but weirs are nicknamed "drowning machines" for good reason. The Bow River Weir in Calgary has claimed many lives in the past. The water falling over the low dam recirculates around and around. Anyone caught in this recirculation is almost certain to drown. We stay far away from weirs!

What does the trip cost?

Sponsors have provided much of the equipment required for RiverWatch

A full-day with a commercial whitewater rafting trip using exactly the same rafts, river guides, paddles, trucks and trailers would likely cost $100 or more.

RiverWatch fees are 1/3 to ½ that cost! The reason is that governments, charitable foundations and corporations have contributed funding for the equipment, web site and base of operations.

My observations will help take care of Alberta Rivers!

Is this field trip worthwhile?

We've had RiverWatch teachers report back to us that their students are scoring up to 15% above the provincial average in related Achievement Exams. That alone makes the trip worthwhile!

RiverWatch Science also teaches the river monitoring skills used by professional ecologists. The science data you collect along the river and then analyze back at school will help make a difference in the health of our rivers.

You can be proud to help with an important environmental project like RiverWatch!

If you have personal questions that are not listed here, someone can help you on our discussion board "RiverTalk."