A number of river users fell victim to a water hazard in the Bow River near where the water passes under the Crowchild Trail bridge this weekend.
A bunch of rebar is sticking up near the surface of the water about four metres from shore on the west side of the river.
READ MORE: Fire officials warn Calgarians about Bow River rafting hazard
The Calgary Fire Department taped off the area and tried to keep rafters away, and now TransAlta has stepped in to help with the removal of the material.
Crews have been filling up the reservoirs upstream to help drop the water levels down. Normally the water levels would be around 109 cubic metres per second this time of year. The Minnewanka, Bearspaw and Ghost Dams have all been holding extra water to temporarily diminish the flow rate to 65 cubic metres per second.
TransAlta has explained to Global News there is only a short window that this water can be held back or they risk affecting minnow rates and the natural balance of the river ecosystems.
Crews started filling the dams last night and must release that water at nightfall.
The Calgary Fire Department is on scene trying to use a hydraulic pole cutter, similar to the Jaws of Life, to break through the rebar and remove as much as they can from the river.
Whatever cannot be removed Tuesday will have to be dealt with once water levels drop in the winter.
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