The Wapiti River 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 is named after the Cree word for elk (waapiti).
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 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 ParkDiscover the Peace Country - Pipestone Creek Park are protected areas along the river.
Close to its mouth, Wapiti has an average discharge of .Alberta Environment - Wapiti Discharge graph
Tributaries and crossings Tributary/CrossingLocationRemarksTuck LakeOriginates from Tuck Lake in Wapiti PassWapiti LakeFlows into Wapiti LakeWapiti LakeFlows from Wapiti LakeWapiti Lake Provincial ParkLeaves ParkFearless CreekLeft tributary, also waters of Dokken CreekCalliou CreekLeft tributaryRed Deer CreekRight tributaryBelcourt CreekRight tributaryMistanusk CreekRight tributary, from Boundary LakeAlberta/British ColumbiaCrosses into the province of AlbertaChinook CreekRight tributary, from Chinook RidgeNarraway RiverRight tributaryLingrell CreekRight tributary, from Lingrell LakeNose CreekRight tributaryCalahoo CreekLeft tributarySmith CreekLeft tributaryPinto CreekRight tributaryWest Iroquois CreekRight tributaryIroquois CreekRight tributaryRedwillow RiverLeft tributary, carries waters from Beaverlodge River as wellPipestone CreekLeft tributarySpring CreekLeft tributaryHighway 40Crossed by road bridgeBig Mountain CreekRight tributaryCanadian National RailwayCrossed by railway bridgeBear RiverLeft tributarySmoky RiverEmpties into the Smoky River as left tributary
See also List of rivers of British Columbia List of rivers of Alberta
References