Lesser Slave River facts for kids

Lesser Slave River in Alberta

The Lesser Slave River

The Lesser Slave River is a river in central Alberta, Canada. In the Cree language, its name is Iyaghchi Eennu Sepe, which means "River of the Strange People." This river is a major branch of the Athabasca River.

For a long time, the Lesser Slave Lake and this river were important travel routes. They helped people get to the Peace River area. But in the early 1900s, a railway called the Northern Alberta Railway was built. This made travel much easier.

Where the River Flows

View of the Lesser Slave River, 1911

The Lesser Slave River starts from Lesser Slave Lake. It begins near the town of Slave Lake. On average, about 20 cubic meters of water flow out of the lake each second.

The river flows east for about 61 kilometers (38 miles). It then joins the Athabasca River near the village of Smith. If you measure from the very beginning of its source, the South Heart River, the Lesser Slave River system is over 280 kilometers (174 miles) long.

The weir on the Lesser Slave River helps control water flow.

Rivers Joining the Lesser Slave

Many smaller rivers and creeks flow into the Lesser Slave River system. Some join the Lesser Slave Lake, and others join the river itself.

Rivers Joining Lesser Slave Lake

• Assineau River
• Driftpile River
  • The Little Driftpile River is a smaller branch of the Driftpile River.
• South Heart River
  • The East Prairie River, West Prairie River, and North Heart River flow into the South Heart River.
• Marten River
• Swan River
  • The Inverness River and Moosehorn River flow into the Swan River.

Rivers Joining the Lesser Slave River (Downstream of the Lake)

• Sawridge Creek
• Eating Creek
• Mitsue Creek
  • Mitsue Lake and Florida Creek are part of the Mitsue Creek system.
• Muskeg Creek
• Otauwau River
• Salteux River
• Driftwood River
  • The Fawcett River flows into the Driftwood River.