Wapiti River
The Wapiti River /ˈwɑːpɪdiː/ is a river in eastern British Columbia and western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Smoky River, located in the southern area of the Peace River Basin.
| Wapiti River | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Wapiti River in western Canada | |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Tuck Lake, Wapiti Pass |
| • coordinates | 54.44069°N 120.79021°W |
| • elevation | 1,370 m (4,490 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Smoky River |
• coordinates | 55.13784°N 118.30152°W |
• elevation | 485 m (1,591 ft) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 100 m3/s (3,500 cu ft/s) |
Course
Wapiti River originates as the outflow of Tuck Lake, east of Wapiti Pass, in Wapiti Lake Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, in the Canadian Rockies. It then runs in a north-eastern direction, crosses into Alberta, where it becomes more meandered as it continues through the County of Grande Prairie No. 1. It merges into the Smoky River 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of Grande Prairie.
From west to east, Wapiti River flows through the alpine environment of the Rocky Mountains, the rolling foothills, then farmlands and aspen parkland in western Alberta. Wapiti Lake Provincial Park, Bear River Park, O'Brien Provincial Park and Pipestone Creek Park[1] are protected areas along the river.
Close to its mouth, Wapiti has an average discharge of 100 cubic metres per second (3,500 cu ft/s).[2]
Tributaries and crossings
| Tributary/Crossing | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Tuck Lake | 54.44069°N 120.79021°W | Originates from Tuck Lake in Wapiti Pass |
| Wapiti Lake | 54.56148°N 120.77831°W | Flows into Wapiti Lake |
| Wapiti Lake | 54.58420°N 120.75794°W | Flows from Wapiti Lake |
| Wapiti Lake Provincial Park | 54.59638°N 120.73880°W | Leaves Park |
| Fearless Creek | 54.73646°N 120.51058°W | Left tributary, also waters of Dokken Creek |
| Calliou Creek | 54.74127°N 120.45839°W | Left tributary |
| Red Deer Creek | 54.68386°N 120.24966°W | Right tributary |
| Belcourt Creek | 54.68479°N 120.10373°W | Right tributary |
| Mistanusk Creek | 54.70038°N 120.06016°W | Right tributary, from Boundary Lake |
| Alberta/British Columbia | 54.73684°N 120.00109°W | Crosses into the province of Alberta |
| Chinook Creek | 54.72715°N 119.94752°W | Right tributary, from Chinook Ridge |
| Narraway River | 54.73503°N 119.92292°W | Right tributary |
| Lingrell Creek | 54.77732°N 119.84333°W | Right tributary, from Lingrell Lake |
| Nose Creek | 54.86847°N 119.63802°W | Right tributary |
| Calahoo Creek | 54.91894°N 119.68454°W | Left tributary |
| Smith Creek | 54.95758°N 119.60497°W | Left tributary |
| Pinto Creek | 54.97542°N 119.45228°W | Right tributary |
| West Iroquois Creek | 55.00271°N 119.37504°W | Right tributary |
| Iroquois Creek | 55.02108°N 119.31770°W | Right tributary |
| Redwillow River | 55.03241°N 119.30971°W | Left tributary, carries waters from Beaverlodge River as well |
| Pipestone Creek | 55.04614°N 119.10261°W | Left tributary |
| Spring Creek | 55.07790°N 118.94005°W | Left tributary |
| Highway 40 | 55.07206°N 118.80483°W | Crossed by road bridge |
| Big Mountain Creek | 55.05953°N 118.66093°W | Right tributary |
| Canadian National Railway | 55.07215°N 118.62247°W | Crossed by railway bridge |
| Bear River | 55.10725°N 118.48549°W | Left tributary |
| Smoky River | 55.13784°N 118.30152°W | Empties into the Smoky River as left tributary |
References
- Discover the Peace Country - Pipestone Creek Park
- Alberta Environment Archived 2007-01-16 at the Wayback Machine - Wapiti Discharge graph
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