The headwaters of the Bow River in Alberta, Canada, start at the Bow Glacier and Bow Lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The glacial stream that feeds Bow Lake has a mean elevation of 2310 metres above sea level (7578 feet above sea level). From there, the river winds through the Alberta foothills onto the prairies, where it meets the Oldman River, the two then forming the South Saskatchewan River. These waters ultimately flow through the Nelson River into Hudson Bay.
The Bow River Basin is the most highly populated basin in Alberta, with over 1.6 million people living within the watershed. Major population centres along the Bow River, listed from upstream to downstream, include Lake Louise (population 1,004), Banff (population 10,944), Canmore (population 17,200), Cochrane (population 38,014), and Calgary (population 1,481,806).
In addition, the Bow River is an important source of water for irrigation and drinking water. Between 1910 and 1960, the Bow River and its tributaries were engineered to provide hydroelectric power, primarily for Calgary's use. This significantly altered the river's flow and certain ecosystems.[3]: 151 
In the Bow River Basin, there are 20 sub-watersheds that drain into the Bow River. From a roughly upstream to downstream direction, these sub-watersheds are:

Quelle: Wikipedia