Decision to Redevelop Lower Kananaskis Lake Campgrounds in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

To increase camping capacity and reduce encounters between people and bears, Alberta Parks has proposed to make several changes to campgrounds in the Lower Kananaskis Lake area. This area is a very popular camping destination during the summer months, particularly on the weekends. It is also at the junction of several major wildlife corridors and contains very high quality grizzly bear habitat. There is a shortage of fully serviced campsites in the area, and there is a need to reduce encounters between campers and bears in and around campgrounds. The campgrounds involved in this project are: Boulton Creek, Lower Lake and Mt. Sarrail. The proposed plan involves expanding Boulton Creek, decommissioning several campsites at Lower Lakes, improving bear-proof food storage at Mt. Sarrail and designating an official overflow campground for the area.

Alberta Parks conducted public consultation from December 7, 2016 to February 13, 2017. First Nations consultation with the Treaty 7 First Nations also took place. The feedback for this plan has been positive overall, and Albertans have been supportive of it. Based on feedback, changes were made to the plan details to accommodate the needs of Albertans. The plan now involves:

• Constructing 34 RV-accessible sites at Boulton Creek campground. Six of these sites will meet accessibility standards for people with limited mobility. These sites will also accommodate a medium sized tipi.
• Closing 12 campsites at the Lower Lake campground that are most at risk for encounters between people and bears due to bear movement and habitat-use patterns.
• Installing bear-proof food storage bins at Mt Sarrail for each campsite. Storage bins will be located in each section of the campground and surrounded by fixed picnic tables.
• Designating an official campground overflow in the Pocaterra day use area. This area will be seasonally designated for overflow camping from May 1 to October 15. Overflow campers will be limited to a maximum stay of two nights; a maximum of 30 units will be permitted in the overflow.
• Designating two new “Preservation Zones – Wildlife Corridors” around these human-use areas to provide bears with space to navigate the landscape without encountering people as frequently.

The decision will follow through on the following proposed amendments to the Peter Lougheed and Spray Valley Provincial Parks Management Plans.:

• Expand Facility Zone boundaries around Boulton Creek Campground to include the new campground loop “E” and existing underground infrastructure.
• Cancel direction under the Management Plan to close Mt. Sarrail, and instead create a Facility Zone around the upgraded campground.
• Designate two “Preservation Zone – Wildlife Corridors”. One east of Boulton Creek and the other east of Mt. Sarrail campgrounds to facilitate animal movement around human use areas rather than through them.

For further information about this decision, please see the Frequently Asked Questions and maps.

What We Heard

For details on the public input that was provided during the consultation process, please see the What We Heard document.

Media Inquiries

Environment and Parks
780-427-8636
AEP.Mediainquiries@gov.ab.ca

Further Information

• What We Heard
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Map 1: Project Area
• Map 2: Regional Facility Zone and Preservation Zone Amendments
• Map 3: Boulton Campground Loop E Design
• Map 4: Lower Lake Campground Changes

Disclaimer: We thank you for providing your input. Those who submit feedback will not be contacted individually regarding their submission.