The Kutenai had migrated westward, possibly in the early eighteenth century, but still occasionally ventured into the Bow region to hunt bison.

The river's water naturally attracted game, which the First Nations men also hunted, while women gathered the roots, nuts and berries and processed them for food.

[3]: 37–41 The fur trader James Gaddy and the Hudson's Bay Company explorer David Thompson are traditionally considered to be the first people of European origin to see the Bow River.

To stop these operations, the recently formed North-West Mounted Police (later the RCMP) established Fort Calgary in 1875 at the confluence of the Elbow River and the Bow.

[6]: 245  With bison numbers declining and white settlers becoming increasingly common in the region, the Nakoda, Tsuu Tʼina, Kainai, Piikanai, and Siksika met with representatives of the Canadian government at Blackfoot Crossing on the Bow River and signed Treaty 7 on 22 September 1877, ceding lands in exchange for defined reserves.

That year, on property purchased from the Nakoda, Calgary Power began constructing Alberta's first major hydroelectric plant, Horseshoe Dam.

The Bow River originates from a northern mountain, and its flow varies considerably depending upon the amount and location of winter snowfalls.

[3]: 128–130 The Bow River's hydroelectric development both conforms to and contrasts with elements of conservationist ideology in the United States during this era.

This ideology espoused that rational and planned resource development guided by technicians should benefit the greatest number of people possible.

[10] In this light, rivers could be seen as a series of interdependent parts, and engineering all of them could give technicians control over the system as a whole for the benefit of society.

[3]: 140 [12] Between 1910 and 1960, the Bow River was radically changed as it was systematically engineered to control its water flow and provide hydroelectric power.

The Calgary Local Council of Women was the most vocal advocate for turning this area into a park system as a part of a broader campaign for improved public and social services.

[2]: 33  After negotiations between the CPR and Calgary ended in failure in 1964, urban elites, such as golf clubs, increasingly endorsed the Local Council of Women's idea for a riverfront park system.

[2]: 41–2 [3]: 315 The grassroots advocacy done by the Local Council of Women denotes emerging environmental sensibilities that are representative of larger trends occurring in North America during this period.

Unlike the pre-World War II elitist ideology of conservationist production, this emergent approach in North America was of grassroots consumers democratically engaging in environmental issues, and there was often tension between the public and managers of the environment.

[3]: 377 As a result, Alberta's premier, Ralph Klein, established the Bow River Water Quality Council as a provincial advisory body.

[3]: 365–6  Recreational groups represented on the council, such as Ducks Unlimited and Bow Waters Canoe Club, expressed concern for the river's environment.

Their attitudes were not strictly human-centric, but, like those favoring a park system in Calgary, they defined the Bow River's environment as something worth preserving for human use.

A dozen municipalities declared local states of emergency on June 20 as water levels rose, and numerous communities were placed under evacuation orders.

[3]: 274–5  Originally 647 square kilometres (250 sq mi), it was Canada's first national park and included part of the Bow River.

[3]: 277 From the 1920s forward, the National Parks of Canada began to focus on the economic benefits of accessible, mass marketable tourism.

There was also fear that continued reliance on the Bow as a natural sewer would either cap the development of Banff or eventually have great risk to public health.

[19] In 1951, the Province of Alberta also established Kinbrook Island Provincial Park on the eastern bank of the Newell reservoir, which has been stocked with native species of fish.

It is able to supply both agricultural and urban needs since the WID has higher levels of rainfall than the other two districts, and it receives much of Calgary's storm water.

[citation needed] A trout that is 4 to 5 years old will be around 53 centimetres (21 in) long, and the Bow River holds many fish that are this size or larger.

Along the Bow River pathway, many people partake in canoeing, kayaking, rafting, paddle boarding, and other activities on the water.

[26] Projects such as the McGregor, Chestermere, and Ghost dams were originally built for either agricultural or electrical purposes but are also important for the recreational facilities they offer.

At this point the Bassano dam now also started offering group tours, fishing and picnic areas, and a scenic viewpoint.

In 1904 the Bow River Weir was constructed close to Calgary's downtown core in order to divert water into the Western Irrigation District.

Furthermore, because fish were not able to pass through the structure, they too became trapped in the circulating wave and a dense, unnatural concentration of pelicans congregated immediately following the weir.