The Bow River begins its journey at Bow Lake, high on top of Bow Summit (2035 m), as a catchment basin for meltwater flowing out of Bow Glacier along the Wapta Icefield. Because meltwater from many glaciers flows into the Bow River and because of the river's large drainage area, the Bow River can be counted on to supply water to Calgarians during all but the most severe droughts.

With the exception of areas of human habitation, flooding along the Bow River is a beneficial process for many species and is an integral part of maintaining riparian habitats. Species such as the balsam poplar require annual flooding to germinate new seedlings each year and, in many cases, they are most successful after a 100-year flood (because seedlings are high enough away from the river to avoid being swept away by winter ice flows, but are still able to tap into the river's groundwater supply).

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